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Atlas turnout question

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 251 posts
Atlas turnout question
Posted by alcofanschdy on Saturday, July 21, 2018 11:48 AM

I have a switching layout where I run all four axle locos.  It is code 100 track with Atlas snap turnouts and no curve track.  Will a six axle loco go through those turnouts?  I have my eye on a SD40-2 but if it will have trouble I will pass on it.

Thanks in advance

Bruce

  • Member since
    January 2015
  • From: Southern California
  • 1,682 posts
Posted by Lone Wolf and Santa Fe on Saturday, July 21, 2018 12:06 PM

My old blue box Athearn SD40-2’s will go through Atlas snap track turnouts if there is some straight track between back to back turnouts like a crossover.  They do have a little bit of trouble if the crossover is between parallel tracks that are only 2 inches apart.

Modeling a fictional version of California set in the 1990s Lone Wolf and Santa Fe Railroad
  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 251 posts
Posted by alcofanschdy on Saturday, July 21, 2018 12:21 PM

I have my eye on a Scaletrains loco, wonder if it runs better than the old blue box.  My turnouts are close together.

  • Member since
    April 2018
  • 89 posts
Posted by NS6770fan on Saturday, July 21, 2018 1:03 PM

I have a BLI PRT J1 2-10-4 and an Athearn SD70ACE that run fine through these turnouts with little to no effort. An sd40-2 shouldn’t Have any problem. The Bachmann SD40-2 I had could run on 15” radius which is smaller than the roughly 18” radius of #4 snap turnouts. Just be sure to have the loco run slowly through the turnouts at first to check.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 251 posts
Posted by alcofanschdy on Saturday, July 21, 2018 1:13 PM

Thanks, maybe I will order that loco now and take a chance.

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