I just found out that 3 of my 7 old N-Scale diesels no longer work. They were stored for a long time and it seems it’s just not worth the time and effort it would take to get them repaired. of the other 4, 1 has been repaired (Trix C-30) and runs fine. Of the remaining 3 two are Trx F-7s and one is a Life Like F-45. Should I bother having them lookes at or just go ahead and replace them? None of these are candidates for conversion to DCC.
I’ve hear that the only N-Scale locomotives worth buying are from Kato or Athearn. I have alread bought two KATO F-40PHs. But I need freight locomotives to replace GP-40s, F-7s and F-9s. I model Conrail/Amtrak in the Northeast US in the 1980s. I plan to move to Digitrax DCC shortly so anything I buy has to be easily converted or already come with the appropriate board.
This is a good opportunity for you to learn how to take apart, repair, and reassemble N scale locomotives. Since you have expressed a desire to get newer better ones, if you mess up, it’s not going to be the end of the world. Much of this hobby is spent in building and repairing things. If you have all the money in the world, then get new ones and don’t worry about learning these things. But if not, try doing your own repairs. It will get you loads of experience that you may be able to use later on. Most of the instructions or exploded view drawings should be available on-line. I know they are available for Atlas locos. Also, don’t expect step-by-step instructions. You will have to figure most of it out yourself. Just look at the drawings and they should make some kind of sense on how things are put together. Just don’t force things too hard if they don’t want to give.
Also, chances are because your locos were in storage for a while, the lubrication just dried up. I would recommend that you take them apart, clean them, lube them, and reassemble them. Chances are good that they may be OK.
Since you are converting to DCC, it won’t be worth it to spend a lot of time repairing them. Your Trix units can be cleaned & relubed.
You could replace the Trix F7’s with IM or Kato F’s. You may also like the MTL FT’s.
LL makes some nice Alco cab units. Best puller may be the LL Cliners.
For GP40’s, check out the Atlas units. Many come DCC equipped.
Since you model Conrail/Amtrak or NE prototypes, most of your locos will be Atlas. Kato will fill your Amtrak needs unless you need some Bachmann Amfleet cars. Kato’s GG1 & Broadway set should be very nice.
The units I have were taken apart and the motors are either burnt out or not worth fixing up. The one Trix unit I had fixed (a fellow club member was nice enough to do it for me) works fine. Itr’s even quiet for a change.
As for new stuff, I am not usre I am going to buy all that I would like to have right now. At around $100 plus the cost of the decoder, I won’t be able to buy more than one a month if that. I don’t want this hobby to be budget buster. After all, my wife hates being the bread winner and as a result, she has alot of control over what the money we have coming in gets used for.
The stuff you are trying to salvage are no where near the quality of what you can replace them with. Here’s a link to a nowhere near complete review of some recent n scale locomotives…
Atlas and Kato are good. Lifelike is much improved over previous years. Athearn is good. Even the Bachmann Spectrum are well reguarded (I don’t have any, so I con’t say for sure.)
The old Minitrix were good for their time, they don’t belong on the same page with the current offerings.
That idea has crossed my mind. I just don’t have any documentation on any of them, so I would be leary of taking them apart and not knowing how to put them back together. Besides, aside from the Trix locomitives the others just never ran to my satisfaction.
I took the Trix C-30 down to the club with a few Amtrak passanger cars last week. It ran after the wheels were cleaned by another club member. Even then it ran hot and slow. Another member took it in hand and lubed it. It ran great after that. It was even quiet and I remember the three Trix locos that i have were very noisy even when new.
I’m telling you, even though in it’s day the Trix stuff was the Cat’s Meow, it’s not worth the time or effort to fool with anymore. No flywheels, 3-pole motors, iffy wiper pick ups… gigantic pizza cutter flanges, clunky details (if at all…) Open pilots, truck mounted couplers (probably rapidos)…I’m getting queasy just thinking about it.
For $70 or $80 you can get a new Atlas or Kato engine that will make you completely forget about those antiquated engines.
Your problem could be nothing more profound than corrosion which is keeping you from good electrical contact so his might be worth a try to try to unglue your drive mechanisms:
go to an electronics supply house and buy yourself a spray can of what is called “NON-RESIDUE Tuner Cleaner”. Remove the body shells from the errant unit and spray LIBERALLY. Force the mechanism - lightly - with your fingers and this stuff may dislodge the corrosion. Your mechanism can be sprayed out with compressed air.
Gee I never thought of that. But I have already decided to replace most of my stuff with because I intend to go DCC at this point. It just doesn’t pay to convert any of my old stuff. I’ll keep Trix (2 F7A and 1 C-30) but won’t convert them as I don’t know how much life is left in them anyway.
There’s probably plenty of life left in them… They’re like zombies, you have to drive a wooden stake through their hearts to stop them… They’re also not impossible to install DCC in. The thing is, they’ll still be noisy and high maintenance, and sub-par performance and appearance-wise.
I have a Trix F I keep for sentimental value, but it’s a shelf-queen now. I no longer have anything in my fleet older than the original run Atlas RS-3, and even they are questionable after the more recent release with an improved mechanism…
A major factor for me was converting to Atlas code 55 track, which isn’t conducive to “heritage” equipment and their big flanges. Also, in 2000, I changed my layout plan from a Conrail theme set in the early 80’s to the Western Maryland in the late 60’s, which required a nearly complete turnover of equipment anyway.
My suggestion would be to put some thought into what kind of railroad you want to model, and that will help direct your purchases, keep you focused, and keep on on budget!
I’ve been thinking about that since I really haven’t had a layout since around 1987. But at this point I think I’m going to go with Conrail/Amtrak 1980s. I’ve got 2 F-40PHs somewhere between here and the shipper but haven’t order the Digitrax Zephyr or the decoders for the F-40PHs yet. That’ll probably have to wait until July unless I can get rid of a lot of unbuilt 1/700 ship models.
I also need to clean up the basement so I can put some trak down on a 24" x 66" door that I can put down on the old benchwork I never took apart.
Nscale locomotives don’t like to be stored. They need some persuasion afterwards to get going. Most of my Atlas and Kato engines are no problem, but early life like models I had and most of my Bachmanns just died.
The one Atlas I had (an F-9) seems to have given up the ghost as well. But my KATO F-40s came yesterday. I still need to look them over and add the details that came with them.
exactly right. years ago, i would still buy the cheap stuff. finally bought a set of kato f’s and the deal was done, no more junk!! i just recently bought 2 ATLAS gp 40s new on ebay. i think i paid less than $50 apiece for them. they were older stock with rapidos, but the newer style locos with flywheels and low flanges. body mounted microtrains conversion was very easy to do…cant go wrong with atlas
FYI, Atlas hasn’t offered that F-9 since the early '70’s… What you can get today is lightyears ahead of that old coffee grinder. You’re lucky if the headlight turns on at this point.
To paraphrase Oldsmobile… This is NOT your Father’s Atlas N scale…
I guess not. I am not going to replace the Atlas F-9 but it will be in retirement/dead row on my future layout. Or maybe I’ll have a used locomotive lot on the layout. [swg]
The Atlas from the past, at least locomotive wise, was a company that simply impoted the same engines that other companies did, I think one notable builder was named Mehano or something like that. The stuff was of varying quality, I have an old SD35 in HO scale by them (not using it as I currently model in N)and the same model has been around for years by other names. I believe IHC was offering it recently. Thankfully Atlas decided to produce real quality items without going this route. I usually stick with them or Kato. Or Proto (former Life-Like) products.
