My venerable SP&S RS1 has given out on me and I was looking for advice. Te small cross shaped piece that links the motor to the worm gear has popped out of place on one of the trucks and I've torn the locomotive apart checked the trucks and the motor so the frame is currently disassembled. I'll get some pictures up in a bit but I'm open to suggestions. Frame replacement or part replacement.
Sounds like you have one of the old Atlas/Kato runs with the rubber spider. The spider is still available from Atlas, but check to see if the plastic union has slid back on the worm and allowed it to disengage. I would replace the plastic unions on the worms and the spiders, both are still available. I don't remember if the Kato built has the flaky motor mounts used on the china model, but if it does those can be a PIA to get back in right.
Atlas Kato model, I'm not sure why it started but one of the trucks stopped running the other day and the motor was just spinning. The motor cradle seems perfectly fine it just get's a bit hot when I run it. These are the gears that go inside of thegolden part on the motor.
If you check out the joints you will find out one has cracked. You can fix this by replacing the part, or if you have a way to hold the old part, like a chuck, drill out the joint so it will slip on to the shaft, use Loctite 680 retaining compound to bond the joint to the shaft. Make sure the shaft is clean of oil, and use very little compound. This works great and the joint will not break again, the Loctite is so strong you will not be able to remove the joint without breaking it.
I'm sorry to suggest a secondary route. If this is an older Atlas Kato mechanism, you can inexpenisvely replace the mechanism by with another used one which promises quite a long life ahead. I can sympathize that the shell and its roadname is quite important in the identity of this loco, and although not much with Kato produced locos, have taken this route for many reasons. First the cost of parts, in the remote chance they are available, are almost the same as the mechanism, and second, repair of this is not guaranteed. I have a few cannibals in my workshop which have served as donors as many of us have for our mainstream locos. Some do break down. I am always on the prowl in hobby shops, train shows, swap meets, friends, clubs, etc for any old used Kato units to either rehab or to serve as parts donkeys. I love buying old trains that do not work, as they serve as parts or the mechanism themselves. I applaud Kato's early units as they are quite standardized with interfitting parts which make for a lot of joy. Hang in there and be patient. It took some courage on my part to dispose of a valued Kato mechanism to make my first transplant, but that weathered, custom painted Erie Lackawana RS3 I have had forever, now is riding on a new mechanism I picked up at the last train show. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
I think what you have is the Atlas version made in China and not the Kato mechanism just basing off the flywheels which my older Atlas/Kato ones do not have. The trucks can be the give away though on origin in that the older Atlas/Kato made ones do not have the little brass pick-up tabs sticking up out of the trucks. In any case look at the truck in question that stopped and check for anything that could be causing gear lock-up like a small piece of debris. If the main tower gear carefully being turned causes the trucks to rotate in both directions then the issue is not there. Then I would go to the universals and couplers on the drive shafts and see that they do not spin on the metal drive shaft. If they do then you have your issue. A loose coupling can be re-secured to the drive shaft with a slight bit of ACC making sure that it is aligned right first. There are parts available for both Atlas and Kato but you probably need to go to Marks' site Spookshow and take a look at both mechanisms to be sure which version you have. One other thing that could have happened is the truck could have somehow been torqued out of its' mounting groove in the split frame assembly. Although not easy to do it can happen and the main gear in the truck tower could have simply lost contact with the worm. About the only way the universal could have become separated and misaligned would be with a disassembly of the frame halves and not being reassembled right. So before you spend any money on parts I would first verify the model manufacturer, Kato or Chinese so you know whether to turn to Kato or Atlas for parts if needed. Check the truck gears for debris and free rotation. Check the drive shaft couplings for tightness. If the check list is go then carefully reassemble and either turn upside down and check with a 9 volt battery to see if both trucks are turning or set it on some track and apply power.
It is the Kato version. The China version did not have the spiders and the truck in the second picture has metal halves.
And though the engine was built by Kato, you still get the parts from Atlas. I just bought some recently so there should be stock
Just remember that if all else fails, your body shell will fit onto the new Atlas (China) chassis with no modifications. When I did this to my SP&S (number 50), I used the chassis from a GN unit (it only seemed fair). I also used the walkway and handrails from the GN unit on my SP&S unit because I thought they looked better than the black original parts. Mark
Ok, so I got it back together the spiders and worm gear are joined via glue, the lights are on but the motors not buzzing or moving any thoughts?
Here is what you need to do: Buy this body from Atlas which is more modern and better quality https://secure.atlasrr.com/mod1/itemdesc.asp?ic=NRS1SPS&eq=&Tp= Put it on a new release classic mechanism and you will be much happier. I have both versions.
If glue got into the bearing blocks that set on either side of the worm gear that may be your problem provided the motor ran before all this. I can't think of anything else that could cause the bind. If the motor runs out of the loco then the motor is eliminated and they rarely fail. With the motor out try to rotate the drive shaft while in the half frame with some tweezers or use you finger to try and turn the worm. If you used a thin ACC it may have migrated. I use a thick or thick gap filling for a lot of my ACC needs and only the thin to set a fine detail. If it is the case of the ACC then a debonding liquid usually sold in the same style bottles as the ACC is the ticket to free the glue up in the bearing block. May need multiple applications while turning. Finger nail polish remover will also desolve the ACC but use the non oily type.
Q fan the shells are out of stock and money is very tight right now. John and boxcab thank you for your help, I got here moving again last night she's not as quiet as she was but she lives. I will be looking into getting a new frame that's DCC ready, I will also be doing that for my F7A.
Boxcab jarred my old brain some. Looking at the motor pick-up tabs that convey current from the frame halves, one could be not making contact which is another thing that I forgot about. If the tabs got bent down too much in handling or the motor is in the wrong orientation in the frame halves could be an issue, other words the motor could be in backwards and not contacting the frame properly. If you go back up and look at the diagram johnh posted the motor has to be installed in that orientation so that the motor tabs contact the frame half tabs.
