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This website has saved my "cookies" more than once.  Maybe it can do it again . I managed to short out my original Atlas 2-rail turnout in my yard and fry the frog. I thought maybe someone out there in "O" gauge land might have another functional left handed switch they could sell me to restore what I have damaged. These come up on ebay but seem to always be right-handed!

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Originally Posted by Tom Platten:

This website has saved my "cookies" more than once.  Maybe it can do it again . I managed to short out my original Atlas 2-rail turnout in my yard and fry the frog. I thought maybe someone out there in "O" gauge land might have another functional left handed switch they could sell me to restore what I have damaged. These come up on ebay but seem to always be right-handed!

I'm all 3 rail Atlas-O and know little about the 2 rail stuff. However, my LHS has at least one Atlas 2 rail turnout in stock. I have no idea what it/they are. If you want to inquire, here's a link to their website: Fred's Train Shop. It's not an online store, so you will have to email or call. Contact info is on the website. Like I said, I have no idea what size or configuration they are? Good luck with your search.

I think you may be referring to what was known as an Atlas-Roco switch? They came in two halves connected by railjoiners.  They were worth their weight in gold to many 2-railers in an era with virtually no other alternatives for ready-made turnouts in the #5 or #6 range.

 

I believe that none of the current production Atlas turnouts have the same footprint as the old Atlas-Roco.

 

The Atlas-Roco still appear occasionally on the auction sites, but I doubt if you would find any new in a hobby shop. But, you never know.

 

Or, you may be referring to the little 24" radius turnouts also produced by Atlas in that era. I believe Tom Tee is referring to these in his post above.

 

These are much tighter than what a #4 would be. In fact, they are not numbered switches at all, but have the 24" radius curve through the frog area. These appear more regularly than the larger Atlas-Roco type.

 

Jim

Last edited by Jim Policastro

Tom

 

Any easy way to differentiate between 1970's era Atlas track made in Austria by Roco is that the ties are black plastic.  The "new" AtlasO turnouts and related track products made in China have brown plastic ties.  The two different Atlas product lines offered turnouts in completely different sizes.  For us to help you find a replacement we need to know which Atlas product line your turnout came from (by tie color) and how sharp it is.  If you don't know its degree or number, we can help you size it by  telling us the distance between the open end of the points and the location in the frog where the rails come together.

 

Ed Rappe

 

Last edited by Keystoned Ed

I have one #6023 manual left hand NIB.  Like the previous fella posting a photo isn't as easy as FB.URLs ? I guess I can post it to an Email. The box has some instructions but it is a manual so I guess one would have to buy a tortise motor.

I bought 4 switches more than a decade ago for a tight yard and can do it to the right or left on the pennisula so less one switch, no matter

 

Psn0ball@aol.com

title it what you want.

 

Phill 

The earlier one piece Lionel style 24" radius curved diverging track switch was available in two basic versions.  One was a widely available plastic tied  code 157 with matching snap tabs identical to present day Atlas ( well, previously present day ).

 

The other 0w5 version was a rare bird, a fiber tie 24" radius  switch with code 107 stapled in place constructed much like the H0 flex track we all started out with a lifetime ago.

First photo is one of those one piece 24" radius turnouts. Note that the frog is plastic.

 

24switch

 

The second photo is of one of the two piece numbered frog Atlas Roco turnouts in place on an old layout of mine. I recall it being somewhere between a number 4 and a number 6, but not identical to the current production #5s. The frogs were cast metal insulated by sections of black plastic - again much different from the current production Atlas in this respect also.

 

vig3036

 

As Ed mentioned, both of these will have black ties, and we would need to know which type you are trying to replace to be able to help further.

 

Jim

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Last edited by Jim Policastro

Tom, I guess you would use a switch that would fit right into the space that is left behind after removing your destroyed switch. "Round peg in a square hole".Not knowing the overall size of other switches a direct replacement would be best. But, to prevent another melt down maybe find a newer switch with metal frogs.

 

? what were you doing that melted the frog so we know what not to do?

 

Phill

 

Phill

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