WHOO HOO! Just arrived Atlas O's New switch controller!

Nice. I bet those would work with other momentary-type switch motors.

What's the cost? Don

One on ebay for $11.95 plus $4.95 shipping. Not sure what to think.

Ken.

It's about time!!

Well a least it's got an indicator light and looks a whole lot better than the 40 year old cheesy one with the blue button

David

I just checked Bob Thatcher's place. He has them for $10.95 and says "Availability: In stock: 435"

Atlas-O Deluxe Control

Alex

From the really weird department:

I read this post, then the doorbell rang 30 seconds later and there was a rigid boxed package from Atlas O stuck between the doors. It is the switch described above. Weird.

I will give it a try one day when I get the courage to start wiring.

I just bought 15 of them from Bob this morning. Much better and a whole lot cooler than those buttons that came with the DZ1000's. Either Bob had 450 before my purchase or now he is down to 420. Atlas O web site lists them as out of stock.

Donald

Donald,

Then these will work with Ross switches. All right!

Just ordered three to play around with. If these work as nicely as they look they will be a big seller. Just on appearance alone they beat the original Atlas turnout control switches.

Well, I hope they work with ROSS switches, I did not really ask. Otherwise somebody will be able to buy 15 of them at a good price!

The Atlas #57 is a momentary type contact switch which is what the controllers are for the DZ1000's. I am assuming you throw the lever to either the N (normal) or D (diverging) / R (reverse) setting and push the button to make contact and throw the switch.

Donald

These may just be perfect for my temporary (couple of years) control panel, which I am presently designing. Could someone who already has these, please help me out:

• Approximatley how big are these new control switches (foot print)?

• Are the connection points accessible from the bottom of the switch?

• Do the the red and green LEDs remain lit (as the DZ1000 control switches) to indicate the last position actuated, or do they light up just while the push button is kept depressed?

Thanks!!

Alex

What are the three contact at top for? What are three contacts at bottom for? Or are the just pass through so you can wire either to top or bottom?

I use my DCS handheld/AIUs to operate my Atlas O switches. It is a lot more convenient than when I used to use Atlas controllers.

Hey Sam. I would have to guess the three contacts on the bottom (and top) are the three wires from your switch motor and the two on either side are the power feeds from your transformer. Like other Atlas components, I am sure you can "gang" them together.

quote:

Could someone who already has these, please help me out:

• Approximatley how big are these new control switches (foot print)?

1 1/2"W x 2 1/4"L x 7/16" H

quote:

• Are the connection points accessible from the bottom of the switch?

there are NO screws on the bottom to hide the wiring. all wiring acess & connections are on the top of the controller as shown. The three connections on top or bottom of controller are for the switch motor wires. The TWO connections on the side are for ganging up the controllers just like the old "blue button" ones did.

quote:

• Do the the red and green LEDs remain lit (as the DZ1000 control switches) to indicate the last position actuated, or do they light up just while the push button is kept depressed?

Thanks!!

Alex

Don't know yet.

quote:

• Do the the red and green LEDs remain lit (as the DZ1000 control switches) to indicate the last position actuated, or do they light up just while the push button is kept depressed?

Given that there is power fed in from side, I am guessing that the light circuit is an independent circuit, divorced from the switch contacts circuit. That is, the red or green lights depending on lever position but does not indicate the actual switch machine position.

Will it work on Fastrack switches?

Me to bob sent them last week but still have to hook them up.I will let no how good they work looks to me the wireing is the same switch wire on top and power on sides

quote:

Given that there is power fed in from side, I am guessing that the light circuit is an independent circuit, divorced from the switch contacts circuit. That is, the red or green lights depending on lever position but does not indicate the actual switch machine position.

Sam

well the installer should have the switch machine positioned to the correct nomenclature on the switch button itself. The button is designed like a CTC machine switch button would have been.
whatever the RR uses as a Normal route[ the curved or straight part] is what the switch points should be at and the LED light as green on the controller. Whatever the RR chooses the diverging/Reverse route to be [again the curved or straight part]the switch points should be at and the LED light as red on the controller.

Although I'm sure most of us can figure out how to wire this, wouldn't it be nice if Atlas O put a printed diagram on the back of the package for those who are less electrically savvy?

Elliot

quote:

Although I'm sure most of us can figure out how to wire this, wouldn't it be nice if Atlas O put a printed diagram on the back of the package for those who are less electrically savvy?

There's a piece of paper inside the package with a complete wiring diagram including optional relay contacts.

I wired it up.

The LEDS stay on and mimic the position of the lever, left (or normal) = green and right (or reverse) = red. So if you move the lever to the right, the red LED will light up regardless of whether the momentary contact button has been pressed or not.

I could not get the relay contacts to work. In fact, I got a short circuit. I don't know whether it's me or the controller unit I have but I'd be interested in hearing from others if they have gotten this feature to work.

