Model Railroading > Frog Wiring Atlas Custom Line Turnout

The Atlas code 83 Custom Line Turnout has a place to attach a wire for powering the frog, as shown in the photograph.  I did not have a screw that fit, and I'm not even sure if that loop is threaded. I tried soldering it, but it does not seem to accept solder very well.  With great difficulty, I was able to solder a couple of them.  Does anyone out there have a better way of connecting a wire to these frogs?

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Sand off the black finish around the hole. Flux the joint with paste or liquid. The Miniatronics flux is good. Tin the wire with solder.

Use a larger, 30 watt iron so it heats the immediate area quickly so nearby plastic parts are not melted.

Then solder away.

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LOL, there's a funny video (it wasn't intended to be funny!) on Model Railroader Videos Plus where David Popp tries to solder a feeder to that hole, and fails.  He gave up and ended up re-threading the hole for a brass screw he had on hand, and he soldered the feeder to the brass screw.  Before the next video in the series, a viewer wrote in and said the frog is made of pot metal and will not hold solder. David had the integrity to come back on the next video and explain where he had gone wrong.  He even chuckled at himself!

So was that a 1-72 or 0-80 screw which fit?

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I want to say 1-72, but I'll go back and see if I can find which video it was to confirm.

Good thing I checked... it was 2-56.  He pre-drilled the hole with a #50 bit, then tapped 2-56.  David also gives the Atlas part numbers for the screw (9200001) and bus bar (9200002) they sell.   This is at the beginning of Ask MRVP Episode 3, in case you are a subscriber.  

I use a small brass screw and nut (gotten from Micro-Mark, I fiorget the size), to which I attached the power feed wire.

Art House
Gettysburg, Pa.

 

So for the best visual, tap the hole 2-56, insert the screw, grind off the head, solder the wire to the remaining brass stud then paint it all a dark color.

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