Atlas turnouts the good and bad

My biggest dis-likes about Atlas #6 turnouts are the pot-metal frogs which stick out like a sore thumb from painted and ballasted track, and the frog power connection that seems to defy any attempt to make a secure electrical connection short of tapping threads and adding a distracting screw.

That said, I have found them to be pretty much bullet-proof, so they are my “go-to” turnouts where reliability is a priority and proto looks are secondary. I have several in lower deck staging areas where maintenance or replacement will be possible-but-challenging and in high traffic situations where the viewing angle somewhat hides the off-color frog.

I address the frog connection issue by scraping the inside ring to bare metal, then stuffing the hole with a force-fit fold of stranded wire, and touch the nest with solder. Not a true soldered joint, but so-far-so-good for seven years and counting.

I prefer the looks of Walthers and MEC turnouts but have had to correct flaws in the geometry and flange-way depth from time-to-time.

Jim

What is it about 2009 threads that are causing people to revive them lately? [8o|]

Rich

[quote user=“richhotrain”]

What is it about 2009 threads that are causing people to revive them lately? Super Angry

Rich

You mean like the tie plant posting over in the prototype forum?

https://youtu.be/KF-yh4mU6ps

[quote user=“maxman”]

Exactly. A thread that began and ended in 2009, 13 years ago, and the OP hasn’t been seen on the forum in over 6 1/2 years.

Rich

Good: I already have a bunch.

Bad: They’re not ideal, but they’re already paid for.

Other good: you’re a teenager trying not to freak over the complexity of hand laying (it isn’t really complex but you don’t know that yet and there’s no one there to tell you) and the crazy prices of what you want at your beginning level of addiction to modeling railroads. Cheap is just fine when it’s all you can afford.

Five kids makes cheap necessary…[:D].

I use Atlas Centerline with caboose manual throws, which is good unless you have 100 switches. Those caboose throws also look more prototypical than Atlas switches, and there is no under layout wiring with manual throws.

I am in n scale, using code 80 since I have a lot of older stock with those wider flanges that seem not to like code 55 as well.