# Switch continuity



## skidoorulz (Jul 31, 2021)

First post and I am new to model railraoding. I bought a layout that was built years ago and needs some work. I have a switch that does not seem to let any power through it. It is an atlas switch. When I check continuity from the point to the rail that the pivot end should hook to I do not have continuity from the point to the rail on either rail on each side. As my little knowledge goes the frogs are plastic and I do have continuity to the rails on each side of the frog. I also have switches on the layout that have continuity thru both points to the rail on pivot end and some where only one point has continuity thru to the ril on pivot end. Do I have some bad switches? Or what is up?


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Welcome Skidoorulz

Old turnouts sometimes suffer from wear or
internal corrosion. I'll let the Atlas users suggest ways
to get continuity thru your turnouts. 

The term ' turnout' is used
here on the forum instead of 'switch'. This is to avoid
confusion when discussing an electrical problem that may
include the on/off device 'switch' that controls a 'turnout'.
I know, it's contrary to all we have known from the past
but it helps for better communication.

Don


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## CTValleyRR (Jul 26, 2014)

Not an expert on Atlas turnouts by any means (I haven't seen one in person in over 20 years, and then only in HO scale). Don't the point rails conduct electricity to the diverging rails on those? A good cleaning might fix the problem, especially if the layout has been sitting around for a while.


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

All Atlas switches no matter their age/era are called "all live" as opposed to "power routing"..
Very old Atlas having black cross ties have plastic frogs..Newer Atlas "CustomLine" have brown ties and have metal frogs (though tinted erasable black) and can be powered to become 'power routing', requiring special wiring and a button/toggle of some kind to operate.
I suspect the problem is with the rivets or the teensy rail joiners involved with the swiveling point rails; perhaps they are too loose/corroded. Or, if rail is (ever-problematic) brass, it's green oxidized..I'd lift it out and try what you can to clean/tighten all hinge-like parts and the rest..
Sorry, but if all the track is brass you'd do better to cut you losses now and start a completely new MRR with nickle silver rail..Brass rail will continually give you continuity headaches..

As for his assumption above; No..Atlas stock, wing, and closure rails are live and not reliant on the points for power.

Btw. You can make a simple continuity tester by soldering 2 wires to a small automobile bulb/one wire to center cathode (+) /other to side (-). I'll assume you know the rest... Good luck.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

skidoorulz said:


> First post and I am new to model railraoding. I bought a layout that was built years ago and needs some work. I have a switch that does not seem to let any power through it. It is an atlas switch. When I check continuity from the point to the rail that the pivot end should hook to I do not have continuity from the point to the rail on either rail on each side. As my little knowledge goes the frogs are plastic and I do have continuity to the rails on each side of the frog. I also have switches on the layout that have continuity thru both points to the rail on pivot end and some where only one point has continuity thru to the ril on pivot end. Do I have some bad switches? Or what is up?


skidoorulz;

Well, yes you do have some bad switches. However, you may be able to fix them. Its been a lot of years since I used an Atlas turnout too.
Atlas actually sells two separate lines of turnouts. If yours have a black plastic frog, and a big black blob of a switch machine attached to the side, they are Atlas "Snap Switches." This is the most common, cheapest, and lowest-quality, Atlas turnout.
The better quality Atlas turnouts are called "Custom Line." They have metal frogs, and no switch machine. However, "Custom Line" turnouts are not made in N-scale, so since your layout is N-scale, you have "Snap Switches." (sorry about that!  )

The point rails on an Atlas "Snap Switch" turnout are supposed to get their electricity from small, square, metal contact plates under the hinged end of each point rail. These contact plates, and the point rails themselves, are quite possibly corroded, and that may be why you can't get continuity from the outside running rails to the point rails. Removing the point rails, and then cleaning both them, and contact plates, may help. Better yet would be to solder a tiny wire from the outside of each point rail to the outside of the rail that it feeds into. These rails are called "closure rails" and they feed wheels from the pivot end of the point rails to the frog.

The files below have more info, and photos, about the problems that Atlas turnouts have, and how to fix them. Also a lot of information on the various brands of model turnouts and my personal ratings of their quality. The Atlas "Snap Switch" is second from the bottom of the quality barrel, but the with modifications in the "Improving Atlas turnouts" file, It can be made pretty reliable.

Good luck;

Traction Fan 🙂


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

PS.
My post above (#4) is aimed at HO.. I'm sorry. I didn't notice you are N scale (if you are) ..
In that case I can only guess if what I said pertains to Atlas N as well..I do like their code 55, if that's what you have there..It actually looks better to me than their HO code 83 (I have mostly)..If that is what you have, you're lookin' good...I was in N for 15 years. Returned to HO.
Hope you solve your problem...


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