I bought an rs-1 that is old yellow box atlas and has kato on the bottom. It growls like it was its job. Do all yellow box engines growl like this or is this a rare case? I am looking at some various rs engines on ebay that are all yellow box but don’t want to bid on them if all yellow box engines growl.
Thanks
Mike
No, they should run fairly quietly. Something’s amiss with the one you have, possibly a bad universal joint or gear. I did have one once that, brand new out of the box (although it had been in said box for many many years) refused to run unless pushed - turned out there was some excess glue on the commutator of the motor, which once I cleaned it off it ran like a champ. I would not be afraid of the Kato-made Atlas products.
–Randy
Thanks Randy. I have an atlas classic in the black box and it is as quiet as a mouse. I think I will bid on a few then.
Mike
As Randy says there is something wrong with it. The Atlas/Kato drive is the standard by which all drives have been measured since 1984.
Many of the older (pre-1984) yellow box Atlas have Roco drives and do have a little growl. It is not as bad as an Athearn BB but still there. I believe all the yellow boxed RS-1 and RS-3 are Katos. There was at least one run of the S-4s with a “China” drive in a yellow box that was very good. I believe all the SD24, SD38, and GP40s in yellow boxes were Roco drives (any one know differently?). There were FP7s in the yellow box with both Roco and newer drive types. The newer ones can be recognized by the “D” shape coupler opening in the front pilot. I think there was one run of GP7s in yellow boxes that had the Kato drive. Soon after this Atlas abandon the yellow box and went to the black boxes “classic” and the “masters” series. The first run of the “masters” did not have sound (I found out the hard way).
I investigated a little yesterday and it sounds like it is in the motor. Runs quiet in one direction and growls in the other direction…