I replaced two Atlas remote turnouts and found each would operate in one direction only - I changed the wiring and well as wired them to another switch (in case the switch was defective), but still would operate in one direction. The electrical part of the turnout moves in only one direction. Any suggestions to correct this problem will be appreciated. Thank you for our help.
I assume that you have operated them manually and there’s no mechanical fault. Use an ohmmeter to measure between the common wire and each of the other two wires. If one measurement shows zero ohms, then that coil is open. In that case, it’s really not repairable and should be replaced. Lacking an ohmmeter, you could attach one side of a lamp bulb to one terminal of a 9V battery and use the other side of the bulb and the battery with clip leads as probes to measure if the coil is open or not. I don’t know if the resistance of the coil would be so high that it would prevent the bulb from lighting up but a 6V bulb with a 9V battery, the resistance of the coil should protect the bulb from overvoltage. I’ve never tried this so i don’t know if it will work or not.
Actually zero ohms indicates a short. Infinite ohms indicates an open.
The easiest way to check the switch motor is to hook one wire from the electrical source to the center screw and then touch the two outside screws one at a time with the other wire. The switch motor should reverse when you change screws. Every other variable is bypassed by that procedure.
Have you tried operating the machines separated from the turnouts themselves? The problem might be a sticky turnout, particularly if you’ve been ballasting or doing other track work. Also, I assume that you are operating them in the normal horizontal position. I don’t think they’d work if mounted vertically.
A third issue might be the power supply and the amount of wire between the supply and the machine. If you don’t have enough power available, or the lines are very long, particularly with thin wires, then you might not have enough power to drive the coil.
Re-check your wiring, too. If you put the wire that belongs on the center post on one of the outside posts by mistake, that would cause the problem you’re describing.