Hi Guys, I just finished successfully installing my first #57 switch controller. Works great. Leds are bright and the lever and pushbutton action seem much more precise than with the old #56's.

If you use the #6924 Circuit boards to control your Atlas O switches and provide other functions such as non-derailing and dwarf signal activation -- as I do -- then the #57 wiring is different.

Below is the wiring diagram Steve Horvath sent me on how to do it. Please pardon the photo quality as I'm busy wiring new #57's!!

Pgentieu,

As stated above mine are working. And toggling the switch back and forth has no effect on the LED that is currently lit. It stay lit until I move the lever to the other position and then push the button.

Two down. Many more to go! Takes a while to do one if your using the 6924 Circuit Board like me.

Hope this helps.

Austin Bill

OK, dumb question but... I have never figured out... just what does a non derail board actually do?

quote:

OK, dumb question but... I have never figured out... just what does a non derail board actually do?

Simply put the board:

protects the switch motor from burning out due to holding the button down too long

interfaces the Atlas O signal system to the swich.

as designed it will act as a non derailing circuit just like a Lionel switch

also can activate TWO switch motors simultaneously as in a crossover or a passing siding.

http://www.amhobbiesonline.com...virtuemart&Itemid=62

I've been searching online for this controller. Who has it in stock?

Bob Thatcher at AM Hobbies has them.

This Contoller board has a ton of uses over and above those described in the Atlas O technical info.

I am using it to throw switches, control dwarf signals and for non-derailing for the switches on my mainlines. I plan to use it for an elementary signalling system in the future.

Been using eight of them (mainline switches only) for well over a year now and have found them reliable and they work well.

And as stated above hooking up the new #57 switch controller to the Controller B board was easy.

Austin Bill

p.s. AM Hobbies has both. The #57 Switch Controller and the Universal Board.

Austin Bill

Austin Bill -

Thanks! The wiring diagram Steve gave you is not like the one that is packed with the switches. I can see how the source of the short has been removed - there is no wire to the upper connector on the left side which has common wire attached in the diagram that comes with the controller. Instead, the common wire is attached to the lower connector. The diagram that came with the controller shows the power wire attached here.

It seems to me two separate wiring diagrams are needed - one for use without the relay connections and one with. They are very different schemes.

By the way, there's another problem with the diagram packed with the controller. The website address it shows doesn't work - atlasrr.com/support. It comes back with "Directory Listing Denied."

quote:

Originally posted by DPC:
Well a least it's got an indicator light and looks a whole lot better than the 40 year old cheesy one with the blue button

David

My "cheesy" blue button controllers that I've had since 1975 still work perfectly and are on a small HO layout I have.

I will probably get the new controllers for a Lionel Display layout I'm about to build with Atlas O track and switches.

PGentieu,

Agree. Two wiring diagrams are needed. And the link to the documentation did not work for me either.

And I searched the Atlas O website and could not find the diagram Steve Horvath sent me. I'm surprised it isn't there yet as they usually do a great job on documentation and support in general. Bet it'll show up soon.

Anyway, the #57 is a vast improvement over the #56.

Austin Bill

I have the old blue push button swicthes connected to a capacitive discharge unit to prevent burnout. Will the new #57 work with my current set up or do I need to bypass the CDU? Currently I bypass the CDU only for installation of my two #6924 circuit boards. I have a total of 25 switches on my layout.

howardih,

That'd be a good question for Steve Horvath at Atlas O or the other Atlas O technical guy. The Atlas O website lists their emails and you can always call, too.

Austin Bill

If the CDU is before the #57 and wired per diagram I suspect the lit LED would act as a load and partially discarge the CDU depending on how much current the LED draws (typically 15-20mA).

Wish I could get one and pry the back off it (if does), and trace the wiring out. Looking at the posted diagram here, and one posters comment of moving the lever back and forth without changing the lit LED, it almost looks like the top and bottom contacts are not pass through, but energize either LEDs or switch machine (my speculation studying the diagram, but without a #57 in hand).

Anyone out there opened one up?

MikeAA9ZY
Here is a link to the #57's and the Non-Derail boards on our site:http://www.amhobbiesonline.com...ory_id=229&Itemid=62

O22 and O72 compatable?

Yes, the thing does look like a real CtC controller.

quote:

Originally posted by Austin Bill:
Hi Guys, I just finished successfully installing my first #57 switch controller. Works great. Leds are bright and the lever and pushbutton action seem much more precise than with the old #56's.

If you use the #6924 Circuit boards to control your Atlas O switches and provide other functions such as non-derailing and dwarf signal activation -- as I do -- then the #57 wiring is different.

Below is the wiring diagram Steve Horvath sent me on how to do it. Please pardon the photo quality as I'm busy wiring new #57's!!

Answer to the question are the red and green lights on the #57 switch activated from the switch itself.
From this wiring diagram the 6924 board is used to power the red and green lights via one of the two relays available on the board. COM2/NC/NO Red and Green wires right bottom.