Has anyone had any experience with late 90’s n-scale atlas locos shorting? I just bought two SD-60s, both are shorting out my layout. I haven’t put a decoder in either yet but I thought I’d try them out in DC first. I also have a new Kato (no decoder yet) that doesn’t short out the layout. Is there any design flaw in the light boards or something that I may not be aware of with these particular locos? I find it strange that BOTH are acting the same way… Any thoughts?
Could someone have reversed any of the axles not understanding that they must be oriented a certain way? Could the wiring harness somewhere be worn in both models due to a design flaw? Maybe the insulation has been rubbed away on both locos at precisely the same location…great quality control in a way. [:)] Is a light board shorting against any part of the metal frame?
Have you posted this in DCC and Electronics? Perhaps I can move this for you?
-Crandell
On straight track, curved track, or turnouts? It makes a difference. Working Kato engine is a clue.
STRIGHT TRACK? - You definitely have an engine problem. New engine or used? (Warrantee).
More than one engine? Suggests track, or possible factory QC problem? Installing DCC module wont help.
ATLAS Service Department way be of help. Calll them, don’t Email…
Well… I got back to this problem this morning and I took the light board out. Put it on the track… no shorts. As soon as I touched the light board to the motor contacts it started shorting again. Logically, the flaw must be there. There’s only three components on the board, one resistor for each LED and what appears to be a capacitor in parallel. Maybe it’s just a design flaw? Is there anything else it could be?
You should take your question to the Atlas forum…Atlas stands behind their products…
Sounds like a faulty light board.
I would look at the board to see if maybe there is a path between the traces or connection points on the board. sometimes when these parts are made the soldering machine can put too much on causing a short between the + and - sides. It won’t take much for it to happen. I also agree with contacting Atlas. They are one of the best when it comes to customer problems…at least they were for me a while back.
Dan Pikulski
So I called Atlas… They told me that newer locos won’t run on a DCC layout without a decoder installed… they also told me that running a DC loco on DCC will burn up the motor quickly (which is kinda contradictory to the first statement). I have a hard time believing this as I’ve successfully tested several locos on DC (address 00) without any problems. My instincts tell me that this tech had no idea what he was talking about! I’d bet that there won’t be a problem once I install some decoders!
dc locos that are run on dcc using 00 address will run fine as long as you do not leave them on a powered track when they are not being used. they will move (creep) some if they are left on the powered track and will also get very warm. i run several atlas locos with no decoders and have only had one problem when i forgot about one still on the track. the motor got so warm that the motor wouldn’t turn. it wouldn’t run again until it cooled down. not even on dc. its possible that this happened and the heat damaged the components on the light boards.
When running on address 00, the pulses are always going to the motor, even with the throttle set to zero. That is why you sometimes hear a motor buzzing. I think the frequency of the pules is 1,000 to 2,000 times per second, within the hearing range.
A decoder equipped motor stops sending pulses to the motor when the loco is stopped, DCC or DC control. Even when running, the pulses are different than pulses using address 00.
Rich
What was the symptom of shorting?
Go to Radio Shack and get a digital voltmeter. If you do model railroading, you should have a meter. Home Depot and Lowes have them also, probably a few dollars more. Try to read the instruction book before using the meter. Some people have trouble doing that. You can also search the 'Net using Google for using the words, using digital voltmeter. Bookmark the sites in your browser and you can get back easily to the site. Do not depend on cookies or history to get you back to the site.
I have a couple I picked up new off of ebay for about $12.00 each. A basic digital voltmeter is fairly inexpensive.
Radio Shack meter.
Rich
The symptoms of the short are just what is to be expected… the Zephyr is acting how it is supposed to act when the system is shorted, just as if I held a quarter across the rails. It stops when I pull the loco off the tracks. Anyway, my first loco was an Atlas SD-50 with the lenz decoder already installed… worked just fine but I didn’t like the decoder so I’ve only bought analog versions of locos since… 5 Katos, an Atlas B-23-7, and an Intermountain SD-45-2… all have tested out perfectly fine as analog using address 00. So I installed decoders and so ends the story. It’s just the two Atlas SD-60s I have bought recently that are causing the problem. I guess my original question was to ask if anyone else has had this problem. By the way, I can’t wait to post some pics again… I just can never reach a stopping point that I’m satisfied with.
I’m so close to actually running operations. I’m pretty much down to installing MT’s and weighting cars… and, of-course, a major track cleaning!
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That’s exactly what my experience has been as well. However, the guy at Atlas told me that my SD-60s are DESIGNED to short if using analog locos on DCC powered track!
Check the motor and see if it spins freely with your fingers. If it doesn’t, remove remove the trucks and try again. Will the worm gears move? Next, check the trucks to see if the wheels can roll. If the mechanism checks out OK, remove the light board and touch two wire leads, from your track, transformer or battery, to the motor contacts. You have to touch the wires to the motor contacts and not the frame (the motor should be isolated from the frame, check that too). If the motor runs OK then the problem may be the light board or something is spanning the frame halves and shorting. If everything but the board checks out OK you should be able to drop a decoder in. Having a multi-meter (volts, amps and ohms) is a big help and can speed the processes of elimination along.
again, thanks for the advice… you guys are great.
did those tech’s sound like they were from bombay. i regularly run several atlas loco’s without decoders for sometimes a long session and as long as they are moving the heat disipates without damaging anything. i use acouple of atlas gp7 circa 1985 without decoders to switch the yard on my layout and sometimes mu them with decoder equiped locos. i also have a new atlas c420 running without decoder. so i don’t think they gave you the right information.
Is this the type of light board that has the wires pushed onto it? Do you have an Ohm/Volt meter?