I was wondering which Caboose Industries ground throw i should use with an Atlas #4 Turnout for my small HO scale yard? do I need .0190 travel or .165 travel, rigid or sprung? thank you all in advance. Sincerely jaijef
I had that same question for my Peco N-Scale switches. So I went on line and used the Caboose Industries website and posted the question there. Almost instantly (week day) I got the answer I needed. Gary
j, I have many Atlas switches in use (HO)..I truly believe they look very good after some visual changes are made..but, as the frogs are isolated and thus dead electronically (called 'all live' type, though ) you are bound to get stall outs over them..You can either live with this and give trains a push here and there ( something I hate )..Or, you can activate the frog if they are code 83..If you are using old code 100s I believe their frogs are black plastic and can't be remedied..Also, note the 83s have black paint on the metal frog. Lightly rub this off with a Bright Boy. I never understood why unless Atlas wants them to look like 100s..So, if you ARE using 83s there are several ways to put juice in the frog to prevent stall outs...The easiest for you ,which are still a tad difficult to install 'til you get the hang of it is to use Caboose Industries powered ground throws ( I forget the item No.)...They work very reliably but look kind of goofy..I paint them with grimy black, dulcote, and add a little rust , but not enough to ruin the delrin mechanism or foul the contacts...They look smaller this way and kind of disappear eventually...They're about $6 each but wll worth it..
ret, I use N throws on some switches in HO..I'm not home now but I believe they are 206s..Smaller so look a tad better..Yes throw rod distance is OK for HO.
The 218S Caboose Industries is for both HO& N scale use. The good thing about them is the throw rod does not lay on the layout surface when thrown. It is sprung to stay off the surface to make it easier to grasp. The 5 pack PN is 5218S.
