A Question About Whisker Tracks on the Atlas Turntable

J.R.  — I use the Atlas terminal joiners on my whisker tracks(only one outer track & middle track connections) with no problems with DCS, LEGACY/TMCC, Conventional operation.

W&W posted:

J.R.  — I use the Atlas terminal joiners on my whisker tracks(only one outer track & middle track connections) with no problems with DCS, LEGACY/TMCC, Conventional operation.

 

 

 

Thanks Craig!  That's probably the route I'll go then.  I plan on using a power distribution board and run a single pole, single throw switch between the board and the whisker track to be able to turn each one on and off.

jroc747 posted:

W&W posted:

J.R.  — I use the Atlas terminal joiners on my whisker tracks(only one outer track & middle track connections) with no problems with DCS, LEGACY/TMCC, Conventional operation.

 

 

 

Thanks Craig!  That's probably the route I'll go then.  I plan on using a power distribution board and run a single pole, single throw switch between the board and the whisker track to be able to turn each one on and off.

I control each whisker with a toggle switch.

W&W posted:

jroc747 posted:

W&W posted:

J.R.  — I use the Atlas terminal joiners on my whisker tracks(only one outer track & middle track connections) with no problems with DCS, LEGACY/TMCC, Conventional operation.

 

 

 

Thanks Craig!  That's probably the route I'll go then.  I plan on using a power distribution board and run a single pole, single throw switch between the board and the whisker track to be able to turn each one on and off.

I control each whisker with a toggle switch.

Who makes the toggle switch and where can I get it?

this is great stuff and i am planning to install a atlas turntable for lc, legacy and conventional as well ....i will use the Atlas terminal joiners to a toggle for each whisker track -- but dont i also have to have a connect on each whisker for legacy controller?

thanks

My guess is most people use a terminal strip to power their whisker tracks.  Power comes from source (whether Conventional, DCS or Legacy) and is attached to power strip.  Feeds run from strip, through toggle switch, to whisker track.

Chuck

Thanks Chuck

So i am trying to visualize this -- each whisker has the terminal joiners for power, controlled by a toggle -- but then don't i also need a connection to the legacy controller as a third wire?

thanks

Isn;t there a "keep alive" signal that DCS sents out?  I recall people running into this with engines on sidings.

Jan

I always connect the two outside rails together on any stub end track. It seems to improve reliability of the DCS signal. I do this by soldering a wire to two Atlas rail connectors and putting them on the end of the stub. It works even better if you use one of the Atlas conversion connectors intended to connect traditional 3 rail Lionel track to Atlas. I just break off the Lionel end, leaving me with the Altas 1/2 of the connector. With the wire soldered to the bottom of these connectors, it makes for a very neat and nearly invisible connection.

When the electronics in the locomotives/diesels became selective, with either TMCC, or DCS, a turntable became a simple, one wire circuit does all project.  The number of engines on one circuit can become an issue on start up.     

I wired center rail and one outside rail (although I thought I did both outside).  No issues with engines though.

The wires from the whiskers all come together and the negative goes to a terminal strip and the positive goes through individual toggle switch which are powered by the terminal strip positive.

Steve G,

To directly answer your question, the Legacy "connection" from the base does not have to be directly run to every unattached segment (whisker) of track.  Look at page 6 of the document attached and note that three wires go to the lockon in Lionel's diagram, one of which is the Legacy connection.  Now, instead of a lockon, imagine a terminal strip being used with power being supplied to one side and common/return (with Legacy connection) on the other side.

From your terminal strip, you now only run two wires (one for power and one for common) to each whisker track because the legacy signal is now operational through the strip.  Some would suggest that you split the common wire for each whisker and attach it to both outside rails, and some have found this to be unnecessary.  In any event, nobody, that I know of, runs the legacy connection to each whisker track.

Thanks a ton to all, helps a lot ,,, what did we do before the internet?

@Ron045  thanks a ton and the images help a lot!  thank you

@Sgolden876 posted:

Thanks a ton to all, helps a lot ,,, what did we do before the internet?

This internet thing is just a fad.  It'll never catch on. 😁