Turnouts Question

[Anonymous]

I have learned a lot from this forum and I am sure I will keep learning from all guru's.

I bought Tortoise Switch & DS-52 ,but never tried to install it.
I have Atlas HO 83 Left & Right Turnouts. My locomotives always derails in the turnouts. I have questions/concerns about the turnouts.

1. Concept of turnouts. do's and don't's

2. Which controls (manual, switch machine etc) are easy , cheap & best to use. ?

3. How to take care of wiring the turnouts ? Right now I have Digitrax Zephyr and I have using terminal joiners to connect to the track. No extra wiring.

4. Any web links about turnouts. ?

[cacole]

Your questions are too vague to be answerable. Tortoise is not a switch, it is a turnout motor. What do you have presently connected to the Atlas turnouts to hold them in place? A Tortoise motor requires a continuous voltage to hold the turnout points in position -- are you doing this?

Not sure what you want with question #2 and #3.

[Anonymous]

I'm not certain, but I would venture a guess that there is nothing holding the points of your turnouts in place as your train passes over. Do you currently have any switch motor to operate your switch? Unless the switch is spring loaded, the points may float as the train nears, causing the train to derail.

[Anonymous]

Cacole - Sorry, I am very new to this hobby and not familiar with all terminologies.

Nothing is connected to turnouts. There is nothing holding the points.
I bought Tortoise Motor and did not dare to install yet.

Thanks for all the guidance.

[cacole]

Okay, you're having derailments through the turnouts because they must have something to hold them into position as the train passes through from the end with the single track. Going through from the end with two tracks should not require anything to hold the turnout in position, so you can run your train temporarily in the opposite direction and you won't need the Tortoise.

If you haven't yet installed the Tortoise switch motor but want to run trains through the turnout from the single-track direction, you can use a small nail or pin of some type to temporarily hold the turnout in position by putting it at either end of the throwbar to keep constant pressure on the turnout points, assuming that you have the turnout fastened down.

The Tortoise has to be mounted underneath your layout board, and you are going to need a hole drilled under the center of the turnout throwbar for the motor's wire to come up through. Mounting a Tortoise is not easy, so be sure to read through the instructions than came with it several times before you attempt to install it.

Once it's installed, you can't move the turnout without having to drill another hole, so plan your trackwork carefully.

If you hadn't already bought Atlas turnouts, I would recommend that you use Peco if they are going to be in a location where you can easily reach them, because Peco turnouts lock into position without the need for any type of motor or ground throw.

[rolleiman]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kenneth19usa

I have learned a lot from this forum and I am sure I will keep learning from all guru's.

I bought Tortoise Switch & DS-52 ,but never tried to install it.
I have Atlas HO 83 Left & Right Turnouts. My locomotives always derails in the turnouts. I have questions/concerns about the turnouts.

1. Concept of turnouts. do's and don't's

2. Which controls (manual, switch machine etc) are easy , cheap & best to use. ?

3. How to take care of wiring the turnouts ? Right now I have Digitrax Zephyr and I have using terminal joiners to connect to the track. No extra wiring.

4. Any web links about turnouts. ?

Where on the turnouts are your trains derailing?? My experience with Atlas turnouts (c100) is that the frogs are always a little bit high.. If they are the metal type, take a flat fine file and file it down so you can lay a straight edge across the rails and frog without any rocking or gaps.. If you don't have one, Invest in an NMRA standards gauge.. It is a critical tool in finding problems. Don't overlook the possibility that your train wheels are out of gauge too..

#2, Personally, I prefer the toritise machines.. Ground throws (caboose industries) are cheaper if you want to put your hands on things.. Or if you want, cobble your own...

For wiring (3&4),

http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches.htm

Good luck,
Jeff
[8D]

[roadrat]

Another question is what size turnout are you using? if you've got say a #4 turnout and the loco your running is a large steamer it may not be able to take such a sharp turn.

just my [2c]

bill

[DavidGSmith]

I agree with cacole, you must have constant power to the motor. I have never had any luck with Atlas turnouts. Boy that sould get some stuff flying. My clubs experience with Peco and tortise or any other similar machine was to remove the little spring that provides the locking action. Half way between the points is a piece of plastic, pry it up and pop off the little piece of spring steel. Its smaller than you think. The reason we did this was the machines were not always able to over come the spring smoothly or at all.
The machines constant pressure replaced the spring.
The other suggestions were right on. Check everything. No piece of rolling stock should hit the layout without wheel gauge check abd spin the axles to check that they are running true, no wobble.
Hope this helps

[richhotrain]

I want to follow up on a comment made by rolleiman about the Atlas turnouts.

The frogs are set too high and, indeed, you do need to file them down to avoid uncouplings and derailments. Even when engines and rolling stock are going straight through rather than turning, the raised frogs cause problems with operations. I cannot figure out what prompted Atlas to design the turnouts in this matter. Incidentally, once you file the frogs down, you need to paint them to conceal the filing.

[Anonymous]

Not sure why turnouts are so complex. I have all Atlas turnouts # 6. I have to understand it more clearly how it works. I am planning to visit the Train Show in Maryland. May be I will get chance to learn.

Thanks for all the suggestions.
Ken