I have started sorting my layout again and need some information about Atlas E8’S made in Italy some years ago a buddy let me have several non working chassis for them but the only thing i can find wrong is the commutators have all burnt out on them as there is no other reason for them not to work … therefore is there a supplier out there for the commutators as i have one running on the layout now, it would be good to get these old heavy locos going again,the commutators are vertical to the truck so i am having difficulty sourcing them.
Many thanks in advance for any help gratefully recieved.
Model train motors commonly have 3 or 5 poles on the armature. It seems to me that when there’s a failure of the armature and the related windings, it only happens for one pole. Then the motor runs badly or stalls if the pole that failed lines up with the brushes. I’m wondering if that’s what happened on your motors. If you can turn the motor a bit, will it start spinning under power? If it does, I’ll go with the burnout concept.
I’d like to suggest an alternate problem/solution. If the motors are old and haven’t been used for a very long time, the commutators might be badly “oxidized”. Maybe a commutator cleaning will help. I think it’s commonly done with a fresh (not hardened) rubber eraser on the end of a wood pencil. It’s obviously a lot easier if you take the motor apart. Be sure and get all the eraser bits out as they’re insulators.
Another thing to check out is whether the motors turn at all. Are the bearings seized? Turning by hand will reveal the answer.
Atlas did import some very cheap N scale E8’s in the late 60’s when American N scale was just getting off the ground. They later produced a pretty decent E7 in the late 70’s/early 80’s, IIRC…
Con-Cor - OK runners at the time(late 80’s)
Life-Like - mid 90’s to current - Good runners/lot’s of nice paint schemes
Kato - Late 80’s to current - Great runners/great paint jobs…
BLI/PCM - Nice runners with sound…
If you are talking about HO models of E8’s, there there were several plastic model that have been produced:
AHM -Late 60’s on - Cheap rear truck drive, big ‘pizza cutter’ flanges on the drive wheels
Model Power - 80’s - All wheel drive, huge can motor. Some ran sweet, others were grinders…
Life-Like/Proto 2000 - Mid 90’s to current. Very nice detail/great runners…
BLI - Early 2000’s on - sound equiped/good runners…
I suspect I have missed some, but this should give you the general history.
I had one of those N-scale Atlas E8’s back in the 1980’s when a college roommate gave me his. It had two lumps on the roof which were supposed to be the horns and it had one motor over the back truck to power it, and the front truck just went along for the ride. If that is what the OP has and wants to repair, don’t bother. Unless it has EXTREME sentimental value, I would just get something new to use.