Atlas Turnouts - N-Scale

The Atlas turnout motor is a fairly low power compared to others. Depending upon how far you go (I'd probably limit the length to 15' or so for a typical power supply) for the length and this is usuallyl long enough for many layouts, especially if you put the control switches along the edge of the layout near the turnouts in question. Using a CD system will generally allow for a longer length of wire as the longer runs allow for a longer pulse to the motor which helps things along.

-- Why do penguins walk so far to get to their nesting grounds?

Bob May wrote: [...]

The Intelligent Designer was having a bad coffee day.

Hah!

I removed the turnout with the open coil from the layout so I could see more clearly how it works.

The sluggish operation is a result of friction far to great for the fine, piano-wire spring to overcome.

I tried dry molylube on the sliding surfaces of the turnout mechanism. I do not think this really improved the operation of the turnout. It appeared to me that the friction might be between the points and the ties. I hypothesize that the track was pushed downward through overly energetic track cleaning. I gently levered it upwards. For the moment, the points now move back and forth readily with just the force of the spring.

The coil had clearly overheated. The connection to the switched power line was clearly broken. I have the coil out. It is not clear to me how I should clean the finish (varnish) from the free ends of the coils so that I can:

2) resolder the leads to the switched power line.

I would also like others to share what they have learned about how one resolders the fine wire coil windings to the power leads. Clearly someone did it at the factory.

Thanks

Baumgrenze

baumgrenze spake thus:

If you can find the end of the wire, carefully pull it out and then scrape the varnish off the end with a sharp knife. (Best to do this with the wire against something so it doesn't flex and break.) This will allow you to resolder it.