Hi guys, Long time- no see. I have about 70 Atlas Mark IV turnouts on my layout and I would like to get some of your best ideas on powering the frog. (Yes, I know how to wire it to a tortoise machine). My question is what is the best way to connect the wire to the frog. Atlas uses a soft white metal that does not hold solder. I was thinking about installing a small screw in one of the two holes fabricated into the frog and then soldering the wire to the screw. If anyone has a better idea, well, I'm all ears.
I just started operating sessions and it is getting embarrassing when all the locomotives stall on the dead frog of an Atlas turnout. Chuck
Hi Chuck:
Your question has come up before and the recommendations were to do exactly what you are suggesting. Tap the hole for a brass screw and solder the wire to it.
Here is one of the threads:
http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/254907/2850038.aspx#2850038
There is a solution suggested in the thread that will allow you to power the frogs without having to remove the turnouts. Hopefully you can do something similar. I'm personally not familiar with Atlas turnouts so it isn't clear to me how the electrical contact is being made with the frog. I'm sure Frank would be happy to explain if you need to ask. He is a good guy!
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Hello Chuck,
Well if You are not a high test rivet counter....You could do what I did.....I never even attempted to camouflage the screw....yet! I drilled a hole right down from the top...making sure there was nothing under it....(I have under table machines & relays) and stripped off about a 1/2 inch of insulation of a solid#24 gauge wire...it's around .049mm or 1/64'', made a 90 degree bend in the end of the wire, little less than an 1/8'' and let the bend rest on the side side of the hole and used a 1-72 x 1/8 flat head black machine screw and it threaded itself right in and solid......worked like a charm and still does after 30yrs.
A couple pic's of a #4 and #6 crossover, I run DC and use slow speed's alot, in some area's:
Take Care!
Frank
BTW: Dave....Thanks for the Good Guy...line!
Clark,
When You get around to it and want to power Your manually controlled turnouts....You may look into the Caboose ground throws that have the contacts to power the frogs......I have quite a few manual Caboose ground throws, but i use N-scale spring loaded one's and it is attached to the throwbar link on the side of turnout...the center of the drawbar is connected to a SPDT slide switch mounted on it's side directly under the drawbar, with a hole drilled into the slide switch and a hard brass 1/32 rod through hole in center of drawbar and into slide switch. The center lug on switch goes to frog and other two are connected and soldered to existing rails before points. Works like a charm. Pic' is an example of what it looks like on top....first ground throw is connected to first switch...second ground throw is connected by a brass rod in a brass tube, to turnout in street....Like I said, they are N-scale though, for HO-scale track. Works great for Me. My roadbed is only 1'' thick.....1/2''ply & 1/2'' Homasote.
Another option for non-Tortoise turnouts would be a Frog Juicer from Tam Valley Depot.
http://www.tamvalleydepot.com/products/dccfrogjuicers.html
These are DCC gadgets that act like miniature auto-reversers to control polarity. They come in 1, 2 and 6-frog units, with quantity discounts.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.