atlas switches


U

unkaboose

Member
i found these in the collection that was left to me and from what ive read online it controls blocks, but does it reverse polarity also?
 
You asked - "i found these in the collection that was left to me ...."

Did you intend to add a picture of "these" ? No idea what you mean by "these". (?)

Mark.
 
unkaboose said:
will engines run in reverse also when useing these switches
Click to expand...

You need to be more specific about which switch you're talking about. Atlas has turnout controllers as well as the 215 "Selector" and the 220 "Controller" right off the top of my head, and they all perform different duties or a combination of duties.
 
Are you talking about Atlas switch machines or Snap Relays? Atlas switch machines have a throwbar at one end and three terminals at the other. The center terminal is the common return and the other two connect to each coil that throws the throwbar over. Atlas Snap Relays have NO throwbar. They have the same three connection screw terminals on one end, but two sets of terminals on each long side. Each of these terminals have three contacts. This essentially makes the Snap Relays into two SPDT switches, or one DPDT, depending on how you wire them to whatever...polarity reversal, signals, etc. For example, if you are trying to control the polarity of the frog on an Atlas Mark IV (or any other turnout frog that is insulated from the adjacent rails, you wire the relay coils in parallel with the switch machine coils. Or you could use the Relay contacts to control signal lights or reverse the polarity in a reverse loop. Just as with the switch machines, the coils on the Snap Relays must have MOMENTARY power applied ONLY, or you will burn them out. This can be done with Atlas control contacts, or a simple pushbutton wired between the power supply and the relay.
 
Mark R. said:
You asked - "i found these in the collection that was left to me ...."

Did you intend to add a picture of "these" ? No idea what you mean by "these". (?)

Mark.
Click to expand...
my apology i thought i put a pic in, so here it is 20150329_145450.jpgand how can they be used
 
Those are simply selector slide switches. I'm not sure whether they are on-off selectors, and whether you select then push for momentary contact.
 
These are used extensively in simple DC operations. You hook up the positive output from two different power supplies to either the top or bottom inputs on the side of the device. You hook up the terminals on the top (numbered 1-8 on your picture) to individual blocks. By pushing the green slide buttons up, you control the blocks with the power supply connected to the top input. Sliding the button down connects that block to the power supply connected to the bottom input. There is a neutral position in the middle to disconnect that block from either one. I always used common rail wiring so the negative outputs on the power supplies were connected together to supply the entire layout. This allows one to control two different trains on the same layout, even running one in the opposite direction from the other using the reversing control on the power supplies. I generally didn't attempt to run two at once although it is possible.
Willie
 
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