Atlas switch problem

You can insert thin plastic shims to keep the frog from shorting to the running rails.

Jim, that looks like a Lenz track product, if so how have you decided to actuate the throw bar?  Lenz has under development an electric motor but it is nowhere near ready.  Their point connections look rather fragile, kind of concerned about durability???

As the frog is not powered unless you power it you are also loosing the DCS signal through the frog.

 I have no problems running most of my engines thru my Atlas switches. I have a shorter wheel based one that stalls and restarts when run thru some of them? This engine seems pickier than the rest. Does yours get better if you charge the battery? If so, you may want to switch to a BCR.

 One other option would be to power the frogs. I don't think you are shorting, I think you're just loosing power. The battery should carry the engine thru but it doesn't. I notice on mine it runs if I keep the speed above say ten MPH. So guess what I do?

to all, thank you for your responses.

 One other thing that may or may not help, I had some sparking going on one time. I traced it down to metal cars with metal frames and metal couplers. Only one wheel was insulated and current seemed to be going through the couplers. I actually got a shock when I grabbed one. Does your engine have metal couplers and boxes??

 Maybe the combination of cars drawing current through the engines frame? or something?

Problem was fixed tonight.

When the rear coupler of the trainmaster went over the second frog it touched the rail.

I bent both arm's up so they did not touch the track and no problem.

Great!

So the second car weighed down the coupler which caused the arm to hit.....

joe,

I just needed to bend up the arm on all of the couplers so it would not touch the track.