Hi All, I just received as a gift an Atlas S 2 locomotive. It is a master line silver series edition that I run on DC. I have broken it in now for about two hours running time in both directions, running light and with a consist of four cars so far. It seems to have good pulling power, but the problem is it sure is loud. It sounds like it needs to be lubricated. It is not smooth running like my Atlas U 23 B. On occasion when it stops, I have to turn up the throttle 3 quarters of the way for it to go then it takes off like a rocket. My tracks are clean as I have no trouble with my other engine. My question is will this work itself out, needs to be lubed or maybe think about sending back to Atlas? Has anyone else experienced this problem? Thanks and Happy New Year. Paul C.
Does yours have a decoder? You can buy these things without decoders. I have one and am less than enthusiastic about it. In fact, I do not plan on buying any more, Mine is DC and has no decoder. Mine will act as yours does. It will run fine at very slow speed, At some point, it binds. I apply more voltage, it moves, but herky-jerky, then WHAMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM-O! OFF IT GOES! I slow it down, it creeps, it binds.............you get the idea. I have tried two Atlas yard goats. The Baldwin is excellent. The S-2 leaves something to be desired. Spookshow rates it an "A", but I wonder if he uses DCC and how it runs on DCC. I will buy more Atlas Baldwins. I will not buy any more S-3s. It is a shame, as I like the prototype.
Thanks brokemoto for your response. I am assuming my S 2 has no decoder that's why I wanted the silver series. But if it does have a decoder would removing it make it run and sound better? Is this even possible? I don't know much about DCC, I just prefer DC. I have a silver series U 23 B from Atlas which very smooth and quiet, no problems with that one. Thanks Paul
I doubt that it would, as I am certain that mine has no decoder. Mine is showing problems similar to yours. I have had some power from Bachmann that ran better once I took out the decoder and re-wired. The only reason that I re-wired any of the B-manns was that I fried the decoder on DC and in order to get it to run once more, I had to take out the decoder and re-join the wires. Most of the better B-mann power is available only with the decoder. Usually, I leave the decoder where it is until I fry it. I do not set out to fry it, it just happens. Some of the B-mann power runs very well on DC even with the decoder, such as the B&O 2-8-8-4. Others, such as the GE switchers or the 2-6-0 and 4-6-0 run much better on DC without the decoder than with it. I do have two Broadway Limited locomotives that run well on DC despite the decoder, Baldwin Centipedes. The BLI power is available only with sound and DCC. The B-mann and BLI are the only power that I own that comes from the factory with decoders. Atlas offers much of its power in two versions, as does MRC/Model Power (although some of the MRC/MP offerings are not that easy to find in non-DCC). B-mann does sell a version of its 4-6-0 in a train set that does not have a decoder. It is available only in that train set. The rods/valve gear are not as well detailed on it as they are in the DCC version, One of the things that annoys me about the manufacturers is that they have reverted to the 1970s/1980s/early 1990s construction methods of flexing wires soldered to pivotting trucks. This causes joints to become unsoldered, eventually. I am aware that they are doing this to accommodate DCC and the necessity of isolating the motor, but, they could do it better. The could use a method that Life Like used on its plastic frame E-units and PAs. These things appeared just before DCC was becoming popular. LL had a long contact strip on the plastic frame. It mounted the motor in a plastic cradle. Finally, there was a wire soldered to the bronze strip on one end and the motor poles on the other. Nothing flexed, pivotted or otherwise moved. The manufacturers could go back to this sort of constuction method, You have the plastic frame, the bronze contact strip, you run wires from said strip into the decoder then out of the decoder to the motor. The LL plastic frame Es and PAs ran well and were excellent pullers.
My two S-2's were about the best locomotives I ever ran. I've been without a layout for a while. Guess I need to set up some track and see how they are aging. I recently saw a thread about the axles cracking. I would hate for this to be true.
Sorry to hear of this, I have x2 Atlas S2 Gold series and they both run fantastic - crawl and higher speeds consistently. The symptom sounds bizarre. I've always had good relations returning anything to Atlas-albeit only faulty track type stuff. The Return process was very reasonable and efficient, I've even had correspondence with them where they recommend some stuff prior to returning. Good luck and Happy New Year Paul.
What sound decoder did Atlas put in this model? I have one I'd like to convert but am not sure which decoder to use. Joe
I know it is a Loksound, I can look around and see if the info that came with it have a model # Lok. Has to be something pretty tiny for that little switcher.
The sound decoder is a custom board developed by ESU for Atlas. It is not available from retail sources. You might be able to get one from the Atlas parts department. John C.
I have to wonder if this thing perhaps requires a really long break in time; something on the order of the initial runs of B-mann SPECTRUM 2-8-0 s. I have some Atlas eight wheelers. Out of the box, they ran just the same as does my S-2 and my complaints on the eight wheelers were similar to Original Poster's about his S-2. I ran the dickens out of one and it is now one of my better running nineteenth century locomotives. The same happened with another one. I am currently running the dickens out of three more. Both the eight wheeler and the S-2 employ new construction methods and materials, although the S-2 does revert to an old method of flexing wires soldered to pivotting trucks that will cause wires to come undone in the future. I wonder if the jerky and inconsistent running qualities are simply the result of these new construction methods. Perhaps I need to run the dickens out of my S-2.
