Atlas snap switch machines

[yankee flyer]

nbrodar

I use and SPDT toggle and a push button to control mine.  The switch makes up for the lack of contacts on the Atlas machines.  Over the years I have burnt up a couple.  And it doesn't take long.

Nick

 

Nick
Use the CD circuit suggested and you won't burn up the atlas motors. I only allows a momentary current flow and then won't recharge untill the switch is released.
Even if you lean on a switch button, like I have done before I put in the CD circuit
good luck

Lee

[nbrodar]

 I've had good luck with mine.  I have some that are 20 years old or older.   Anyone remember the gigantic OLD ones that you bolted to the turnout, and worked for both left and right turnouts.

They used to be dirt cheap.   Now they're nearly as expensive as the low end stall motor machines.

I use and SPDT toggle and a push button to control mine.  The switch makes up for the lack of contacts on the Atlas machines.  Over the years I have burnt up a couple.  And it doesn't take long.

Nick

[JSperan]

yankee flyer

Make  Bell crank to place switch motor under table, cheap and easy. It will reach any thickness needed.

 

I remember seeing that...here it is!

Atlas Undertable Adapter

[yankee flyer]

cudaken

 1 If the button is not held down to long, are they durable?

Must use capacitor discharge circuit. works perfect.

 2 Been told door bell wire is pretty cheap and will work.

Need three wires. I used phone wire.

 3 APX cost of the motor and switch?

Not sure of current cost, cheaper than most switch machines.

Make  Bell crank to place switch motor under table, cheap and easy. It will reach any thickness needed.

I, and others have posted  how to on this site. Mine was listed as Atlas under table adapter, (I think). I don't type well to go through the whole post again.

Good luck 

Lee

 

 

cudaken

 1 If the button is not held down to long, are they durable?

 2 Been told door bell wire is pretty cheap and will work.

 3 APX cost of the motor and switch?

 

[tomikawaTT]

Atlas switch machines will melt down only if power continues to flow after the points have moved.  The same can be said for any 2-coil switch machine.

How you control them (from the panel or elsewhere) will determine how likely they are to overheat.  From best (least likely to cause problems) to worst (known history of failure) my choices (for each machine) are:

• Stud contact.  Hand-held probe is touched to the screwheads (set into the control panel track diagram.)  No way for the probe to remain in contact with the screwhead unless held in place by the operator.  Also, the price is right.
• Center-off SPDT-momentary contact toggle switch of 3 amp or better capacity.  Can be expensive unless switches are purchased in quantity.  Cheaper toggles will fail far more quickly, but are more likely to fail open rather than be unable to break the circuit.
• Regular SPDT switch plus a single good-quality pushbutton.  SPDT handle will indicate the last route chosen, and the switch can be low-capacity since the button actually makes and breaks the circuit.
• Two good-quality push buttons (not those Radio Shack minibuttons) set in the track lines.
• Atlas control switches, notorious for sticking in the ON position.

By using a capacitor-discharge circuit, current will be limited to a value that won't overheat the switch machine no matter what control you use.

Not mentioned - rotary switch circuits, way expensive and not necessary unless, like me, you use the extra contact sets to electrically simulate mechanical interlocking...

Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with twin coil switch machines)

 

[JSperan]

Some more on the Atlas machines...

cudaken

1 If the button is not held down to long, are they durable?

 

I would say they are durable if controlled as I mentioned above.

cudaken

2 Been told door bell wire is pretty cheap and will work.

 

Any wire, solid or stranded as small as 22 gauge will work well.  One common wire and one wire to activate each coil.

cudaken

3 APX cost of the motor and switch?

 

Off the top of my head, for a remote snap switch turnout, about $14 each including the motor, wire and control switch, but throw that Atlas control switch away!

They can also be used with other Atlas turnouts if the snap switch does not fit your track work.  Atlas used to sell and under table version too but I am not sure if those are still available or not.  They were fine for a thin sub roadbed but not for foam bases without some modified linkage etc.

I have been told that the Humpyard controls can be a real pain in the rear to install and get working properly. If you are considering manual controls, you may want to check out the Bullfrog, from Fast Tracks.  The Bullfrog is available as low as $6 each in kit form.

[JSperan]

Nothing wrong with the Atlas twin coil switch machines if you take precautions when planning controls for them.

