1. I have a Atlas diesel that just went kaput on me. wheels are clean it seems like it gets contact but it just sputters and stops. I haven't put enough mileage on it to kill it so I'm wondering if there is a weak point on electrical contact on Atlas SD35's. oh oh my second one is starting to show the same signs of behaviour. right as I type this. Ok, if you own a engine for a few years and have it stored in a jewel case without running for said time... are there lube issues that may come up? 2. Accumates. Everyone *****es about em. I haven't had any trouble yet. Granted my trains are short.
Geeky, you might try disassembling it and cleaning the copper strips and contact points on the trucks. Also clean the wheels anyway, because I've had a few that had clean looking wheels and when I ran them over a piece of paper towel with alcohol on it I was surprised how dirty they were. Also, check to see that the contact strips are in the right spot over the trucks. If they slip behind the contact point on the truck, it won't run right either. I've almost converted all 350 freight cars to the Accumates, and I really like them. I run 25-40 car trains and they work well for me, even pulling 25 cars up a 3% grade. My only gripe with them is that they tend to pop apart if you couple a little too hard. Let us know about your engines, I"m very curious.
Loosen the screws on the frame halves just enough to drop the trucks. Tighten up the frame halves and touch them to a powered up section of track and check to see if you still have problems. If not, the problem is within the trucks themselves. If so, then the problem is deeper within the frame and it's components.
Good tips so far. thanks. I took it apart carefully. Have to admit I was worried about doing this, but once it was apart I was amazed at how pretty these units are on the inside. So far I have found that the contact strips may have been slightly dirty, the contact to the light board had some oxide on it. not having taken apart a new one of these I am not sure if the drive train is loose enough, it may bve slightly stiff. I will clean and regrease this. Is there a bearing right outside the wound motor that could need lube, or could the brushes be bad to the motor? Carbon etc. I will try all your suggestions so far once I get home later today. ------------ Glad to hear about the accumates. I accidentally dropped a tank car in it's jewel case yesterday. the car looks fine, but one of the accumates exploded off it's mount. Is it worth bothering to put back together, or should I just buy new? I have to say that I too am suffering from old eye syndrome. Years ago before C55 I discovered low pro wheels and MT coupler kits. I proceeded to redo my entire fleet with low pro's and re-cut all the trucks to hold MT's that I assembled. I think I would probably go off the deep end if I tried to do that again today. I have no idea what I was thinking then. Once again thanks.
I have used a small dab of ACC on the coupler pocket to hold it together. It seems to be working. However, if the coupler shank breaks, more than likely the whole truck will have to be replaced. I haven't had any problems, but I haven't given them the old acid test either!
I putzed around with my engine briefly on my lunch break and it almost seems like the problem is a little of everything. I will have to sit down and work on it somemore, and perhaps with more of a scientific approach and I should be able to fix it. Do the low hood versions have the same frame as the high hood version on the insdie fo the shell?
