Model Railroading > Atlas Turnouts?

Has any one ever had any issue with Atlas turnouts with cars and/or locomotives derailing on the points, or having cars ride over the outside point rail?

Check that the stock rail is not higher than the points. A friend had cars that would derail because of this. We filed down the stock rail so it was more even with the points and it solved the problem. The points must be even with the stock rails or else the flange can ride up and over the points.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

My entire railroad is laid with Atlas Code 83 switches, and except in cases of human error and a single instance of a broken throw rod, there have been no derailments on any of them in the six years the railroad's been up and operating.

Art House
Gettybsurg, Pa.

What RGF said... On the Code 100 variants, part of my installation ritual was to always carefully file the points and to check the gauge for the point rails all the way through. Often the point rail would be a little high where it made contact, and a little filing would do wonders. Also, I found I often had to bend the diverging point rail just a bit to get it in gauge all the way through. Of course this was 12+ years ago when I was still in HO, so Atlas turnouts may have changed slightly since then.

First thing I do when I have derailments such has yours is check the gauge on everything. I recently had my Athearn Gas Turbine riding up on most of my CV turnout frogs and found every wheel was slightly to close. Adjusted them and it works fine.

Some of the older Atlas Code 100 turnouts had some problems with quality. I had bought several for my layout. They are not the most DCC friendly. I had derails and dead-spots. Upon close examination I say that the plastic insulating frog was too high, so careful filing helped to cure that. As for shorts, well I was stupid and put insulating joiners right at the end of the turnouts which left a couple of inches of dead-space. I ended up running some jumper wires, being very careful not to mix up the polarity and it solved my problem.

aj

We had a good thread about Atlas turnout points a few weeks ago. Some interesting info on how folks tune up the turnout and why some folks are using other turnouts.

Found it:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,2489372



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/11 01:35 by TCnR.