no 4 turnout

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I am laying out my track and the plan uses 1 no 4 turnout–Atlas code 83

I noticed the straight section has a wiggle in it

I don’t have another to compare it against but my no 6s are ok

Is this normal on 4s or a manufacturing defect etc

2

That wiggle certainly looks not right to me! Take it back to your LHS and compare it with other no. 4 switches from Atlas.

3

You won’t find a straight one. They’re all like that. Every single one I ever bought. Ones from the LHS, ones from MB Klein, ones at train shows. Doesn’t seem to affect operation though. I’ve run large steamers and multi-wheel locos (like a GG-1) through them at ‘warp speed’ with no problems. If sighting down the top of a train going over you can see the cars wiggle a little.

It’s actually in gauge - if the bend on the straight rail weren’t there, the gauge would widen at that point. My guess is the code 83 machine was really designed for code 100 so the narrower rail ends up having the curve to it. The code 100 #4’s don;t have the same problem.

–Randy

4

Thanks for the info-- These forums are great

5

I didn’t like the look that some drunken surveyor had laid out my trackwork, so abandonned the Atlas’ and went to Peco.

6

The surveyor is not the only one involved with the construction of a switch. Since the surveyor stakes the point of switch and frog I would tend to look elswhere for the source of the curve. Everything gets knocked around during construction. A simple pull or push by a backhoe would straighten it out anyway when the final alignment and grade is completed. It’s not rocket science.

7

My Shinohara turnouts have that “wiggle” in most if not all. So far I have about 30 installed with no problems.

Brent

8

I even have the wiggle in many of my #6’s. It makes it tough to lay perfectly straight track, doesn’t it. It doesn’t affect operation, so I just chalk it up to track that has been laid for a while and has shifted a bit, like the prototype.

I’ve actually successfully straightened out a few using brute force and a vise. I don’t recommend doing this since it may technically throw it out of gauge in places, but I haven’t had any problems with the few I’ve straightened, just sayin’. Mangle it at your own risk!

9

MY Atlas code 83 #4’s have the wiggle. I noticed it when I was glueing them down in my yard. I stopped. I sent an E-mail to Atlas and they said “That’s normal”, so I continued glueing the rest of them.