So I’ve been toying with the idea of putting up a version on the Carolina Central where the dining room table is in my apartment. I never entertain anyway so I figure why not ditch the one eating area I have. [;)] So while playing around with track layout ideas using Atlas’ track planning program I set up a loop around my Christmas tree, broke out a few freight cars and the three N scale locomotives I have to run around said tree. One locomotive will run for about a 5 inch length of track stop, move a tiny bit more only if I turn the throtle way high. I hear the motor turning and see it turning with the body shell off. It appears that one of the universal couplers is just spinning on it’s shaft and not actually turning the truck wheels. The other locomotive will only run long hood first and when it hits a specific section of track it kind of lurches. The track is Atlas sectional track code 80, it’s pinned to the board and the sections are tight…I even crimped down on the connectors but that didn’t change anything. See photos below.
The locomotives are both N scale Atlas Fairbanks H15-44 with probably less than 5 hrs running time on them they are very smooth runners…er…um…well WERE very smooth runners. I’ve had them probably 2 or 3 years now.
The third loco is a Kato RS-3 that runs geat but keeps derailing what ever car is attached to it. I think I know what the problem is there, I need to swap out Kato’s knuckle coupler for a MicroTrains one (Suggestion?). The Kato coupler “spring” seems too stiff. This loco by the way exhibit no such “Lurching” in the section that the Atlass one does. Runs smooth as silk.
I’m beginning to think maybe I need to take up knitting. [:S] Please help a very frustrated wanna-be model railroder…I don’t want to knit [:D]
…by the way, I know the foam from the hand rails is supposed to be removed but, since these get handled quite a bit I decided to leave them in place 'till I get a more permennet layout.
Yes, everything is on a table top about 3 feet high (it’s a small tree too) and the track is tack down directly to Foam insulation board. Oh, and yes, I cleaned the track too.
What sort of sotrage conditions were they in? Indoors, same as normal human living, unheated storage space, uninsulated garage, etc? You may need to clean the old grease off the gears and apply new - needs to be plastic compatible, Labelle is one common brand. Also make sure the wheels are clean as well as the track - you can use some 90% alcohol and a piece of paper towel, hold one end of the loco and runt he other truck over the wet paper towel draped across the track and let it spin, repeat for the other end.
For the stuck one - make sure nothign got in any of the other gears, a solid piece of something could have been picked up in the gears and are blocking them, causing the motor shaft to spin in the universal coupling. Even, though it may be hard to believe, old grease - the factory-applied grease on some locos can, after a few years, dry into something more resembling glue than grease. Since the gears and teech on N scale are so small, it doesn;t take much to jam them up.
The locos have been stored in my bedroom closet for a year or so. The stuck one was acting up before I put it away…that was part of the reason I did put them away. Actually looking at the gears, they actually seem dry so maybe a dab of grease will do it. I was kind of worried that I did irreparable damage to the universal running it with it slipping and what-not. I’l try to find some of that grease and do some cleaning and re lube everything.
The Atlas h10-44’s, along with several other Atlas N scale locos, have a terrible problem with the splitting of a small driveshaft piece that resembles a doggone. This piece goes on the motor shaft and when its split, it will not turn the worm gear. It will just sit and spin. I have replaced these before and they are pretty easy to do. Call Atlas customer service and tell them what you need. I have also found that Northwest Short Line has these also, but I don’t remember the part number.
Ok, so for thosekeeping score at home, I figured out the problem with the loco that wouldn’t run at all. Checked the trucks and they spin nice a smooth with no binding at all. There is a tiny little plastic dogbone end that fits on a shaft that is recessed in the end of the fly wheel. it has a split in it and no longer holds tight to the shaft. To test my theory I ran it with only one worm gear powering one truck and it ran quite smoothly though a bit anemic on pulling force obviously 'cause only one truck is powered. So I guess I need to contact Atlas for a new dogbone thingy…Atlas calls it a male universal.
WOW Chuck, sensative much? For what it’s worth your responseis what made me dig a little deeper and inspect that universal…and yes, you were right. Thank you.
For what it is worth, I run mismatched couplers (Kato, Micro-Trains, & Atlas) on my n-scale layout without any derailments. The biggest challenge I have is the initial coupling; once they are connected they run without a hitch.
So you’re grateful that Chuck offered you a solution that you then describe as something you"figured out." But what you led with is a snarky comment about his (presumably over-) sensitivity. Is that because he seemed a little miffed at having received no acknowledgement or thanks up until then? Fine; if you want to teach him not to be so sensitive, that’s your privilege, but wouldn’t it have been just as easy to say something like “Oops, I should’ve thanked you right away”?
And now we’ll get posts asking me where I get off making inferences and giving advice about something that’s clearly between two other people. I can take it.
Nope, not sensitive at all. I’m just one of those that believes in thanking others for their help. I realize it’s not a big deal to some, but to others, common courtesy means a lot.
If I may say something without creating any hard feelings, a drive shaft is just that, that little piece is considered a universal, at least where I come from anyway, after replacing many on real life cars and trucks. As far as thanking someone for info, it happens all the time, no reason to be upset for something as innocent as a thankyou! There are a lot of replys from Forum members,they basiclly suggest the same fix, only worded differently. I got the most, from what the OP called it, a ‘’ thingy’'. Have Fun. [:D]
OK, this is getting a bit ridiculous. I, myself, have also replaced numerous u-joints on automotive drive shafts. If you’ll notice, I called the part a “driveshaft piece”. I think that we can agree that a u-joint is just that…a driveshaft piece…without them, the driveshaft itself is useless.
