Atlas Code 55 Switches

[basementcalling]

My #10s look good, but I could only get 2 of the LHs I neeeed.  Hope I don't wait another year for more.

[Denver Road Doug]

Let’s not jump down Atlas’s throat because the turnout isn't straight when you can fix it in 10 seconds. My time is much too valuable to be building switches.

I agree, except that on a couple of my #5's while in the process of straightening them the rail popped out.   You can say THAT is also an easy/quick fix, but my philosophy is never place a turnout in service that I pretty much KNOW will have problems later on.   I guess a lot of that is on me, but if they weren't warped out in the first place (which I think is a reasonable expectation) then it would be a moot issue.

[Baronjutter]

I'm glad this isn't a disaster and even the bent turnouts pop back in place.  Has anyone run trains over them yet to see how reliable they are vs previous runs?

[davefoxx]

I'm glad this isn't a disaster and even the bent turnouts pop back in place.  Has anyone run trains over them yet to see how reliable they are vs previous runs?

Out of the sixteen #5s that I recently purchased, I installed approximately eight last weekend.  They're operating fine, even though I don't have anything to hold the points into position or to power the frogs yet.  There's probably a spot or two that I'll smooth with a file, but no derailments have occurred as a fault of the turnouts themselves.  Operator error is another story. 

DFF

[ljudice]

Unbelievable...

[learmoia]

If you dig into the owners manual, you'll find that the bend is a design feature...

#bendgate

 

For those who may not know.. Shinohara used to make a bendable turnout...

~Ian

[Chris333]

When I got my first C55 #5  turnouts back when they were very first released. I would cut the webbing between some of the ties to make it easier to straighten them. While it was disapointing to have to straighten them I never thought it was a big deal. To me griding the flangeways and filing down the frog that sat higher than the rails was more of a problem. Then after I got the frog level it would be copper colored from removing the plating.

Then there was the points that would be sloppy in the throw bar. I used to ACC them in place, but then they would be stiffer.

Never had this problem with #5's, but some 7's and 10's would have the point rails pop out of the turnout because the little spring clip would fall off. This is under the turnout and hard to fix once it's mounted. Once I knew of that problem I would put a dab of silicon under there before mounting them.

Also had some 7's and 10's that came with bent points that would snap in half with the slightest pressure trying to straighten them.

[OldEastRR]

Where does it say we have to use the same brand switch for our entire layout?

[davefoxx]

Where does it say we have to use the same brand switch for our entire layout?

There's no such restriction, and I have three manufacturers' turnouts on my layout: Atlas, Chris333, and me. 

DFF

[Bsklarski]

If you dig into the owners manual, you'll find that the bend is a design feature...

#bendgate

 

For those who may not know.. Shinohara used to make a bendable turnout...

~Ian

Not sure about N scale ones, but I have a boat load of HO code 70 turnouts from them and you can do amazing things with them to fit spaces. I love them