First of all they shipped with a dead decoder. Second, that's actually OK because I refuse to use NCE decoders. I got them this way because I needed the locomotives more than I needed the decoders, thought it would be simple to swap out the decoders. That was wrong because the issue is the the frames expanded to where the shells would not come off without damaging. Seems they have the same issues that Intermountain has. When I finally got the shell off, when I pulled out the NCE decoder, which was not soldered (a stupid manufacturing mistake), well on of the motor leads broke off. Just not my night I guess........
Atlas has been slipping. I was visiting a local N scale shop and the owner was telling me that he has sent back several engines over the past few years for credit/repairs and has received neither. In addition, anytime you buy NOS of some Atlas lokies you run the risk of the cracked universal on the motor shaft. I've seen someone printing replacements but I can't find them on the Atlas parts store. I've seen a few different fixes over the years but I fail to understand why spares for a known problem aren't stocked.
These were purchased about 3 years ago new releases. I needed some SD60's in NS for a project with coal mine. Then COVID hit and they got put to the side. They are on their way to the same pile as the IM rotten frames. I will keep the shells and drop them on a flat car as a load or something.
On a (possibly) positive note, Atlas does show the SD50/60 frame halves to be available in their parts store for $5 each.
Hi David, Sadly I've been having issues with recent Atlas purchases as well. What's really frustrating is the lack of spare parts for older locomotives. I recently purchased a New "Old Stock" GP38 that would not budge under half throttle. Let it run around the layout for a couple of minutes and suddenly it has good slow speed control. Let it sit for an hour and back to square one. Second issue was with a MP15DC with a NCE decoder. Take the locomotive out of the jewel case and it runs fine on address 3. Try to change the address to the locomotive number and nothing, still on address 3. Do a decoder reset and try to reprogram, still nothing. Instead of going through the hassle of sending the locomotive back, waiting for Atlas to repair or replace the locomotive and send it back to me, I just replaced the decoder with a Digitrax decoder and now the locomotive runs great. I've also purchased two New "Old Stock" C420's with the Lenz decoders. The slow speed control is not quit as bad as the GP38, but after a few warm up laps around the layout, the slow speed control improves considerably. I hate to sound like an old geezer (yes I'm in the over 60 gang) but, with all the money you pay for these products, you'd at least hope they run well right out of the box. OK stepping down now from my soap box
I have had the same issue with some older Atlas locomotives. I suspect the issue is related to the WILD amount of over lubrication they receive at the factory. Over time, this is hardening and the result is that the locomotive requires a lot of power to get moving. After a bit of running, things get warmed up and loosened up and less power is required. The solution is probably to do a disassembly/cleaning, but I haven't taken that step myself - mostly due to a combo of 500 other projects on the table plus plain laziness. My recent Atlas locomotives with the ESU decoders have run great! But a recent purchase of VO-1000's with the NCE decoders have run shockingly poorly out of the box. These are from the most recent run, manufactured around 2017 or so I think. I can't believe how badly they run, especially as I have older runs of these, with the same NCE decoder, and they run great. Ultimately the main issue is just plain old quality control. Speaking for myself at least, I would gladly pay more for the models if they were manufactured here, with greater attention to quality.
Not good. Sorry about your misfortune. Is this the new frame with the clips at each end to hold the frame together? Anything that can be seen (swelling or cracking) via pics you can post here?
Me too. I wonder if better metallurgy would result in long term frame survival? This would make a good marketing point for a manufacturer to set their locomotives apart from others, selling locomotives with superior metal frames that won't corrode and crumble. This is obviously an area where manufacturers cut costs, perhaps without the Seller being any the wiser.
Wow, this is intriguing. I have a LOT of locos, but have never experienced crumbling frames. The only locos I have bought new and returned were an MRC 2-6-0 (blown board) and an Intermountain SD (warped shell)
PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO DEBATE OF CHINA VS. JAPAN. Just wondering if Kato has any such problems, especially those they made for Atlas a long time ago, to get as close to as apples to apples comparison as possible.
Metal frame problems are all about metallurgy. Zamac is kind of a touchy amalgam (it's not really an alloy). If the wrong incidental metals (impurities) get in there or of too high a percentage, they will separate from the zinc and aluminum and cause the cracking and crumbling. If the formula is correct, a Zamac casting will last indefinitely. Doug
I'm not sure it's a conscious cost cutting effort on the part of the manufacturer per se. I would come closer to believing that their vendors use sub-vendors and as it's a model train (toy to the general public) I would bet that the vendor isn't really concerned with metallurgy reports. Not sure what went wrong with the Atlas/Rivarossi 0-8-0 steamers that were notorious for deteriorating frames.
The Zamac formulation was poor. And, it didn't happen to all of them. I have Rivarossi frames from back then (the sixties) still perfect. They were made from a batch of Zamac formulated correctly. Doug
My Atlas GP30 from 92 which is a kato is still as pristine as the day I got it. I've about 30 Atlas locos with all but 1 being 2009 or earlier. None of those show any signs of rot/pest and I've been in them all to update to DCC/Sound within the last couple of years. Most are pre 2000 which I bought when I lived on the coast of CA so I'd think in that time they'd have got a good dose of humidity which is reported to accelerate this problem. Same is true for my 20 or so Kato's with similar provenance.
I do not think there is any debate happening MK. Just similar observations. Good Metallurgy is always a key for quality whether it is trains or steak knives. I have several of the GP-30/35 that were Kato made for Atlas an they run as well as they ever did to this day. I have never had any issue with Kato locomotives, not Micro-Trains or LifeLike. And all of my Atlas locomotives before this batch are pretty darn good. I have many SD50/60's that run well and have not had these issues. It is just this latest batch of locomotives that are a mess, and the fact that the locomotives were not tested to run is a pretty glaring mistake, because JRMI could never talk to the decoders that were factory installed.
Hate to pile on but I also have 2 of the earlier GP-30/35 Kato made for Atlas and although they sound like coffee grinders they run like they did on day one. Speed matching locos is always a tedious process and I have to "warm up" all of my Atlas locos for about 15 minutes to get them up to normal operating parameters before making my adjustments. You would think that I have them stored in a freezer! Kato and ScaleTrains takes about 3-4 minutes of running. It's not the grease sludge that came with the locos as I have previously cleaned all that out. FYI: I've had to shave plow heights and slightly file side trucks as they were too close to the track (atlas code 55) on some new locos with esu sound decoders. I shouldn't have to do that and it was random locos in the same series-all simple fixes for me but not for everybody. While I'm on a roll; don't like how they wired the trucks to the side frames BUT I still like their locos as they fill my needs. The ESU decoders make the locos run much better; IMHO Brian
