How to beef up an Atlas C55 curved turnout?

[Peavine]

Funny, I have 40 or 50 code 55 Atlas turnouts on my layout. They are hooked to tortoise machines, and I have very few problems with them. I usually sharpen the points if cars snag on them, but so far (12 years) I haven’t had any real problem with them

[Chris333]

I pre ordered Atlas code 55 when it first came out. I think it is why I learned to handlay turnouts. Because there isn't any other way.

[ednadolski]

Then they are electroplated with copper, then some other harder silver-looking metal which actually might be nickel silver.

Just curious, what's the point of the copper?    This sounds like there are two layers of electroplating which would add to the cost.

Ed

[CRL]

Probably the same reason that steel bumpers are typically copper electroplated before being chrome plated.

[glakedylan]

 back in the 1970's, during my HO era, Atlas was the only turnouts i could find that did not cause derailments. yes, code 100, #6 turnouts that i used on my HO layouts into the mid 90's. i still have them in a box in storage should i ever get the HO itch. but, the point of this post is that i assumed i would find the same quality and usefulness of Atlas turnouts in N Scale. yes, i started with the code 80 track, because i did not know there was such a thing as code 55 (this was in 1999). yet, even now with code 55 ther turnouts have been excellent in their use on 5 different layouts do this day. i have two curved still in package and have no experience with them. so i cannot comment on those. but the #5's, #7's, and #10's have functioned without issue for me. the experience in HO is one of the reasons i am an Atlas supporter, along with the continued success in N. Yes. I also have several handlaid turnouts, both straight and curved in various radii and #...no i did not make them, had them made for a friend in NJ who does excellent work. they have been excellent as well. they just cost more.


happy with Atlas
sincerely
Gary

[Spades]

I pre ordered Atlas code 55 when it first came out. I think it is why I learned to handlay turnouts. Because there isn't any other way.

I wish Atlas luck with their Code 55 turnouts, but my experience matches Chris.  I still have 2 Atlas code 55 turnouts the rest have been replaced.  Getting the the the turnouts to work out of the packaging is a few steps short of hand laying your own.  Lacking Chris' talent, ability and drive.  Everything for me is now a ME #6 turnout and the occasional doctored for appearance Peco.

[mmagliaro]

Just curious, what's the point of the copper?    This sounds like there are two layers of electroplating which would add to the cost.

Ed

Some metals cannot be electroplated directly over other metals without causing a reaction between the two that corrupts the outer metal.  I'm pretty sure that gold plated electrical contacts are actually gold plated over nickel plated over the copper, because otherwise, the copper reacts badly with the gold over time.  And that's the sum total of my metallurgical knowledge!  (Which means about zero, but I think this is the reason the do these double-plating operations).

[ednadolski]

Some metals cannot be electroplated directly over other metals without causing a reaction between the two ...

Makes sense, I kinda figured there had to be a reason like that, but I'm not a ChE,  just an old EE turned into a software cheese... 

Ed

[SAH]

Test the turnout for proper continuity.
Check the turnout for proper gauge. 
Make certain the roadbed surface beneath the turnout is FLAT.
Mount the turnout so that it is also FLAT.  I use homasote roadbed or thick cardboard beneath my turnouts because each material will take spikes, allowing the turnout to be removed if necessary.
Add a styrene spacer between the frog and each connecting rail.  CA in place and trim styrene to fit.
Use a resistance soldering outfit to solder the feed wire to the frog.  It's not as pretty as using the little tab supplied with the turnout but far more reliable.  Attach the wire to the side away from normal view and it's not noticeable.  I've started using the RS to install all my track feeders and get much better connections and far fewer melted tie ends.

Steve

[PiperguyUMD]

So I gave it the Max treatment! Filed down the points, soldered jumpers on the underside, and reinforced the throw bar top and bottom with JB weld. The gauge looked pretty good, thought it was a tiny bit wide on the points on the frog side. Got it in place this evening and JFRTM! So far so good! Thanks for sharing the wisdom everyone!

[mmagliaro]

Looks good to me.  Did you solder that wire to the frog under that blob of epoxy?  Is the epoxy just to physically reenforce it so the solder joint doesn't break off?
If the gauge is good all the way through, that's a big headache out of the way.  Good news.

[PiperguyUMD]

Looks good to me.  Did you solder that wire to the frog under that blob of epoxy?  Is the epoxy just to physically reenforce it so the solder joint doesn't break off?
If the gauge is good all the way through, that's a big headache out of the way.  Good news.

Correct. My soldering technique is mediocre at best. By the time I got a solid connection there was very little left to the ties, so I wanted to beef it up to be safe.

[dem34]

Correct. My soldering technique is mediocre at best. By the time I got a solid connection there was very little left to the ties, so I wanted to beef it up to be safe.

Might also be good if you put some kind of heat sink on the rails as you solder them. It can be anything that is a good thermal conductor or a damp cloth placed on either side of the joint so the heat gets transferred to that first instead of the ties.

When I still used the Atlas C55s I would dab some liquid CA on the Stock and Frog rails. Kept it together most of the time. But like many others that experience pushed me into building my own turnouts.

[jdcolombo]

You know... PECO makes curved turnouts in code 55. 

Yes, but the ties are thicker than Atlas Code 55 (I'm not talking about the tie spacing, which one can ignore, but the actual top-to-bottom thickness of the ties) and therefore it is difficult to properly mate Atlas Code 55 track to a Peco Code 55 switch.  Peco's code 55 track is built to mate easily with its own Code 80 track, which is why the ties are thicker (and the rail is actually a Code 80 rail with a double flange that is embedded in these thicker ties, making the track practically indestructible).

Peco track is excellent stuff, if you can get past the European tie spacing.  But mixing it with Atlas Code 55 or ME Code 55 is a recipe for woe and gnashing of teeth.

John C.

[prr7161]

As an alternative, I tried @Mark W 's technique of replacing points rails up to the frog without success. While points forming (Fast Tracks jig) was no problem, I was vexed by the PCB throwbar - I simply could not prevent solder build-up on the throwbar joint from interfering with closure. If I filed it, it removed too much solder and the joint would fail. I plan to try again with some tweaks to the technique, but there are currently too many other projects with higher priority in the way.

FWIW, I am working through this right now and soldering throwbars is definitely the trickiest part of the FastTracks process.  On the straight point rail, I wrap a slip of paper around the bottom and sides of the stock rail and flux only a bit on the inside of the point rail.  Then you can solder the straight point with it up tight against the stock rail and paper without fusing the whole mess together - the paper prevents too much run-through.  On the curved point rail, soldered away from the stock rail, I was running into some solder buildup behind the point.  Shimmying a desoldering braid into the gap between point and stock rail, and then doing a quick reheat, seems to help everything flatten out to get better closure.  It takes a light touch, though - too much heat or pressure at the point will deform it (ask me how I know...).