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Turnout Electrical Problems

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  • Member since
    January 2009
  • From: Maryland
  • 12,897 posts
Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Sunday, August 27, 2017 7:23 PM

So I took a look at my Atlas turnouts, and measured them. Wide gap, but not nearly twice.

Should measure .588", most were between .540" and .560"

You shoud take a look at the Atlas throwbar design, there is some possiblity of adjustment.....

Sheldon

    

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Sunday, August 27, 2017 8:24 PM

starman

 

 
rrinker

 . . . plus I make sure the pickups are all working . . .

 

 

How should I go about checking to see if the pickups on my diesel are working properly?

I spent some time this afternoon running my engines through the turnouts to see exactly what is happening.  I have found that my 2-8-8-2 does not have any problem with the turnouts.

Jack

 

Use a piece of paper. Put it between the rail and the wheels of one side of one truck. Repeat for each - 4 times. In each case, the loco should always get power. If it doesn't - the opposite truck pickup on the side with the paper isn't working. IE, paper under right side of front truck and loco won't go, then the right side of the rear truck isn't supplying power. You can also isolate the entire front truck and the entire rear truck, loco should be able to run either way.

 Assuming of course a modern loco with all wheel pickup.

                                  --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    June 2011
  • 158 posts
Posted by Old Fat Robert on Sunday, August 27, 2017 9:27 PM

Frank: I am sure it works fine. I have used just the slide switches to operate turnouts and power the frog at the same time. But I never thought of combining the Caboose Industries throws with the slide switch. I have gone exclusively to Shinohara (not Walthers/Shinohara) power routing turnouts and my manual turnouts are almost all CI ones.

Old Fat Robert

  • Member since
    December 2012
  • 157 posts
Posted by Redvdub1 on Saturday, June 9, 2018 3:49 PM

Atlas Custom-Line Mark2, Mark 3, and Mark 4 turnouts all have metal frogs (die cast zinc) with cast-in tabs protruding from the frog sides.  The "original" Custom-Line Atlas turnouts had plastic frogs...no protruding tabs.  The Mark 2 Atlas frogs were "bare metal".  The Mark 3 and Mark 4 Atlas Custom-Line turnouts have a coated zinc die cast frog (the coating is conductive). 

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