How much do you trust Atlas C55 curved turnouts?

[mmagliaro]

The Atlas Code 55 curved turnouts despite their size are of a tight radius. For that reason alone I would not recommend them. For an important traffic area such as you describe, definitely fast tracks, if you don't have the time or talent, I have heard there are folks who will do them for you for a price.

Jim

Can you explain more on this?  When I hold various Fast Tracks paper templates over an Atlas c55 curved turnout, the template that looks almost dead-on correct as a replacement is the #10  20"/16", which is certainly not "tight".  Is there some particular spot in the geometry that is deceptively tight, so that even though the throat and diverging rails end up matching a #10 20/16, the turnout itself is not actually that generous?

(There's a reason I'm holding FastTracks templates over my Atlas c55 turnout... har har har)

[ednadolski]

... in few years you might wear down the top plating, exposing the salmon-colored copper.  Salmon-colored frogs might not be what you want to see on your layout.

They would probably oxidize and change color rather quickly.   (Does the oxide conduct electricity?  If not, then you will have insulfrogs )

But given the cost of Cu, I doubt they would use it.

Ed

Edit: OTOH if you use them enough to wear off the plating, maybe that would keep the conductive surface 'polished' enough

[Cajonpassfan]

I only have one, left hand, curved Atlas 55 on my layout, not much of a statistical sample, and it’s a heading-out switch, meaning it’s mostly used for trailing point movements. No issues yet, not even on the 16” inside radius, even though my mainline minimum is 18”. Time will tell.
Otto K.

[Doug G.]

Atlas uses metal castings for the frogs, guard rails, and points.  Those appear to be white metal (not nickel silver), which is then copper plated, and finally top-plated with silver colored metal.

Depending on your track cleaning method, in few years you might wear down the top plating, exposing the salmon-colored copper.  Salmon-colored frogs might not be what you want to see on your layout. Just saying . . . . 

Titanic's funnels (smoke stacks) were salmon colored.



Doug

[peteski]

They would probably oxidize and change color rather quickly.   (Does the oxide conduct electricity?  If not, then you will have insulfrogs )

But given the cost of Cu, I doubt they would use it.

Ed

Edit: OTOH if you use them enough to wear off the plating, maybe that would keep the conductive surface 'polished' enough

Nyuk, Nyuk,  Nyuk!  Re-read my post  It is not from in-use wear.   Yes, it is copper. I had it analyzed. 

[mighalpern]

I guess I'm the odd man out,  I have 8   and have not had any issues.
 I do clean the stock rails where the point rails seat.  I have had debris in there and its picked a few wheels, otherwise no issues.  I have one that gets used a lot since it directs into arrival #1 or #2 and that is still working good.  long pax cars go thru very nicely.
most of my C55 turnouts are beginning to show the copper color at the frog, Its little discouraging   
I did build  4 custom curved turnouts  via fast track paper templates and they work great, just get the point rails dead on and no issues
good luck

[signalmaintainer]

If you are willing and able to do very careful shimming, filing of the rails, possible outright replacement of the drawbar with one of your own making, and a good bit of very tricky soldering to bypass all the unreliable bronze contact fingers on the underside, I'd rate it 80% reliable.  Not very good for a turnout and certainly not good for one that carries a lot of your operational traffic.

If you do nothing, and just install it, I wouldn't trust it at all.

I have one... exactly one... Atlas c55 curved turnout on my layout.  As you know, I've done a strict regimine of improvements to all of my Atlas c55 turnouts before installing them, which eliminated all their woes (at least in my experience), but not on that curved turnout.  That thing has required a tweak every once in a while with guard rails and gauge correction.  It is simply not stable.   If I were to invest in a FastTracks jig to make a turnout of my own, that curved turnout would be the number one thing on my list to build by hand and replace.

100 percent spot on. If FastTracks made a jig exactly for my three Atlas code 55 curved turnouts, I'd replace them. I've had to add jumpers, file and fuss with the points -- in short, they're not a good value.

[Maletrain]

Can you explain more on this?  When I hold various Fast Tracks paper templates over an Atlas c55 curved turnout, the template that looks almost dead-on correct as a replacement is the #10  20"/16", which is certainly not "tight".  Is there some particular spot in the geometry that is deceptively tight, so that even though the throat and diverging rails end up matching a #10 20/16, the turnout itself is not actually that generous?

(There's a reason I'm holding FastTracks templates over my Atlas c55 turnout... har har har)

I think Atlas specifies their C55 curved turnouts to be 20" and 15" radii, which is pretty close to your eye-balling it to the FastTTacks 20"/16" template.

I certainly would not consider 15" to be "tight" from a curve radius standpoint.  I think the real issue for turnouts is how far it is from the points to the frog and the angle the rolling stock makes at that point.  If the rails of the FastTracks #10 curved are close to the rails of the Atlas curved turnout all the way through, then I suspect the real difference will be in the quality of construction, rather than geometry.

[Peavine]

I’ve got one on my layout. I have never had any problem with it any more than any other turnout. I have about 40 atlas code 55 with tortoise machines, and find them to be pretty reliable once installed. Filing the points a bit is about the only thing I’ve ever had to do in terms of tweaking. They are mounted on cork attached to plywood.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok, so this thread has convinced me that:
1. Do not use one if you NEED it to work when you're having others over. Because that's when it'll break.
2. I have plenty of options for handlaid versions if I absolutely MUST have that geometry.

Thanks gang!

[Point353]

Ok, so this thread has convinced me that:
1. Do not use one if you NEED it to work when you're having others over. Because that's when it'll break.
2. I have plenty of options for handlaid versions if I absolutely MUST have that geometry.

Or, paint the roadbed under the turnout gray and don't ballast it.
Don't solder the rail joiners and cut down the ties on the adjacent tracks so the rail joiners can be slid back.
Keep a spare turnout on hand for a quick replacement.

[eric220]

I had one in the return loop at the east end of my layout. Every train that I ran went through the 15” radius leg. Apart from brass locos not liking the tight radius, I never had any problems with it.

[mmagliaro]

I think Atlas specifies their C55 curved turnouts to be 20" and 15" radii, which is pretty close to your eye-balling it to the FastTTacks 20"/16" template.

I certainly would not consider 15" to be "tight" from a curve radius standpoint.  I think the real issue for turnouts is how far it is from the points to the frog and the angle the rolling stock makes at that point.  If the rails of the FastTracks #10 curved are close to the rails of the Atlas curved turnout all the way through, then I suspect the real difference will be in the quality of construction, rather than geometry.

THIS.
I think you are dead on correct.  Comparing the Atlas turnout to the FastTracks jig, the thing that really jumps out is that the point rails and the rest of the path that the wheels take when they roll off the point rails onto the closure rails (the stationary inner rails that go into the frog), you can see that the FastTracks 20/16 forms a long, graceful arc through all of that, where as the Atlas turnout takes a kind of "dogleg" off the point rails.

You know, ironically, whether Ed goes this route or not, this is  just another pin stuck in my side to push me toward hand-laying
that turnout.    Tearing up track isn't as horrible as is seems.  Dremel-cut the rails, putty knife under it, just bite the bullet and pull the thing up and out along with any surrounding ground foam and ballast.  When you think about it, once that turnout is replaced, what's it going to take to re-ballast it and cover up the terrain mess, an hour?  It's not that bad.

[MetroRedLine]

They never made any in and radii I use, so I never used them.

[jpec]

I told you stop farting around and go with 3R O scale and bacon scented smoke...or be a groundbreaker and develop one that smells like bacon and Macallan 1926...