I have been using Atlas track and turnouts for well over 20 years. Both HO and N scale. While my older HO turnouts have been working well over the years, my newer (maybe 12 years old) N scale layout, which contains about 9 remote turnouts, has been an absolute FAILURE! One-by-one, EVERY SINGLE TURNOUT on my layout has stopped passing current from one end to the other! To facilitate an "easy fix", I have had to solder a mess of exposed "jumper" wires to the rails of the turnouts to get them to work. This looks like CRAP, and sometimes melts some plastic on the turnout. Obviously, the problem is "internal", but I can't figure out WHERE. Most of the time, if you can press down on the turnout in the right place, current will go through. Have any of you figured out exactly WHERE the problem is, and WHY? Is there an easier way to repair them? I really didn't want to have to pull them off the layout, if I don't HAVE TO. Does anybody know if Atlas has done anything to correct this problem?
Mike C.
Get rid of all of them, and get Peco switches. Much more reliable, I have never had any issues with them.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Unfortunately, there's not much you can do. The main problem I've found is that the rivets that Atlas uses to pivot the points loosen, leaving the closure rails without power. Michael's suggestion is best one, short of wiring a bunch of jumpers to carry the power.
---
Gary M. Collins gmcrailgNOSPAM@gmail.com
===================================
"Common Sense, Ain't!" -- G. M. Collins
http://fhn.site90.net
Fortunately,,,there is a lot you can do if you want to,,,unless of course your made out of money...You don't mention,if they are ballasted,if they are fastened down in any way,,you did mention that when you press down they work,,,sounds like poor contact,from rail joiners and you are using the points for power routing,,also clean the area,where the points make contact with the stock rails,,a little rub with 300 grit sand paper,followed,by cleaning with alcohol,,,,you should have your jumpers,at the point side and after the frog..Turnouts and most electrical parts do get dirty in time,,,,,,even Peco turnouts...
Cheers,
Frank
Motley Get rid of all of them, and get Peco switches. Much more reliable, I have never had any issues with them.
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
I have checked the rail joiners, and in each case, it wasn't the problem. It always seems to be one of the inside rails of the turnout. There's no power going TO the pivot rail. The turnout will pass current one way, but not the other.
When you say pivot rail,,I'm assuming you mean the points,,one of the points is not making good contact with the stock rail,,that is why I suggested,sanding it and cleaning with alcohol,,you can even put alcohol on the rivets,,,or CRC 226, preferred method..
This is an example of a problem I discovered on HO snap track. I understand that your issue is with N scale but it sounds very similar.
The Atlas turnouts have jumpers but a problem can develop.
Shown above is the value of a outside rail. A nice low 0.2 ohm resistance value which we would expect. If we checked the other outside rail a similar value would be measured.
Shown above is one of the center rails. 10.13K ohms. Its hard to see but that is definitely a K next to the ohm symbol. This is very extreme case. I have measured others with much lesser values.
Shown above are the jumpers between inside, outside and the rivet. This is the only jumper between the inside and outside rails.
The Atlas snap switch relies on this piece of metal which spans the gap between the outside and inside rails. It is attached to the rivet which is used to pivot the point.
As shown above, the problem is the jumper is not spot welded or soldered to the 2 rails.
Note how I have pivoted the RH one. It is placed under a tie, which I have removed for illustration purposes.The plastic tie is what locates and holds the jumper in place.
With the tie removed, the only physical connection to the switch the jumper has is the rivet.
Why does the excessive resistance happen? Once the rivet loosens, the jumper flex's and resistance builds. The lack of a solder / spot weld lets the jumper flex. Contamination from water and glue could also be an issue but I do not ballast in that area.
If you have feeders on both sides of the switch, you will never know this has happened. Power will be supplied from the other side and will travel right up to the rail before the rivet. You could run a better connection with a wire jumper and solder but it is easier to just run feeders on both sides.
While we do not know for sure the OPs problem, this could potentially be the cause.
Jim
The only problems I've had with Atlas turnouts is when the unsoldered electrical points of contact become compromised.
That has been caused by water and glue getting in between these unsoldered contact points, or their tension loosening due to the turnout flexing, which was caused by uneven subroadbed.
I'm not sure why rivets would loosen if the turnout has a stable base and doesn't flex.
Just my experience.
- Douglas
davidmbedardOn the tenth day, god created Fastracks. David B
Ooohh yeeaaahhh...
Please contact me at pgraf@atlasrr.com. I'd like to find out what generation of turnout you have, and then we can work on a solution from there.
Paul Graf
Atlas Model Railroad Company
Wobblinwheel
I've used the Atlas n-code 80 on three layouts before so this is what I learned with. I never let the project sit long enough to see how long the turnouts would last as I wanted to start a new, bigger one. Im using Atlas n code 55 on this one. I will mention this first. Most of the regular turnouts were within NMRA gauge, the curved turnouts were awful. I have 13 of them that had to be totaly reshaped. Attn Paul.
Some of these are on the lower section I did first and am now having problems with turnouts that worked perfectly 2 years ago. There is a point hinge with conductive copper to power the points. 3 of them have gone to poo and I don't use them that much.The 2 curved ones that went bad I was able to solder the points to the feeding rail as there was enough give in the long points it would work. The # 7 I had to R&R. I still can't get the ballast to match where I had to do that. Boo Hoo
I like everything about Atlas products other than this. Ron out.
Something I do to every atlas turnout is to add a jumper wire from the points to the rail just before the frog. I use a single wire strand from a stranded wire -- I tin it with solder and then touch it to the points and rail. Voila! Works great and once painted, not noticeable. No more contact problems.
Chuck
Modeling the Motor City
BARROK,
I don't know if you read the whole thread,,,but one of the response's the OP.received was from,Paul Graf,from Atlas..I have many Atlas turnouts,,have not had problems that were described,,but I would have liked to have heard,what Paul recommended to the OP anyway..
zstripe BARROK, I don't know if you read the whole thread,,,but one of the response's the OP.received was from,Paul Graf,from Atlas..I have many Atlas turnouts,,have not had problems that were described,,but I would have liked to have heard,what Paul recommended to the OP anyway.. Cheers, Frank
Me too.
That was a generous offer from Paul Graf to step in and offer help.
Rich
Alton Junction