I have a n scale atlas gp 9 engine that was purchased off ebay. The engine won’t run but lights up. I hooked the motor to the power pack and bingo, runs like a charm. Where do I go from here? The seller does not answer my emails so I’m on my own. It’s supposed to be dcc ready also and it’s not. Any help you can give me is great. Thanks Kirk
I have just gone through two decoders and two motors in my Atlas
MP15s. I am not happy with the quality of these units at
all. Back to the question… yes, it is possible to pop the power
chips on the decoders but the lights still light. You could
inspect the decoder and look for black crud around some of the chips
but most likely the decoder is gone. I replaced one unit with a
TCS decoder and a new motor and it is running well now. Got parts
on order for the other.
Hope this helps.
Peter
i would like to know who sold it to you. i buy lots of n on ebay. your decision by all means…
the engine doesn’t have a decoder. it doesn’t run on standard dc. the motor isn’t getting power but lightboard is.
one, or both, of the two motor tabs are not touching the pads on the bottom of the light board.
sounds like a broken wire between the motor and the electrical pick-up or a bad connection. Another thing to check is to see if the gears are binding.
Jim
Looks like its time to tear it apart and look for the cause.
Took it apart and finally got it going but it’s noisey. Don’t know how much noise these engines make it being my first n scale engine.
The noise is typical of Atlas engines. There are various ways that people have dealt with it like removing the inner bearing block. Try lubing it on the motor bearings, bearing blocks and truck gears and see if that helps.
Also Atlas screwed up with their older run of GP9’s. The box said they were DCC ready but they really weren’t and sent notices to their suppliers telling them to black out that on the box but I can’t say I’ve seen one that has had that done to it. It has only been the most recent run of these engines that have actually been DCC ready.
DCC ready means that it is ready to recieve a decoder. It does NOT mean that it has a decoder. So, YES, your Atlas unit IS DCC ready.
David B
David should the engine not have a decoder plug if it is dcc ready? Kirk
Not in N scale. N scale decoders REPLACE the exsisting light board.
David B
that is correct for most US outline diesels, but some steamers and most UK outline models that are DCC ready use the 6 pin inline NEM 651 socket and not a board replacement.
Yes, but he is asking a specific question about a specific locomotive. The 6 pin is NOT a NMRA standard yet in North America.
NO North American prototype locomotives have a 6 pin DCC interface.
David B
So if i choose to run dcc, a decoder fits in where the light board goes is this correct?
Later model N scale diesels have a light board that is the length of the body shell. That is removed, and the decoder is installed in it’s place.
usually on modern made diesel loco’s yes, but i have an old kato loco and a bachmann spectrum something and both had to have the frames milled and wired decoders soldered in. so if you’re buying new, a board drop in should be available. but if you get some old hack off ebay it may not be so easy.