Equivelant Atlas vs E-Z Trac Std. Turnout No.s

[Casy jHOnes]

Sorry - even after reading 20 posts about this I am confused as to wich Atlas turnout would "directly replace" the Std. Remote E-Z track turnout #44461 or 44462. Also - is the Std E-Z turnout considered a #4?
I'd like to buy 2 Atlas turnouts so I can compare B4 buying a bunch of one or the other. Black, Gray or NO roadbed - doesn't bother me to mix black & gray.
BONUS stupid question!? - Most of the time trains can blow thru a turnout even if its not in the right direction. Assuming run trains in 1 direction only do any of you loosen the mechanism so that the Loco can bash the moving turnout part in the direction it wants to go? Yes - I'm a major cheapsakate.
Thanks.

[Hunt]

...- is the Std E-Z turnout considered a #4? ...

No.

The Bachmann E-Z Remote Turnout has an 18" radius curved divergent route. Numbered turnouts, both routes are straight passed the frog.

[hminky]

It has the same geometry as the Atlas SnapSwitch with a 1/3 18R added.

Harold

[Casy jHOnes]

So ATLAS 850 or 851 is closest match then correct?

[Joe Satnik]

Yes, if you put cork roadbed under the 850 and 851.

To interface with EZ-Track roadbed, you could either cut off the plastic roadbed tab on EZ-Track,

or use an Exacto knife to trim out cork where the plastic tab is. 

I would cut cork sooner than I would wreck a piece of EZ-Track.

Calculations to follow on your other thread. 

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik

[Casy jHOnes]

Thanks everyone. Still have questions though.
1. What about providing power from Bach. BLACK w/Red dial transformer #6607? (maybe should stick with Bach. for this reason?)
2. Do Atlas part#'s denote code 100 some obvious way? Not allways apparent on all online hobby sites & SO Many items. What does "Custom Line" mean? What is diff. about a "Mark 3" turnout ? Even on Atlas web site the text doesn't match product picture. Text: MarkIV / Pkg. says Mark 3 and then in tiny Nos. tells you a #4,5, or 6.

[Joe Satnik]

Hi, Casy.

1. Most DC power packs, any manufacturer, will power a small to medium size HO train if the rail connectors and power connections are in good shape.     

If your #6607 has 4 terminals, 2 of them are 16 Volt AC accessories terminals, the other two are 0 to 12 Volt DC track power terminals. 

Do not get them mixed up !  The AC terminals will toast your loco's DC motor. 

I have found that if you use the #6607's AC terminals to activate a turnout motor (solenoid) at the same time as running your loco, the loco will slow down significantly.  (Only so much energy available at one time.)

If that is unacceptable, you would get a second AC transformer to power the turnouts.  Another option would be to build a "capacitor discharge" or "capacitive discharge" circuit that would store the energy to drive the turnouts in a capacitor.  Sort of like a tank toilet trickle filling up, instead of flushing directly from the water main and lowering pressure elsewhere in the building.

2.  Get a printed version of the "Atlas Track Catalog".  Anyone selling Atlas track should have one to give you. 

In my 2003 catalog, in general, Code 100 seems to be in the 800's, bare code 83 in the 500's, and True Track (code 83 with removable roadbed) in the 400's.  Exceptions for the flex and bulk track.   

"Snap" track or switches are their basic track components. 

"Custom Line" is their fancier numbered turnouts plus their supporting crossings and switch motors.       

The Mark # (sounds impressive, eh?) usually designates a later version or revision of a product, as in "There were significant problems in the original version (Mark I), and we've had 4 chances to get it right, so, hopefully by now we should have those problems fixed in our Mark V version."  (Mark # minus 1 =  the number of times the designers/engineers didn't get it right, so far.)

Do a forum search on "turnout numbers" or "frog numbers" for an explanation.  Curved turnouts and numbered turnouts are different.

Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik