Okay, everyone barks at how obvious and ugly Atlas’ remote switche machines are on a layout… but is there any effective way to disguise them? Being as long as they are, you can’t just put a trackside electrical box over them… besides that, most trackside boxes are quite a few feet away from the rails. What about painting them the same color as the ballast, then covering everything with ballast except the moving parts?
I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s considered the options of hiding these, because of their low cost and ease of replacement. I just can’t fathom the expense of instaling Tortoise machines on every switch I want remotely controlled on my layout.
Well, there are the Atlas Under Table Switch Machines, but I’ve heard they only have a 1 1/2" throw bar, and that would be shorter than I need because of the thickness of the plywood, foam scenery base, and track roadbed. That’s why I was wondering about the regular switch machines. Anybody know if it’s possible to use a short extension rod on the end of the Under Table machines?
Some Atlas switch motors can be mounted upside down to lower the motor and make it less noticable. Scenery can be carefully applied to it to further disguise it.
One note: to turn the switch motor upside down, you must use a right switch motor with a left turnout and a left switch motor with a right turnout.
The switch motor mounting screws should match up although you may have to trim it a bit to fit.
Atlas N scale switch motors can be mounted this way, but the procedure is a little more difficult and takes some effort to get everything lined up correctly.
Don’t know about an extention rod, though I doubt it would work. What I use to do with the table top ones is blend them in with the scenery. Not the most elegant solution but at least there wasn’t this big black plastic box sitting next to the turnout. It was done following Dave Frary’s method of applying ground texture. Latex paint and then sprinkle the stuff on. Just when I got to the switch machine continue the paint on to it. Just make sure to cover the moving parts so not to fill them with ground texure… Doesn’t quite pass the 3 foot viewing test but in photos (which was the most important thing to me) I could almost make them completely disappear. I’d show a photo but my scanner bit the dust and that layout has been gone for 20 years. I think you get the idea…
I made this from hydrocal castings (Dave Frary’s “cut stone wall” mold) and coffee stirrers. It takes care of one of those Atlas boxes:
The Atlas switch machines have a very “soft” linkage between the twin-coils and the turnout points. This does allow the points to be pushed around a bit, so you can often run a train through the points the wrong way without a derailment. However, it also means that you can’t throw an Atlas machine over just by pushing the points, the way you can with a Peco. The Atlas machines have a pin for hand-throwing the remote machines, but if you use their under-table machines, or mount the above-ground ones upside-down, then you will be forced to always throw that turnout electrically.
I bought one of the Atlas under-table machines. I’m going to experiment with hard-mounting it directly to the bottom of the turnout, like a Peco. I’m using foam roadbed on a 2-inch foam base, so I’ll have to do some cutting, but I just want to see if this is a viable alternative to replacing all of my Atlas turnouts just to get rid of those ugly boxes.
Another thing I might try is using a stiff wire to extend the throwbar a couple of inches, and then mounting the switch machine some distance from the track, where it can be hidden under a building or some other “scenic element,” like a rock ledge or embankment.
I suspect that you, just like I did, are now looking at mostly-finished trackwork and wishing you could do something about those Atlas boxes. Lately, I’ve been buying Peco’s for all my new turnouts.
I am useing mostly manual throws but for the few that would be hard to reach i used the remote switch turned upside down, like previously mentioned, with great results.
I was just like jshrade… couldn’t bring myself to consider the cost of tortoise… so filled my layout with Atlas table top machines to save money. BUT… then later decided I wanted control lights to show me the direction of the switches. Now I’ve already got the money invested in the ugly machines, so considering Tortoise is even MORE expensive (on top of what I’ve already spent) so again to save money, bought Atlas relays to control the lights. Had I bought Tortoises in the first place, cost would have been about the same as relay and table top switches – plus I would have had under table AND that nice slow motion switching AND the firmer hold the Tortoise puts on the points AND no more melted machines cuz’ I held the button too long.
If you think you may ever what control lights (or powered frogs) somewhere down the road… bite the bullet and do the Tortoise now.
Someday when you see a huge lot of Atlas table top switch machines, push buttons, and relays on eBay… that’ll be me getting ready to do what I should have in the first place… convert to Tortoise.
There was a tip some years ago in the NMRA Bulletin on hiding the Atlas switch machine with a paper mache cover to look like a lump of dirt and rocks. Not very prototypical looking, especially on a yard ladder.
Well, you can at least solve this with a Capacitive Discharge circuit. A couple of bucks worth of parts, even from Radio $hack, and a half-hour soldering job.
I’ve gone to the Tortoises under the table type through out my lay out,expensive-yes but work great,I just buy them like two a payday and so far have 7 working and anthor one sitting on the shelf wateing to go.I’am useing red/green leds and DPDT switches on my control pannel one glance I know where the switch is.[:D]
JIM
While tortise machines are cool, I’m telling you the the light or frog excuse for not using atlas selonoids is moot. There exist lots of ways to power such things without a peco or tortiose machine. R. Paisley has many such cdu/frog control/led circuts on his layout that are simple to build and work great. http://home.cogeco.ca/~rpaisley4/ToggleTwin.html And I would never use an atlas without a CDU anyway. Fred
You’re right as right, Fred… but for me the good info you provided might as well be written in Chinese. I don’t have the electronics aptitude (or desire to learn it) to fololow those schematics. So for the " science challenged" among us, just hooking up the wires to the Tortoise looks pretty appealing. Thanks for the tip though for the rest of the gang. [:)]
I have converted about 10 Atlas switches to undermounting for next to zero $s. I have inverted the machine to mount below the switch [the left hand must be mounted on a right hand]. I fix the machine with double-sided heavy duty tape [Staples] directly under the throw point. I connect the switch lever with an L shaped piece of wire [cut to length to suit the depth under the track] using a small piece of square tubing [Evergreen] and epoxy. I have them all wired for remote operation and they work fine. I have 1 inch high density foam insulation stuff mounted on 1/2 inch plywood for the bench top and Woodlands foam track bed. Making a hole for the undermount is easy by cutting out a cavity in the foam.
Having dome this, I am planning to go to Peco for my next setup construction. I find the Atlas switches a litte tepremental for some UK Hornby locos and rolling stock that I have. It’s better for the NA locos.
I use under the table machines with my foam roadbed (Woodland Scenics) and expanded polystrene foam (2") subroadbed. I first attach the roadbed to the switch with adhesive caulk. (Note: I previously layed the roadbed out, then cut the section underneath the points, long enough to match the length of the motor). Next, I fashion a spacer from thinned 1" foam, to match the right length of the motor. Attach this under the roadbed, the attach the motor itself to this spacer. Once dried, everything drops into place vertically. Be sure to test the motor before reattaching the roadbed to your subroadbed. (I use yellow glue). Hope this helps, andy chandler
I have a small 2’ x 3’ N layout to use in my RV. The base is a piece of 1/8 " hardboard which a 1" thick foamboard is glue onto. I removed all of my atlas switch machines and control their action with rigid brass wire running thru long brass tubes from the edge of the layout to the switch. The tubes are inserted thru the foam by putting it in an electric drill and carefully drilling to the appropriate turn-out. Then I cut a little hole in the top of the foam to expose the tube. Then i can insert the wire until it comes out the end of the tube and bend it up with needle nose pliers and insert the bent up end into the hole in the switch throw. The other end is secured to a piece of balsa wood at the edge of the layout where the transformer is mounted. So all of my turnouts are manually operated as they should be. Larry in Blaine.
