I finally get my U–33 All painted up and fancy[8D], I throw in the decoder and I am off!
Sort of… [V] I notice as my Atlas DCC Ready standard red box engine hums around the track, I can see the engine stuttering and sputtering a little, but the big key is the headlight is flickern’ like 1978 disco ball[:(!].
After some investigation I find that track is find that the decoder is good, track is clean, (everythign else runs fine) but the Atlas struggles… it runs ok, but only due to the fact it has some momentum programmed in the decoder. I can tell the power is not smooth and constant due to suttle jerky running and the strobe headlight. [banghead]
So here is my theroy… it seems as if the copper side plates that ride on the axles arent picking up as much power as they should. Engine is brand new. I mean, like it only has about 200 feet of running on it. So any thoughts? Maybe too much oil? Something adjusted? Any input would be great.
I’ve had a similar problem with a Proto 1k loco. I suspect that the axle ends and pickups can become slightly oxidised over time, as a good length run usually clears it. I did try putting a dab of vaseline on each axle end but it didn’t seem to make much difference - copper grease might have been a better idea but I figured if the vaseline worked on car battery terminals it should help.
Atlas U33C / U36C from the 1990s have a wiring problem that you have to correct or they won’t run on DCC- there is a note in the box for mine that reads
Oh golly, I never thought of that… Thanks for showing me the light “Oh So Smart One”. Man who whizzed in your wheaities…
See, I thought I was useing common sense by posting this up here. This board has never failed me before when I needed some help, so I assumed that would help me this time too. I guess I have more faith in this forum then you do. If I do not have any luck here, then yes I was going to go to the Atlas Web Site and see if I could dig up the info, but I’d figure I would start here first since well… this is where I have been coming for over year and half.
No, its not Digi but a good thought. I am not sure of the age of the Atlas, but it came with a board all ready in it with a DCC plug that you removed the DC plug and put in the DCC decoder. It runs fine once it is moveing, but it acts like it has dirty wheels… I was hopeing to have time to fuss with it before work this morning and try playing with again tonight.
Railroad Brit had a good idea. I think before I go tearing into again, I am going to run it for awhile and see if it clears up. Honestly I only ran it for 270 feet I think, 3 laps around the layout and had to call ti quits.
I did take trucks apart to piant them and remember thinking they were kinda loose and had some extra oil on them… maybe spinning the axles awhile it will help clear it up.
Any other thoughts or suggestions, please fire away. Thanks everyone else for the tips too. [:D]
The too much oil part sounds like it could be the problem. Atlas heavily over-greases the gears and everything else in their engines. I call the oiling process “Project Gooey”.[:D] If you open the truck, you’ll notice how gooey it is. There was a lot of oil in the electrical plates/bearings in my 8-40B, which I cleaned out pretty quickly. It runs better now.[:D]
Sounds like dirty wheels or pickups.Also could be the brown goop Atlas packs thier trucks with.Being that those locos have been around awhile it may have hardened.Also check into the circuit board issue.Dan
I went out last nite to work on it. RIght before I started to take it apart, I took a look at the wheels to be sure… andwhaddaya know…
I had the impression that it was new ( a freind sold to me ). It was undecorated that I had to assemble. I just assumed it was fresh. DOH…
Good news is the red mark on my forhead from slapping it last nite is gone this morning