2rl Atlas #7 switch control and frog powering

Joe,

I power all my frogs and use a DPDT switch to power the switch machine and change the polarity of the frog.  I solder a feeder to the frog.  18 gauge stranded wire if sufficient. I use the Hankscraft display motor (3v, 4 rpm),  with an under-the-table installation, to power the points.  Simple and sturdy.

Hope this helps.

Ed

Bill

I recommend using the Tortoise contacts to power the frog. Simple and effective. Word of caution with Atlas turnouts -  I no longer trust the Atlas frog power feed tabs (at the tie ends) to power the frog as over time several have open circuited on my layout.  I now solder the frog feeder wire directly to the frog casting.  For reliable operation I power all my frogs, and  use a variety of approaches depending on the turnout  motor and location. For those thrown by toggle switches I use a wire off the DPDT. For others with stall motor switch machines ( like Switchmaster) thrown by digital routing  I mount a SPDT micro switch under the bench work pressing against the throw bar.  Where I have Tortoise machines I use the on-board contacts.   In one difficult location I used a frog juicer - works but adds cost.

Dear Joe,

frog juicers!!

John

Coming from the other side of the house, I concur with Ed on both the Tortoise motors and not relying on Atlas turnouts' internal wiring. The Tortoise machine contacts can handle the load--we use them at AGHR for larger turnouts. Sadly, Atlas turnout motors are enlarged H.O. motors and didn't really scale up well.

Hope this helps.

I use Tortoise machines on all of my turnouts and the frogs are all powered (both old Roco Atlas and Old Pullman turnouts) using the internal contacts to drive the signal system and external relays to power the frogs. (I got a deal 30 years ago on some relays - over 250 of them for $0.80 a piece)

All of my Tortoise machines are over 20 years old and many have had failed contacts. The contacts are mounted to a plastic arm inside the machine with tiny studs. Over time, these studs break and the contact springs fall off. In fact, the contacts in a couple of machines that had never been installed broke. Evidently it is a plastic aging problem and not a mechanical stress problem. I don't know if this is still a problem with newer machines. I may have just gotten a bad batch since I got most of them at the same time. The problem did not show itself until the machines were 10-15 years old.

Rebuilding the machines is fairly easy. Each contact pair (there are two pair in each machine) can be re-attached to the plastic arm using some brass 00-90 bolts and nuts. Takes 20-30 minutes per machine.

Good luck with the Tortoise machines and I hope you don't have the problem.

Jerry

Frog juicers come in three sizes- single, dual, and six.  For some inexplicable reason, only the dual frog juicer is recommended for O-Scale use.  It supposedly handles up to 33 amps.  Their literature specifically mentions their other juicers as being unable to handle much other than HO or N scale locomotives.  I have a single dual frog juicer installed as a test on my railroad, and it is flawless so far. 

The Frog Juicer instructions and TV's website say the Juicer should ONLY be used with DCC systems;  it says they are not to be used on DC systems, and says nothing about DCS.  So I'd ask them before you buy 20 of these, E-J......

SZ

All Tortoise... all the time.

I do not like any coil fired switch motor from any manufacturer... but, that's just me.

Joe,

I still have a preference for using Tortoise’s with DPDT switches, or Hare’s for DCC control of turnouts. I do have a couple juicers installed though and like them pretty much so far but still learning about/experimenting with.

John