I have a brand new Atlas N scale S-2 switcher with factory dcc sound The engines stutters, looses power completely and annoyingly "restarts the engine" every time this happens. I tested it on several different tracks, layouts with the same annoying result. My other DCC locos run without any issues. I cleaned the track, however I have not cleaned the wheels in any special way. All my other Atlas locos old and new run without any special wheel maintenance. Anyone else running one of these? Resetting/restarting engine sound every time the power is lost is rather annoying! Thanks ig
I recently pulled a brand new locomotive out of the box and had similar issues. Turns out that a good wheel cleaning solved the issue. I put a paper towel with a couple of sprays of Formula 409 over the track, then ran the loco in forward and reverse on the towel, holding it so the wheels spun freely over the cleaner. I couldn't believe how much oxidation was left on the towel.
1. Clean the loco wheels. 2. If that doesn't work and you still have the same problems, check the continuity of the frame halves to each side of the pickup wheels using a multimeter. You should be getting continuity, somewhere in the 0.012-0.3 Ohms. If you get a 1, there is not continuity and something is messed up with the electrical pickup. 3. Consider soldering in some small stay-alive capacitors to the DCC decoder.
Just to reinforce what has been said..... clean the wheels. Atlas (or actually the factory in China) put something on the wheels to protect them from corrosion, and it's an insulator. The rumor is it's cosmoline or similar. Later runs this has not been done, just the first run reportedly. Not the first time this has happened either, Kato had done it on a few. Running the locos helps to clear the stuff, but they won't run because of the stuff. Dropping the wheels out of the trucks and cleaning them with alcohol will do wonders. Lyle
