Wiring layout... need help... In particular: Atlas N scale plastic Frog turnouts

[Anonymous]

I Am curious how I go about wiring these up. All will be switched by hand (except the two in the back, they will use the top mount atlas switch motors)since they are within easy reach.

here's a diagram of the track plan:



Im going to run DCC, probably Prodigy Advance. All of my turnouts will be atlas plastic frog turnouts. Any help on suggested bus routing, where to run feeders, etc is appreciated. Im not too good with eectronics, so I can use all teh help I can get.

[Jacktal]

Using plastic frog turnouts should be just fine with either DC or DCC.Their only drawback is that there is a portion of the turnout that doesn't carry current which could be a problem with very short locos with insufficient power pick-up through their wheels,specially when you stop them on the turnout.They might need a little pu***o get restarted.Other than this,plastic frogs shouldn't cause much grief.

Their installation is simple...use metal joiners throughout and make sure they fit tight so that current flows well to the turnout.These turnouts don't carry current well through them to the next track so every adjoining track should have its own feeder even if very short in legnths.Your trackplan features quite a few yard tracks which should all have their own feeders for reliable operation,including the three passed your turntable.I would recommend two feeders for your main,let's say at both end curves,or a feeder every three feet or so.Rail joiners conduct electricity but have a tendency to loose this conductivity with time.Also,tracks have resistance that increases with length so having more feeders is a good practice.

Your turntable may be a little tricky though to wire.If it's brand new,follow the manufacturer's instruction carefully and you should be OK.Another advice is to run a loco over the track section you just wired to make sure you didn't cross the polarity and repeat this test as you go.Wiring the whole layout to discover that you fouled up somewhere (but where?) may be a good way to grow some gray hair.Two path electricity isn't very complicated when you follow simple procedures,but can be a nightmare if you don't.

[Anonymous]

Thanks alot for the reply. Thats about what I figured. I used plastic frog turnouts for ease of wiring. I have decent soldering skills, so I should be ok with joints. My locos will be :
LL Heritage Mallet
K4 pacific
0-6-0 slope tender switcher (to go fetch for the mallet)
*mabye a decapod*

the 0-6-0 has pickups in the tender also, so Im hoping it will do ok. If not, I might have to get a geep or a diesel road switcher.

[dgwinup]

Those locos should work fine over Atlas turnouts, even the little 0-6-0 because of the tender pickups. You might want to do a little work on the turnouts before you install them. You can do the extra work after installation, but it is easier if the turnouts haven't been installed.

Make sure the pivots for the points are snug but not tight. I've never seen one that was too tight; they are usually a little loose, if anything. Rivets are used for the pivots. If the rivets are loose, use an old drill bit that is about the same diameter as the pivot to tighten them. Place the BUTT end of the drill bit over the rivet and lightly, and I mean LIGHTLY, tap the bit with a small hammer. That should tighten up the rivets.

Check the stock rails at the place where the points contact the stock rails. There should be a slight cut-out or notch on the inside of the stock rails for the points to settle into. If there isn't, gently file one into the rail only enough to accept the very tip of the point. A quick swipe with a small file will clean out the existing notch.

Using the small file again, carefully taper the inside edge ofboth points. They should already have a taper to them, but it is usually a little too thick. After you have filed the taper, you will want to file the very tip of the point just slightly, only on the top corner, at about a 45 degree angle. Don't remove too much, you only want to remove the sharp tip on the top of the point rail.

Now when you operate the turnout, the point should nestle nicely into the notch and the modified point tips will not 'pick' at your wheels and cause derailments.

This little extra work will make the Atlas turnouts perform much better. It only took me 35 years to figure all this out, and I do these modifications to EVERY Atlas turnout I use.

Darrell, quiet...for now

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the info Darrell, I'll hvae to do that.