just bought a " n gauge emd sd30 union pacific 4728 road #702" at the train show today.
i paid $ 35.00 in the 50 % off box . it was in a atlas box, brand new but the train said kato on it “made in japan”. the road # matched the paper “atlas printed” insert for the box.–that also was printed made in japan. i took the train home and it runs real smooth. the only questions i have, how many cars should it be able to pull? and is it true kato made for atlas?–thats what the guy told me at the show.(he is a employee of the store that sponsered the show). can i still get parts for this if its from 1993?
Atlas contracted Kato to build the early runs of GP30/GP35/SD7/SD9’s and maybe some other engines in the early 90’s. Later and current runs are built in China for Atlas. They are all good runners.
Pulling power is dependent on how ‘free rolling’ your freight cars are. Most Atlas engine pull decent.
Atlas has exploded diagrams, and some parts on their web site.
I hate to disagree here, but unless you’re talking N scale, Kato only made the GP-35 of those models mentioned and Atlas never had anything to do with any of them including the GP-35.
It really helps in this open forum if you mention what scale you’re talking about.
Atlas imports their engines, from overseas makers, inclding KATO.
‘Pulling power’ depends on weight and resistance of cars. You tell us. SD-30??
3.‘Parts’ depend on importer (Atlas). Most likely you bought an ‘orphan’ and parts are are either difficult, unaffordable, or impossible to find. (Do you want to pay for shipping from Japan?).
Stocking parts is expensive. Few engines are still made in the USA, so Enjoy it as long as it runs.
I disagree. Parts supply may be a problem with some mfgr’s, but usually not Atlas. I have ordered parts directly from Atlas for my 20-year-old HO S-4, and had no problems getting the parts I needed. Assuming the N-scale locomotive in question is exactly what the packaging claims it to be - an Atlas-brand engine made by Kato (just like the N-scale Atlas GP-35 I still own after my foray into the smaller scale) - screech should have no trouble ordering and receiving any parts he might need direct from Atlas.
The only reason he might have cause for concern is that it could easily be 20+ years before anything breaks on an Atlas/Kato, and maybe after that long there could be a parts supply problem.
well i can pull about 7 cars with no problem, but im a little discouraged to see engines at a train show pull like 30 + cars ??? are there really two engines pulling them?
it seems that if i weight down the engine it can pull more.(is there a way to do that?) also the cars are over 40 years old without ever being lubed. other than that the engine starts and stops reeeeaaal smooth.
just for repeated info, the diagram, box, japan printed ,road numbers and engine all match each other with the exception of the engine saying kato.
hey if it lasts me 3 years ill be happy as this is really for my 5 year old to watch it go round and round and round. i guess after 20 years, i will start to worry about the parts??[%-)].
Adding weight puts more strain on the motor. I would rather spend money on replacing trucks. If you reduce ‘drag’ by 50% that’s 14 cars, right? If the motor goes, what have you? Metal wheels in Delrin side frames is about as good as it gets. Who has?
I use an ‘Intermountain’ car as a standard for other cars to reach.
so your saying the “delrin” (or a quality) trucks actually make a difference? would the cheap plastic trucks be considered entry level-or subpar to the pros?-remember im a newbie.
It isn’t necessarily just the engine. What is the track layout? On can pull a whole bunch more cars on straight track then on a curve. One can pull many more cars around a 36" radius curve than one can on a 9 3/4" curve. etc. Then there are the cars themselves. Do the wheels turn freely? Are the couplers body mounted or truck mounted? How much do the cars weigh? All of these things determine how many cars a given locomotive can pull. However I must say I am very surprised that your loco can only pull 7 cars. I had Altas locomotives (non-Kato) that could pull trains on a 2’x8’ layout loop where the caboose was about 3" in front of the loco. Perhaps there is some internal friction in the loco due to a gear too tight/too loose, old grease or no grease?
Delrin is a specific compound plastic by DuPont. In some ways it is a cheap plastic. Is is supposedly supper slippery when used for needle point axle bearings. I would think it is more important that the axles are free turning in the bearing than whatever material is used for the bearing.
(I have HO). KD’s ‘Micro trains’ Div. makes separete trucks. They use plastic axles in metal side frame in HO - don’t know what they are doing in ‘N’.
If I were in ‘N’ I would probably do the same as I did in HO: 1.acquire different cars from Kato, InterMountain, Kadee, and one other; 2.bring them to a common weight, then 3.give them a gentle incline rolling test.
InterMountain, Atlas, & Kato make superb rollers in HO. Whomever is best would be my standard to judge others by. (Less drag means more cars pulled).
‘N’ gauge has small engines, and small motors. I would pay attention to reducing wheel drag, first!
texas made all the sense now,. i have 40 year old never lubed cars. the test layout was a 19 inch diameter oval about 2 feet long. and to top it it off (dont laugh i know i know,)- rapido couplers. as for the engine, it was stuck in the new box from 93 like i said. i can feel the torque it has if, it had more weight to it (no friction or loose gears). i will follow up when i set it up with the door layout i have planned.–i have no clue what i will venture in doing. thanks for all the input you guys!