I have a Code 83 HO layout with about 26 seperate #4 and #6 turnouts. Not being super happy with the quality of the Atlas Turnouts, I have started replacing them with the new Peco Code 83 turnouts.
My control panel is made up those little black turnout controls that come with the Atlas turnouts. My question is this…
Can the Peco turnout motors be wired up to wpork with the Atlas Black switches? I know that I can purchase the Peco turnout controls, but I’d like to stick to one style on my control panel?
If I can wire the Peco’s up to my Atlas black switches, how do you do it?
I’m not sure of the answer to your question, but I am curious if you went with the insulfrog. If so, you may have to modify your track wiring since you went from Atlas to Peco. The Peco insulfrog will only direct power to the branch that is selected by the turnout.
You shouldn’t have any problems with the switch controls.
Peco switch machines (or “point motors”) have 4 electric connections, one pair on each coil. One wire on each coil goes to your switch controller. The other wires are joined together and run to the common connector. (Not sure exactly how Atlas connectors work. If you have 3 wires running to each turnout, one will be common and probably black.)
All common twin coil switch machines are wired the same way; you should be able to leave most of the wiring in place.
You may want to add short pieces of wire to the Peco machines. I use solid wire and squeeze the Peco connectors around it and sometimes solder it as well.
with your original wiring you would have two supply circuits and one common to the atlas turnouts,all you need to do is solder the supply wiring to the terminals on one side of the peco motor[one supply wire to each terminal]and on the negative side of the motor solder two short wires to the terminals and then join these wires to your common wire and your circuit is complete.
the term supply means- positive or power
and common means-negative
before soldering your supply wires to the motor,hook them up to the motor and test to make sure the turnout works according to your switching requirements.
should the turnout work opposite to your switch,reverse the supply wires and when everything is ok solder your connections
hope this helps
Fred
You directions were right on the money. Just in case anyone out there was wondering…Those new Peco Code 83 Turnouts are great, much better than the Atlas turnouts that I replacing.
g,day meybic
glad I could help,I too have a number of atlas turnouts which I bought second hand,nothing but trouble,mainly circuits through the closure rails,some i can solder small bridging wires to the rails and this fixes the problem,and I am also changing over to peco code 100,do you notice when you run a steamer through the frogs of atlas turnouts, the drivers actually drop in the frogs,diesels can get away with it,peco for me also
regards
Fred