I have some newer Atlas N scale locomotives that seem to start out running poorly, meaning needing a lot of throttle to get moving and then run better after awhile. I have cleaned my track time and again and my Kato's and older Atlas along with other brands run just fine, so I read somewhere that the blackening coating that is applied when the wheels are made can cause this if it's too thick and heaver coats won't come off with just alcohol and a paper towel, a wire wheel cleaner works best. I have looked for the Trix N scale one, but have found that Kadee makes one for HoN3 and larger which shoud work. I was wondering if anyone else used the Kadee one for N scale and how it works. Thanks, Ralph
If the locomotives 'run better after a while,' how can the issue be a coating on the wheel? If the coating is permanent and can't be removed with a cleaning rag, shouldn't the locomotive be running poorly at all times? If it gets better after running-in, the issue is more likely lubrication or drivetrain friction.
I did re-lube everything and being one of the newer “clipped together” rather than the frame halves screwed together, I can’t back the screws off a quarter turn as I did in the past. I know that sometimes worked on older models. Ralph
Even if the wheels are free of dirt, there are other places conductivity-inhibiting gunk can hide. Check the needlepoint bearings on the axle ends (and the dimples they sit in) and both parts of where the trucks contact the frame wipers (if the loco uses frame wipers). I recently had a loco that was stuttering along no matter how much I cleaned the wheels, but going over the other contact points with a toothpick and a little contact cleaner solved the problem. I'd suggest trying that before changing anything about the wheel blackening.
The wheel blacking WILL affect running. It will wear off after time and the locomotive will definitely run better. OR...you can use a wire brush and scrub the blackening off.
The blackening is not integral to the wheels. It sort of is but it is a coating and can be worn off/removed. This has been discussed many times. Doug
MS, You stated that the Atlas locos are "newer". Don't know what that means for sure but I do know that the truck side frame pickups and axle points can get dirty as mentioned by jwaldo Here is a set from one of mine: Before: BTW - that is not photo shopped, that is the real dirt and crud. After : I do not remember what brand of loco these are out of but it ran like a new KATO after cleaning. Be well !
Carl, I see what you are talking about there and I always do the the same when it comes time for a good disassembling and cleaning. On the "newer" Atlas locomotives, they no longer use the brass strips that ride on top of side frame pickups, they have a wire that is soldered to the pickup then plugged into the frame. I have had some that I had to open the end of the part that plugs into the side of the frame because it fit loose and wasn't making good contact. What I was just wanting to know was is if using the Kadee wheel cleaner was good for taking off the coating used on the wheel treads so they can make better contact with the rail rather than waiting for it to wear off. There are some who have had issues of too much of the blackening applied to the wheels and once removed, their engines ran better, I was thinking that this might help. The normal alcohol and paper towel was just not enough. I looked for the Trix N scale wheel cleaner that you just sit on the track and place your loco on the wire brissels and they clean the wheels as they spin. The Kadee cleaner, you have wires that you clip to the track and with the loco upside down, you touch the cleaner to the wheels causing them to spin and clean the wheel tread. The Kadee cleaner is easy to find and about half the price, but being made for HO I was wondering if maybe the brissels were to large, and if not if anyone here used one and how well it worked. Thanks, Ralph
Carl, What do you use to clean out the side frame axle dimples on the Kato and Atlas locomotives? I tried a toothpick but it was too big! - Tonkphilip
Do you have reason to believe the problem is electrical pickup? Do the headlights flicker? The times when I've had a loco that would not crawl, only suddenly go at too high a speed as I jacked the throttle up, the issue was stuff in the trucks. Stuff has included pieces of WS foam, static grass and loose coal (WS ballast) in the gear teeth, and threads from track cleaning cloths and from my fleece sweatshirt wrapped around an axle. I vacuum the tracks more often these days...
Actually it just takes a lot of throttle to start moving and once it does runs smooth, then as it "warms up" or runs a short time, I can back off on the power a little as it continues. This loco is fairly new and I did add some lube thinking it just didn't get enough at the factory, cleaned the wheels and it was only a little better. I'm a little hesitant to pop off the clips that hold the frame together and disassemble this one with the new wires instead of the old screw together, brass strip types that I have worked on for years. At least until I have to. I remember when I first got into N scale, I had one that didn't want to run well when starting and jerked a little. It was someone on this fourm that suggested that I back off the screws that held the frame together a quarter turn and that fixed the problem. With these clips that can't be done. Anyway after hearing about the too thick wheel blackening I thought I might try removing some and see if that helped. Thanks for your input though! Ralph
I use a small piece of paper towel soaked in contact cleaner. I put the paper towel over the dimple and press it down with the end of a tooth pick and swirl it around inside the dimple until clean. Then repeat for the other dimples.
Just a suggestion... Instead of a paper towel....which can drag paper towel lint up into the mech...use a coffee filter. Coffee filters do not 'shred' and are lint free. JMHO
Lack of lube at the factory is rarely a problem in my experience. Usually I find locomotives to be WILDLY overlubricated from the factory. I have had the same experience that you are having - takes a lot of power to get moving, then after the loco is warmed up, it starts running with much less power. I haven't done a full disassembly (honestly just haven't taken the time), but I wonder if the issue is too much lube? The stuff is hardened up some and frees up as the loco warms up. Maybe a good thorough cleaning and a LIGHT re-lube might improve things? I'll have to try it myself. I've also found on some of my older locomotives that when they just sit and sit and sit and aren't run for a long time (months to years) they definitely don't seem to run as good as when they were used more regularly.
When I was in HO, I had a couple of pre-Walthers locomotives, a GP9 and a GP38-2 that the lube became so hard that the locomotives would just sit there and not even move. I took them to my LHS who was able to get everything freed up and relubed. I also remember people talking about the lube in the trucks thickening and looking like peanut butter. Maybe a teardown and relube is something to try, after all every locomotive needs it sooner or later. I still wonder if removing some of the wheel blackening wouldn't hurt though. Ralph
