The name of the company has nothing to do with it.
This ^ is likely the cause of some of the not using Atlas brand, plus the issues stated by others.
I have no experience with Atlas turnouts. Ive used PECO, Micro Engineering and Shinohara only. Until recently those three were the only source of certain numbered turnouts. Atlas has caught up.
That having been said, Im not buying any more commercial turnouts. I can watch a video on the internet and copy what I see.
Well, that’s fine. I went the other direction.
In 1974 I was building my own from scratch. Before that I assembled TruScale turnouts from kits and hand layed TruScale self gauging roadbed.
But once Atlas improved their product and introduced their code 83 line, no more scratch built track (except when needed) for me.
I have even learned how to take the Atlas turnout and modify it into a large radius curved turnout, since no one makes curved turnouts for the radius of curves common on my layout, 36" and above.
If you are building a layout with 10 or 20 turnouts,
I didn’t care what the name was, either.
One of the well-known model railroad suppliers in my area had a layout with all Shinohara code 83 track and I was impressed with how it looked and as BMMECNYC says, back in 1995 Shinohara had a comparatively huge selection of turnouts. Tie spacing and spike heads on their flex track was excellent as well.
Then they added code 83 #10 turnouts to their product line. Those make for some pretty nice looking main-line crossovers [Y].
I’m not even sure Atlas offered code 83 in 1995? So at that time, for me, there was only one logical choice.
I do have about two dozen Atlas #8s in my passenger coach yard and only had a point problem on one of them.
Thank You, Ed
Pivot? As pop out entirely?! [8D]
Again, Shinohara makes great track, I worked in a hobby shop and sold lots of it.
In 1995, Atlas was just starting there code 83 line, and yes Shinohara has always had a big selection, even when they only offered code 70 and code 100.
Point remains I have operated hundreds of hours on a dozen or more layouts, totaling hundreds of Atlas Custom Line code 83 turnouts. Not one of those layout owners had all these “problems”.
Sheldon
Thanks for clarifying that Sheldon.
Dave
Its sometimes amazing how complicated we can make a simple problem.
To keep the Atlas points against the stock rails, stopping them from sliding away, wedge a piece of thin styrene under the throw bar. The tension keeps things held in place.
Paint it brown. Replace it in a few years if it loosens up. Paint the next one brown.
Here is a quote from the original post which started off this 3 ring circus:
Everyone seems to keep saying the issue is the throw bar isn’t tighly holding the points over to one side. But the OP states explicitly that they are being held tightly, but the car goes in a different direction that the points are thrown and doesn’t derail.
Was that conundrum ever answered?
Yes, later he posts this, his problem is clearly a broken manual swtich machine on a snap switch, not a #6.
Well, Choo-choo Charlies, i hooked two cars together (2.6 oz & 2.7 oz although both should be closer to 4 oz) and pushed then pulled them through. The outside diverter rail definitely moved away from the outside rail. Interestingly, when throwing the switch for straight thru traffic there’s definite click as the throw locks in place. When moving it to the bypass position, no click or locking. I bought the switch with a gift card so I’m not out any real money. All curves are 22".
Here’s the link on Atlas site of the switch in question:
_**https://shop.atlasrr.com/p-81-ho-code-83-manual-snap-switch-right.aspx**_
He has not been back since I responded to that post…
Sheldon
Nevermind
OPs sometimes say things for certain that in the final analysis turn out to be not so certain.
Rich