Got yet another one for my Forum friends: Am I correct in recalling that two Atlas switch machines can be wired to one control box for simultaneous operation? I have a track that will be an escape track where the turnouts would divert simultaneously.
As usual, any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Hello All,
This is absolutely possible!
An Atlas switch machine is a twin-coil solenoid type, as is the PECO PL-11 Side Mounten Turnout Motor- -more on this later.
There are three wires going to the poles (screw terminals) on the unit.
With the Atlas switch machine, the center (Black) pole is neutral. The other two poles control which way the coil (machine) will travel.
Atlas color codes the wires for the movement poles as Red & Green.
If you want both turnouts to move in the same direction simultaneously, wire both machines the same, with jumper wires powering the second unit.
However, if you want the turnouts to move in opposing directions, as in a crossover, then one of the machines needs to be wired the opposite polarity of the other.
To do this switch the polarity of the second or subsequent turnout motors jumper wires.
If one machine is wired with the Red wire closest to the track, the other machine needs to be wired with the Green wire closest to the track- -the Black wire remains in the center position.
NOTE: The color coding I am specifying is for Atlas switch machines. PECO uses a different color coding: Green is neutral, with Red & Black the polarity (direction of travel). Kind of important to know!
I have successfully combined Atlas with Atlas, PECO with PECO, and Atlas with PECO twin-coil solenoid type.
When I combined the PECO to PECO or PECO to Atlas I also needed to add a Capacitor Discharge Unit (CDU).
As I have posted before, I use the PECO PL-35 Capacitor Discharge Unit. It is available much less expensive than the listed M.S.R.P.
When actuating multiple turnout motors a CDU is a must.
I use two (2) CDUs on my pike to actuate 22 Atlas and PICO type switch motors; 11 per unit, including four (4) pairs of dual-actuated switch motors.
Hope
That’s what I thought. In actually, the turnouts would be thrown opposite to each other. For normal operation with the escape track closed, one turnout is lined for the curved side and the other is ined for the straight side. Not that it matters, but on my layout the remotes are wired yellow and blue for the control and green for neutral.
Hello All,
Good to know your color-coding for diagnostic purposes.
No matter what your particular color coding is, the same principles apply.
On my pike, all the track feeder wires are Blue, with Red and Black striping.
Each power district is noted by a third color band on the blue wires.
Just a thought…
With a CDU you might be able to gang together up to four (4) Atlas switch motors to activate a preset sequence in or out of your yard.
Hope this helps.
I don’t need a CDU as I have a vertical control panel so I don’t have to worry about buttons be held down by accident and I have enough of a rat’s nest of wiring at the panel as is.
Hello All,
Yeah,
I know what you mean…
(Prior to power district color coding)
Installing a single CDU is simple and compact.
What you will spend on installing a CDU will reward you with reliable turnout operation, whichever twin-coil; solenoid-type turnout motors you are currently using or plan to use in the future.
Hope this helps.
It is certainly possible and I have done that on a number of crossovers where the turnouts should always be in sync no matter which way they are set. The down side is the power is divided between two switch machines and I have found the points don’t always get fully thrown. I sometimes have to manually push them into place. I have redone a few crossovers with Tortoises and those are tied to the same DPDT switch. That has ample power to throw both turnouts.
A CDU is really not designed to protect turnout machines. That happens to be a nice side effect, but the real reason you NEED a CDU is to provide enough power to your turnout machines.
I found this out initially when installing a couple of Peco machines on Peco turnouts. These machines install from under the turnout, and they are fixed to the turnout. So, they must be installed on the bench before laying the turnout. The worked fine on the bench, but would not throw on the layout.
Peco turnout machines are power hungry, and the longer wires on the layout just wouldn’t let them throw. I looked up a circuit (2 capacitors, 2 resistors) and built it. The circuit board cost more than the components.
I power all my twin-coil machines from this one hand-made CDU. In years of service, it’s never failed. And yes, it saved me a switch machine when a mini-toggle SPDT failed.