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deadspots in turnouts
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Haven't used Atlas Customlines in years but I seem to recall that they were not a power routed turnout. In other words both sides of the turnout are engergized all the time and that the position of the points did not determine which leg the power was routed to. The frog was insulated to avoid any short circuit. The point rails were energized by a jumper strip embedded in the platic ties. Tightening the rivets may help but be gentle in doing so as you can get them too tight and the turnout won't throw or the point rails will be thrown out of guage. Atlas may have changed the design of the turnouts over the years so what I have said may no longer be true. Another thing to consider is weather or not the frog is receiving power. I seem to recall that the early Customlines had a plastic frog, but later versions had a metal frog with a provision for adding jumpers to it to maintain contact. Make a continuity tester by taking a 12V light bulb and adding some 12" leads to it with alligator clips attached. Connect one lead to the positive rail at the point end of the turnout. Turn on the power and "pick and poke" around on the opposite rails of the turn out,both ahead of and behing the frog. You'll find exactly where the problem is where the bulb fails to light. Lastly consider the wheelbase of the loco that is stalling. It may be that it is not short enough for the loco to make it over a non-powered frog without losing contact to the pickup wheels...this is especially true with locos that have only one set of pickup wheels.....Vic
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