Is this Atlas-N turnout stuffed?

Gday , i bought my first turnout and i think its stuffed ? its a ATLAS N RIGHT MANUAL 2583-1. I know hardly anything as im new to this hobby so excuse me please, but if i slide the manual switch on top of the turnout to the left ,the track locks straight and when i slide switch right , the track will not lock to the right turn , it just floats loose in the middle weather tracks are powered or not . Should the rails lock to the right to enable loco to change route? is this thing faulty or am i missing some info? on code 80 atlas track what brand of manual and remote turnouts would you suggest?

if you bought it new from the store, take it back and have them replace it.
sometimes they are defective when purchased, i am sure the store would test it for you, and replace it if the need is there

the atlas turnouts use a little bar to move the header attached to the rails that move, and this little bar often slips out, which I think is what happened in your case, as it did to me about noon today....

to fix this, remove the two screws from the top holding the turnout to the controler, and take the top off. At this point, you can move the little lever and see the bar move. make sure the bar is on top of the little notch in the header when relacing the controler/lever. This should fix your problem

Thanks for your help it was good advice , the lever had sliped of something and the cover had no screws just stupid clips so every time i tried to clip the cover back on the tiny plastic slider moved of position , i am not amused at this cheap poor technology . What brand of turnout is better quality ?

Atlas is good quality. It gets a little dodgy in N- but mostly due to the switch machine- the part giving you the trouble.

Have you tried Peco brand? They are popular in Europe (and the USA somewhat) and their switches snap into position without the help of an external switch machine.

http://www.peco-uk.com/pecohome.htm

-otto-

I'm a fan of Shinohara's turnouts. I model HO, but a quick internet search showed that they also make N scale track as well. You have to get a seperate switch machine or switch stand to turn the points, and the price is a little more than Atlas, but the craftsmanship is worth it.

Well, that's my two yen worth.

I didnt mean to say all atlas gear was poor , i found their locos to be excellent , i just expected their turnouts to be better. I will try peco but was worried about mixing brands of track because im new at this , but i can paint detail and build dioramas fine. Thanks again for your help also i never heard of Shinohara so ill check them out.

The atlas switches are good switches but the problem with the little copper tab used to throw it seems to be a problem on occation. Be aware that after a few years of use will cause the switch to tab to no longer work. I my self would recomend not gluing the ballast down around your siwtches so that if a problem should come up you'll be able to replace the switch. I change mine out as they ware out and replace them with Peco switches the Yards are all Peco with Atlas still holding there ground in low profile sidings.