I’m using Atlas #4 and #6 Code 100 turnouts. On many of them operation is as smooth as normal track, but on several it’s a noisy bumpy ride. I’m wondering if anyone has come up with solutions to smooth things out?
Is your track ballasted? If so, check all of the flangeways and the frog for stray ballast.
Your FROGS may be HOPPING. Atlas is bad about the frog being high. I had to take apart 30 of the 135 turnouts to fix that problem. DO NOT file them from the top, it changes the flange depth and then you have a bigger problem.
Major Surgery is:
File from the top then, get a dremel tool and recut the flange way. No fun and not easy.
I have reached the stage that if it does not derail then let it roll.
I also use code 100 atlas turnouts and had the same problem…if you look real closely, you will see a small plastic hump where the rail meets the frog on the altas turnouts…i usually file them down with a small jeweler’s file until there is smooth running thru the frog…once the hump has been filed there is no more problems…another thing to file is the ends of the point rails…file them at a 45 degree angle so the rolling stock wheels won’t “pick” the rail and derail…chuck
I haven’t bought any of these for several years so I don’t know if they’ve fixed this problem on the newer models. I found that the flangeway at the guardrails across from the frog are too wide, allowing the wheelset to strike the point of the frog instead of being pulled away from it like the guardrail is supposed to do. Check this with the flangeway tab on your NMRA check gauge. If yours has the plastic guardrail (cast with the tie section) get some styrene strip .02 by .08 inch, and glue a short section of it in there so you narrow the flangeway by the .02 inch dimension. Once the glue dries, just clean it up and taper the ends with a file.
I’ve found that on the #6 TO that the gap between the points where the rails cross in the frog is to long. This will let the wheels drop down. This can be fixed by filling the frog with 2 part epoxy, then recutting the flangeways with a hacksaw blade. You will also have to shim the gaurd rails as mentioned above.
Wayne
No one’s mentioned the real answer. Check your wheel gauge. EVERY single car I’ve ever had that ‘bumped’ on my Atlas turnouts had an out of gauge wheelset. EVERY time. I replace all plastic wheelsets as a matter of course, usually Proto2000 sets if they fit, but occasionaly odd axle lengths require a different size from Reboxx. I’ve never had a Proto2000 wheelset out of gauge and I’ve used dozens of them. They do not bounce in my Atlas turnouts.
–Randy
I am new at this model railroad hobby. Did the r/c plane thing for 30 plus years. If Atlas track has problems ( I havent started laying track yet) which brand do I buy to cure this problem? Thanks
I feel that atlas track is fine. I agree, that there are the little bumps on the plastic, but I also don’t doubt that my wheels are out of guage…
Peco, Shinohara, and some other more expensive brands of turnouts are better than Atlas code 100. My most recent layout is all Peco code 83 flextrack with a mix of Atlas, Peco, and Walthers/Shinohara code 83 turnouts and crossing diamonds. The Atlas code 83 products are far superior to their code 100 and do not suffer from the manufacturing defects that have always plagued their code 100 turnouts, such as too high frogs, etc.
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All 750ft of the installed portion is Code 83 Atlas flex track. With care it lays down perfect. Turnouts are 95% Atlas the balance is Walthers all Code 83. We tested and adjusted every turnout on the bench. Atlas was the worst as far as QC by them, BUT they where fixable with out a lot of work. The Walthers also had problems which where harder to fix. Incomplete jumpers, stray metal shorting points and out of gauge rails. I would still use everything I used on this phase for Phase 2 (another 875 ft of track)
I use Atlas code 83, Atlas #6 and the new #8 turnouts with no problems.
JIM
Of interest. There is a DATE on the ties of the Atlas Turnouts. I JUST bought some #4 and #6 and the dates on a few where 1999. I do not know if this is the MFG date (doubt it) or revision date. The 1999 are the most trouble.
I bought a pair of Atlas code 100 #6 turnouts just to aid in my plotting, oops, planning. In the initial layout, which has already got future expansion and revisions in mind, there will be only three turnouts showing. Just how loud a rumble are we talking here? I’m sticking with code 100 since I have a hundred peices of cheap rolling stock some of which has still got deep flanged wheels. I’ve been playing trains for 40 years on and off and still feel that I’m a newbie at all this.
I’ve seen the code 85 and it not only works well on just about everything (had some slight truble with the front axle on my CN 2-6-0, It would always snag one of the points and bend it up delailing in the process. I don’t think I’ve seen that combine in the ballast before that session!) it looks just perfect for most mainline operations.
It’s not like it’s a LOUD noise that concerns me. It’s just a little bump-click. So the sound isn’t the problem. It’s just that this is a sound that usually indicates a track problem, and provides a less than smooth roll. I’m concerned about derailing with less than perfect rolling stock which usually has trouble on less than perfect track… so I’m trying to make everything as smooth as possible.
As many have indicated, most Atlas code 100 turnouts are smooth, but some (I’d say about 25% of mine) are the bumpy-ride variety.
I was thinking that I might have had to play the Steam Engines sounds tape continually during vists. A little clickity clack is ok for me.