# Turnouts v switches



## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

What's the difference? A #4 switch looks just like a turnout to me. I do know as the # on a switch increases so does the radius.

Second question, what's the difference between Snap, Custom Line and Mark V switches? 

All pertaining to HO Code 100 products.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

You might recall this thread, here:

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=7177


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## Gansett (Apr 8, 2011)

I understand that TJ, it's why is there a snap switch when a #4, which appears to be the same, does the same thing?

And why the Custom line & Mark V?

I've got my plan, revision # 87 btw, scratched out on paper. I'm looking at 15 switches/turnouts. That's if I don't go to revision #88. 

As you know we Yankees are chea..I mean frugal I will pay what it takes for what I want and not take the least expensive way and end up with a compromise that's not what I really wanted. 

BTDT before in other ventures and it always costs more in the long run.:thumbsup:


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

why is there honda civic when honda accord appears to be the same? 
snap switch is a cheaper product , customline switches have conductive frog and less drastic diverging route.



now i know you haven't asked for recommendations but in my book snap-switch is absolutely useless if you plan to run even a shorter GP unit. customline is usable (after some work on it) but not much better. after trying peco products i'm not touching atlas turnouts ever again . but yes, they are more expencive


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

a turnout and a switch are the same thing it is just how the company decides to name their product. As for quality and looking the same most are but some have increases in quality and durability like metal frogs and DCC compatibility. My personal choice is shinora switches but those will put you back a lot of pretty pennies for a decent sized layout.


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## tankist (Jun 11, 2009)

used shinoharas can be had for about 10$, with 4-6 record lowest seen by me. very, VERY good switch for the money, far ahead of anything atlas. but to work properly for digital will need to be somewhat modified.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

What I don't understand about Atlas switches is why are their N scale switches so good but their HO switches are so crappy? It's always been this way. Anyways, others here are right. But as bad as Atlas switches are, when they were made out of brass, they were much worse. I guess that Atlas figures they can make a lot more money by selling low quality switches than they would by selling a good quality switch. It's funny too. Because this same company makes some of the best locomotives on the market. And in DC, they make the best and easiest circuit breaker system. They also make good track and good rolling stock. But when it comes to making switches, they fall very short. Go figure.

I use mostly pecos and have for the last ten years. They're what a switch ought to be and sell for a little more than what an Atlas does. And Peco also makes curved switches as well, though they're a little more expensive.

Routerman


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

I use Atlas #6 switches in my layout. All of mine are NS but I have found three interesting things. There are a large number of used ones I have that have Made in the USA on the bottom, bought all of these used. These I have had little to no issues with. I have some I bought new that are Made in China and work but after a period of use the pivots wear out and they start to cause derailments. Then there is the latest two that I bought that work well (only been used for a few months) but have the pivots on the points made completely differently. They too are marked Made in China. My LHS thinks that Atlas may have changed suppliers or something but is not sure. The three types all have the same angles and look but slightly different methods of attaching the points to the switch.


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## jzrouterman (Nov 27, 2010)

tkruger said:


> I use Atlas #6 switches in my layout. All of mine are NS but I have found three interesting things. There are a large number of used ones I have that have Made in the USA on the bottom, bought all of these used. These I have had little to no issues with. I have some I bought new that are Made in China and work but after a period of use the pivots wear out and they start to cause derailments.


Very interesting. One question though. While the switch is in the package, is there anything on the package that says it was made in the USA? I mean, can one tell this without first taking the switch out of the package?

Routerman


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## tkruger (Jan 18, 2009)

jzrouterman said:


> Very interesting. One question though. While the switch is in the package, is there anything on the package that says it was made in the USA? I mean, can one tell this without first taking the switch out of the package?
> 
> Routerman


I do not know if the package says. I tossed those prior to noticing the differences.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

Gansett said:


> What's the difference? A #4 switch looks just like a turnout to me. I do know as the # on a switch increases so does the radius.
> 
> Second question, what's the difference between Snap, Custom Line and Mark V switches?
> 
> All pertaining to HO Code 100 products.


Ganset;

The piece of track that has movable points and will let a train move from one track to another (as from the mainline, onto a siding) is commonly called a "switch" on real railroads.
Model railroaders adopted the name "turnout" for the same piece of track, to avoid confusion with the electrical switches used in the hobby, such as those toggle switches commonly used on a control panel. This avoids confusing statements like "I use this switch to switch that switch." The use of "turnout" rather than "switch" is just a common practice in model railroading and by no means universal, or mandatory. Many modelers use "switch" instead of "turnout", and there have even been some lively, and frankly silly, debates here about which term is "right." 

The # you might see on a model turnout's package is called a frog number. It isn't directly related to radius. Instead it tells how many units of forward travel are necessary for a wheel to move one unit sideways as it passes through that turnout. For example if a passing wheel must move four millimeters forward in order to move one millimeter sideways, that would be a #4 turnout. If the wheel had to move six millimeters forward to get the saame one millimeter of sideways travel. it would be a #6 turnout. 

Atlas "Snap Switch" turnouts are part of the Atlas "Snap Track" line of products. They are most often used on a beginner's first layout because he/she is following one of the track plans published by Atlas online and in printed booklets. An Atlas snap switch has a unique geometry. It has one straight route, and one curved route. Real, and almost all* other model turnouts have two straight routes, which diverge from each other at the angle of that frog#. For this reason, they don't really have a "radius" since there is no curved route. 

* The exception to this statement is the curved turnout, which has two curved routes, of different radii, and no straight route.

Atlas snap switches are also their bottom of the line "bargain" turnouts.
Atlas makes "Custom Line turnouts in HO-scale. Custom line turnouts have two straight routes.* They also have metal frogs with provision to be powered. The snap switches have plastic frogs, which of course, can't be powered. Generally speaking the Custom Line turnouts will be better quality than the snap switches. 
I can't answer your question about Mark V turnouts. I'm an N-scale modeler, and the custom line turnouts are not made in N-scale. I have frankly never heard of a Mark V turnout. I suspect that it, like the custom line, is an HO-scale only item. Perhaps one of our other members can help you with that question.

The files attached below have lots of information about turnouts in general, and information on modifying Atlas turnouts to cut down on the derailments they cause.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

jzrouterman said:


> What I don't understand about Atlas switches is why are their N scale switches so good but their HO switches are so crappy?


jzrouteman;

One reason you may think better of Atlas's N-scale turnouts than their HO-scale ones is the difference in curve radius. Atlas HO-scale "Snap Switch" turnouts (not the "Custom Line ones) have an 18" radius curve built into them. The Atlas N-scale Snap Switch has a 19" radius curve instead. SO what? Only one inch larger? Ahh, but consider the scales. An 18" radius is quite a tight curve for HO equipment to pass through. However a 19" radius curve in N-scale would be roughly equivalent to a 38" radius curve in HO-scale. That's a much broader curve than you'll see on most home layouts.
Both the HO-scale, and the N-scale, versions have other problems, but many are easily fixed. The 18" radius curve in the HO version is not fixable however. The attached files explain a lot about what the problems built into the Atlas turnouts are, and how to fix most of them. There is also a lot of information on turnouts in general, and other choices available beyond Atlas.

BTW some of those great running "Atlas" locomotives were actually made by Kato, a Japanese company that makes excellent locomotives and other products. Others were made by various Chinese factories, like everything these days. I'm not sure if any "Atlas" locomotives were actually manufactured by Atlas.

Traction Fan 🙂


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Another 9 year old thread. Where are you digging these up?

Or do you just feel it's time to bring these to the top of the stack?


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