Just bought two of these locos as New in the box. They run OK but make a lot of noise running in either direction. Is this just the nature of the beast or did I just get two lemons????? Input PLEASE. Mack McConnaughey, Lawton, Oklahoma 73505 area code 580
The VO1000 I had was the smoothest running Atlas I've ever owned. How old is this new stock? Maybe it's been sitting on the shelf at the store for a while and the lube has dried out? Might also just need some break in time.
If these are from the first (Korean?) run, I believe it has been fairly well established that they indeed make more noise than later runs. Atlas even has a webpage on how to upgrade your VO to be more like the later and quieter Chinese version, including a parts list. If I recall correctly, the noise issue on the earlier versions had to do with the worms meshing too deep with the truck gears. I seem to recall someone having some success with reducing the noise by bending the contact strips down more, essentially lifting the drive mechanism off the trucks a little more, but I have not tried this nor can I vouch for its effectiveness.
Are you running these at break-in speed? If you are, they are noisy. I have both Korean and Chinese versions. The Korean versions are noisy at break-in speeds. I use mine mostly as station switchers or freight terminal switchers, so they run at speeds slow enough that you do not notice the racket. If I run them at twenty to twenty five SMPH for road service, the Korean versions can be a bit noisy. The prototypes rarely ran at speeds over thirty MPH. Despite the noise, both the Chinese and Korean versions run and pull well. The Atlas Baldwins are my best operating yard goats. I have the Kato EMDs; the B-mann NW, S-4 and the GE switchers; the LL/WKW SWs; one or two C-C EMDs (which I have not run in years); Arnold S-2s, Atlas S-2. None of them are as good as my Atlas Baldwins. Another annoying feature of the Korean version is that the shell parts are ill-fitting. I do not know what Atlas had done when it shifted production to China, but the shell parts on the Chinese versions fit much better than on the Korean versions.
I had a first run Korean version a few years ago but sold it off because it was noisier than I liked. Admittedly, I did not try to tune it. The end play in the flywheel to worm coupling is critical. Too much or too little play and there's noise. Per Ron Beardon, adjust it by sliding the "donut" on the motor shaft slightly. I recently bought a Chinese built version and after a little cleaning, lube and slight adjustment it's quite possibly the nicest running engine I've ever seen.
