Hi I posted this in other forums and didnt get much response so I am hoping yall can help!
I bought a loco from a guy that ran like a champ it took the table dive and broke the front coupler so I thought no problem I would just switch the trucks around front to back and be good now it runs like a dog but if I run it in reverse so the trucks think the loco is in forward runs great again I cant give you a specific brand since the plastic bely pan is missing but I saw on on ebay that if I rember right was a Athern or Kato I can tell you it has directionsl lighting if that helps and it is a Alco model.
If you have any questions shoot me a email mtand@iw.net . I did get the picture of the one on ebay but missed everyhting else any help would be greatly apreaceated as I dont want to send this lil loco to the scrap yard siding if I / We can figure out somthing to fix it
Thanks
Mike
For starters, Mike, welcome to the forums.
A few thoughts on your dilemma. Turn the loco upside down and look at the bottom of the trucks. There are usually a pair of slots (holes) on the underside of the trucks that are slightly to one side. The two trucks should have their slots on opposite sides of each other.
Make sure the truck sideframes are solidly locked into the truck (there is a tab on the truck that the sideframes, which wrap around the entire truck in N scale, lock into). If the sideframe is loose it can cause the symptoms you are describing.
Also, make sure the trucks are seated properly. Gently rock them with your fingers to see if they slide in further. That would cause the gears to not mesh properly. If you can not pull the sideframe down from the truck with light pressure, it is in place.
If that doesn’t help, pop them out and make sure the gears look in line. Sometimes one will get skewed on an angle and create havoc. Sometimes you will have to remove the sideframes and make sure the wheels and their gears are properly seated, too.
The trucks don’t really care which direction is forward. They just need to have the gears in working order, be lined up properly and seated correctly.
Don’t ask how I know about these sorts of problems!
Good luck.
Based on what you say,it not likely an Athearn as their line of N scale locos is still pretty dim.Athearn are new to N scale so very few moels are available yet.Now the belly pan is common to many Atlas models,however none of my Kato’s have them but it doesn’t mean it can’t be.You say you broke the front coupler so why would you want to lose the rear coupler to regain the front one?Just a thought…
One more thing, Mike.
If the problem is electrical and not mechanical, check the brass contact strips on either side of the frame. They should about follow the shape of the bottom of the frame, and the metal contact strips on the tops of the trucks should ride on the underside of those contact strips…not inside or outside of them rubbing against the side.
The bottom of your loco should clearly state the mfr of your loco. THen you can call & send it in for service. chances are this could be a Atlas, LL, or Kato unit. It should be very easy to replace the coupler with a MTL one.
By switching trucks, it is possible you did not put it together correctly.
Hey-der who_dat73
Welcome to the forum - and a welcome to the bottomless pit of frustration!!
I, too, am an N-Scaler and I have been there - done that - bought the t-shirt! You indicate that your locomotive did a one and a half gainer to the floor of bottomless canyon. This is why I (and I got this advice from someone else and I wouldn’t have wiped out a very expensive - for 1986 anyway - locomotive had I have listened) but always set your track back at least four inches in N; six inches in HO; and nine inches in O. That way should your loc jump the track it is less likely to take that big plunge.
Sorry! This doesn’t help you solve your current problem but it might preclude a repeat performance in the future.