posted
I'm hoping someone can offer some suggestions, as this is driving me nuts! I have a small layout with Atlas #4 turnouts, and am using an Athearn SW1500 with a short wheelbase, and sometimes an Athearn SD-40-2 with a nice long wheelbase that refuses to run over these without stalling. When they get to almost any switch, they will stop, and maybe get moving if I give them lots of juice. Most of the time, though, I have to give them a push to get them to move. The track is clean, because I have no problems with any of the other track. Some of the switches have plastic frogs, and some are nickel silver, but I assume there is no power going to the NS frogs. Could this be a problem with these particular switches, or is it an Athearn problem? I don't seem to have any such problems with my Athearn F-7's and Geeps, though.
posted
Hey Woodguy, You might have to run a power lead to each rail on both sides of the switch. Atlas switches will sometimes stop current on longer wheelbase locos!
Posts: 16 | From: camp douglas, Wis. | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Onother thing on Altas Switches, is that their frogs can be powered. If you use atlas switch machines, Their wiring book shows how to wire their snap relay so that it will swich the frog polarity automaticly. To my knowledge this can be done with all their switches, however only the "Custom Line" series has a small terminal in the track (Its a little mettal pice down in the ties that is attached to the frog, It is often mistaken for a nail hole.) to facilitate the powering of the frog. On the snap switches, it has to be wired from underneath.
Powering the frogs in this manner will also help the stalling you describe.
Posts: 315 | From: Lander,WY USA | Registered: Jan 2002
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Two things you might check, as an old-timer who has used many Atlas switches: sometimes the movable points don't make contact with the rivets they pivot on, so the point is "dead" & of course, locos will stall there. The best way to fix that is solder a small wire between the fixed rail & the movable point. Do you know if something is shorting out or if you have an open circuit that's causing the stall? (Does your power pack have an ammeter on it?) If not, put a 12-volt auto bulb in series with the track leads & see if it lights up when your engine stalls. If it does, you have a short. I've also seen loco wheels short out on the plastic frogs, where they will "jump" across both rails where they come to a point inside the plastic frog. Moving the guard rail closer to the running rail will pull the wheels away from the frog & usually cure this. Good luck!
Posts: 5 | From: Concord, CA, USA | Registered: May 2003
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