I have 20+ Atlas Custom line Mark 3 Turnouts controlled via Atlas’s undertable switch machines. The motors keep burning up on the switch machines. What type of switch machines should I upgrade my switch machines to? Can I use tortise machines w/ Atlas turnouts? If so what additional items/parts do I need besides the basic switch motor (ex. SPST toggle switch)?
Yes, you can use Tortoise machines with Atlas turnouts. The Tortoise machines use DC power, with a constant (but very very low level) power draw to keep the switch closed, so you’ll need DPDT switches to control them.
What size wiring should I use? 20awg
#20 should be fine to power the Tortoise. The power draw is VERY low - a 1 amp power supply can run 50-60 of them!
–Randy
I use tortoise UTTSM’s with atlas custom line turnouts and they work great…the only suggestion i would like to make is to replace the stock spring steel wire that comes with the tortoise machine with .039 spring steel…the ones that come with the tortoise are just to flimsy…you’ll have to drill the hole out a bit larger on the tortoise where the spring steel fits into it for it to fit, but it’s no big deal to do this…purchase a couple of drill bits (I don’t remember the drill bit # right off hand) when you purchase the spring steel …most LHS will have the bits and the spring steel you’ll need…also, I think that using DP/DT switches are easier to wire than using the SP/DT…oh yeah…another thing you can do with a tortoise is to mount it on a scrap piece of 1/4" plywood and install it by working from the top of the table…position it where you want it and run sheet rock screws thru the top of the layout into the plywood that the tortoise is mounted to…it’s a lot easier than trying to mount it from the bottom like an atlas under the table switch machine…Chuck[:D]
where can i find these tortise switch machines online? i’ve heard great things about them but haven’t found them anywhere… better yet, i’m not sure the manufacturer of them to do a search
Manufacturer is Circuitron. Any LHS that has Walthers as a supplier will be able to get them for you. There are also several vendors in Model Railroading that list them.
The motors burning up on your Atlas under-table switch machines sounds like a case of sticky push button switches. If you’re using Atlas switches, throw them in the trash and use DPDT center-off, spring-loaded, momentary switches. I burned up several Atlas switch machines before I realized how poorly made the Atlas controllers are and threw them away. The DPDT switches can be bought in bulk from sources such as All Electronics (http://www.allelectronics.com). This would be cheaper than changing all of the motors.
To wire up Atlas under the table switch machines It was mentioned that I could replace all of the Atlas switches w/ DPDT switches. There are three leads coming off a switch machine and 6six connectors on the back of a DPDT switch which wires go to which connector? And is 20 AWG wire good enough?
Use the DPDT switches and a capacitor discharge unit to switch the turnouts easy to make and you only need one. I’ve got a simple circuit if you want.
Controlling Atlas or anyother twin coil machine only requires a SPDT switch or two push buttons . Supply power to the center terminal and connect the other terminals to the outer terminals of the motor. Run a common wire from the other side of the power supply to the center terminal of all switch motors.
George
Better make that a SPDT MOMENTARY switch. With a capacitor discharge power supply you won’t burn out the coils if the switch isn’t a momentary one, but it will also prevent the capacitor from recharging meaning you won’t be able to throw any other switches. If you don’t have a capacitor discharge supply and use a regular SPDT toggle, you WILL burn out the coils.
As a side note, backa number of years when I has an N scale layout, hose Atlas switch motors would burn out on a fairly frequent basis. One of the first electronic projects I did for the layout was a capacitor discharge supply from the Kalmbach “Practical Electronic Projects for Model Railroaders” book. After that - NEVER burned out another coil. EVER.
–Randy