If the switch is held for 10-15 seconds the coil will burn out.  Fact!  This is why many people use a Capacitor discharge power supply for their twin coil machines.  The CD supply provides a powerful shot of power to throw the turnout but only for a split second.  This prevents the burnout from power being applied to long.

The other problem with twin coil switch machines is that the coils when the power is removed generate a surge of back emf that can fuse the momentary switch contacts together, ruining the control switch and then burning out the switch machine too.  The CD supply will avoid this problem.

The better solution, IMO for twin coil machines is Ken Stapletons Electronic Turnout Switch, mentioned above.

Kens switch circuit uses a toggle switch to control the switch machine and a capacitor discharge circuit to control the power being applied to the coil.  The switch machine coil receives a full 12Volts from your power supply but only for a about 1/2 second.  There is no chance for the coil to heat up and back emf cannot damage the control switch.  The toggle switch provides visible route indication but the circuit board also provides for connecting lights or LED's for signals and/or panel indicators.  The assembled switch circuit sells for $8 or you can buy a bulk pack of ten kits and assemble them yourself if you are handy with a soldering iron and have some ability to solder components to printed circuit boards. Another plus with the switch circuit is that it only requires one switch to be mounted in the control panel or on the fascia, for each turnout, just like a Tortoise machine.

[Allegheny2-6-6-6]

 In my opinion they ______ you fill in the blank, they are the only switch machine I have ever seen actually melt. I am sure it can happen with any twin coil machine but I have at least 3 or 4 melted Atlas. That being said I have them and I use them in my under layout  hidden staging yard only.Why because I already had them and their cheap. Not even going to touch on the non prototypical way they snap the switch from one side to another cause we all know that already. I believe I have found a solution to the Atlas meltdown problem, Check out the link below, some guy has put a lot of thought and effort in to curing this problem.

For $8.00 I think it's cheap insurance.

 

 

http://www3.sympatico.ca/kstapleton3/751D.HTM

[Geared Steam]

 Ken

Yes if the switch you choose to use malfunctioned (stuck) it will melt the machine down quickly, about 15 seconds. I had an old Atlas switch stick closed, it didn't take long. Besides that one incident, no problems at all.

[cahrn]

cudaken

6 will be out of site in a mine

 

 

They should work flawlessly with little or no maintenance. The only thing I might do if I were you is file down the switch points a little. On some of mine they were a bit rough right out of the package and they could cause pesky derails when pushing cars over them. Check yours to make sure they don't stick out to much and you should be satisfied.

[mreagant]

I use them extensively in my hidden staging yard and they work fine.  Will they 'burn out' if held in the detent center position of the switch TOO long?  I suspect they would overheat, but then why would anyone do that?  Mine are wired with 22 AWG just like the feeder wires and have served well for a number of years.  The staging yard is in a location where any kind of hand throw would be very hard to do, so they were an easy, inexpensive, simple to install choice.

Good luck.

[cudaken]

Thanks for the quick answer. One reason I am think about them, 6 will be out of site in a mine.

          Cuda Ken

[cahrn]

 I had 10 on my first HO scale layout. They all worked well for the entire life of that layout (6 ish years) without being cared for at all. Now I am in an inter-layout period and I have a few on my test track I use to program my decoders and test out engines. They still work well after sitting in my garage gathering dust and being pulled up and relayed several times. I dont think I will be using them when I lay new track this winter for the exact reason you pointed out... the ugly motor housing.

[cudaken]

  Any thoughts on atlas switch motors? I have been told that if you hold the button down to long it will burn out the coil in the machine. I have all so heard make a snapping sound and move the points fast. The sound and fast moving points will not bother me. They are ugly, but so am I!   I think I can hide them with out any real problem.

 Now the questions.

 1 If the button is not held down to long, are they durable?

 2 Been told door bell wire is pretty cheap and will work.

 3 APX cost of the motor and switch?

 I have around 10 of them I bought used off E-Bay years ago. Never applied power to see if they work. Guess it is time to give them a try. I am looking for cheap and easy to install. I may still go with the Humpyard hand throws I posted about, but they seem they could be a pain to install. Even Howard, person that makes them said I should do a few install off the bench to get the hang of them.

 Thanks for the coming answers.

          Cuda Ken