Atlas turnout throw bars

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am installing Atlas customline turnouts (#4 & #6) and the throwbars are all on the straight through track side which causes problems with parallel tracks. Does anyone know of a convenient way of switching the throw bar to to the oposite side of the turnout?

Bill

2

I’ve got the same situation, but I want to mount the switch machine under some scenery to hide it. My plan is to cut the throw bar off the curved side and glue on a piece of stiff wire on the straight side.

I did this on another turnout, a standard Atlas snap-switch. Here, I was on the straight side of the turnout, so I just took a piece of old brass rail (another use for old brass track!) and glued it to the throwbar. I drilled a small hole for the switch machine wire. Of course, I won’t be able to do it quite the same way on the straight side. In fact, it’s going to be a tricky job because the track is already glued down and ballasted, but I’ll manage it somehow.

Here it is under the scenic “mound” which I made from pink foam scraps and plaster cloth. The top has been textured with gypsolite, and I added a couple of thin strips of stone wall castings on the vertical slopes.

3
  • Slip a small flat head screwdriver under the tab that holds the point to the throw bar.
  • GENTLY lift the tab and slid the point out. Repeat will the second point.
  • Remove throw bar, rotate 180 degrees and slid it back between the head blocks.
  • GENTLY reinsert the points into the tabs on the throwbar.

I installed the switch machine backwards, and used wood screws to hold it in place:

Nick