Poor power pickup on Atlas RSD-4

[coosvalley]

I am also of the opinion that QC for Atlas has really gone downhill. A good example is a pair of undec Wide vision cabeese I picked up, one being an older release, and one being very recent. The flash on the roofwalk of the older model was non-existent, where on the newer model it had so much flash that the roofwalk wasn't even see through (and it is supposed to be)

More recently I was given the opportunity to BUY a whole replacement truck to replace DEFECTIVE wheelsets that had split their own axles

And they seem to have no control over their parts supply, if China sends them, cool, if not, so be it.

I'm not sure what the recipe is for success in the model industry, but it would seem like lower quality and poorer service is not the way to the top..

Make Atlas Good Again

[GN63]

I will have to chime in here and give my opinion on Atlas - I have yet to have any problem with an Atlas locomotive out of the box, NEVER.  This includes a GP35 out of the last run, produced this past fall, I have a GP9 that I bought earlier this year.  Just checked my data base of my engines, 43 of them are atlas - the only issues I ever had are with the two very light steam engines.  My track isn't perfect by a long shot, but still, never had a problem with their engines.  I would like to see them heaver, but understand some of the issues involved. 

[ristooch]

I will have to chime in here and give my opinion on Atlas - I have yet to have any problem with an Atlas locomotive out of the box, NEVER.  This includes a GP35 out of the last run, produced this past fall, I have a GP9 that I bought earlier this year.  Just checked my data base of my engines, 43 of them are atlas - the only issues I ever had are with the two very light steam engines.  My track isn't perfect by a long shot, but still, never had a problem with there engines.  I would like to see them heaver, but understand some of the issues involved.

+1
I also think that it's a bit premature to judge Atlas QA/QC on the basis of a few posts concerning a few locomotives. These may be fine locomotives, but there can be lemons in every batch, and the best course may simply be to return them, assuming that track conductivity/cleanliness issues have been addressed.

Paul Ristuccia

[Carolina Northern]

For me, the red flag was he installed CN decoders. To do this right, you have to cut channels in the frame. A bent frame can be from holding it too tight when cutting or worse, from not cutting and the wires press the frame out of shape.

Still too soon to guess what the problem really is. WAY too soon to blame Atlas.

[peteski]

What should have been done was to test the locos in DC before installing decoder or making any modifications.

[Doug G.]

Isn't this thread violating a rule? Or not.

Doug

[JanesCustomTrain]

Isn't this thread violating a rule? Or not.

Doug

It's the Railwire not Trainboard   

Jane

[peteski]

Yeah, Railwire - get your voting finger ready!

[Doug G.]

OK, wrong forum. I don't think we should be denigrating a long-term, reliable, N scale provider too much, however. Speculation is not usually a good thing.

Doug

[peteski]

OK, wrong forum. I don't think we should be denigrating a long-term, reliable, N scale provider too much, however. Speculation is not usually a good thing.

Doug

Funny how everybody sees things differently.  Speculation?
What I see is bunch of facts. For example I've encountered multiple reports of some sort of coating on Atlas' metal wheels which causes poor electrical contact (until it wears off or is cleaned off). Overlubrication at the factory is also a well-known fact (not just with Atlas).  The 3-axle truck design with an idler axle is also a fact (and anomaly in today's models of US prototype locos).  The light weight of the chassis is also a well known fact.  Nobody uses lead alloys anymore.

I also don't see the verboten here bashing of a manufacturer. Looking over all the posts in this thread, there are several posts depicting Atlas in a positive light. Plus this thread is about a specific model, not the entire line of Atlas N scale products. 

[brokemoto]

No one is bashing Atlas.  Atlas manufactures good products.  We are simply pointing out shortcomings in a particular product and trying to figure out how to remedy them.  I have yet to see a post that reads that Atlas is no good or that the RSD-4 is no good.

I have a few of them.  They run well, but they do not pull as well as the RS-3.  I did remark that if you ran them in pairs, they pulled allright.  In fact, a pair of them will pull about the same as a pair of Atlas RS-3s.  I find that curious, given the lack of pulling power on a single unit.  Mine have not shown the problems that original poster's have, but I am not a DCC user, so I have not altered mine.

Every once in a while, any manufacturer will put out something that shows a problem.  For those of us who want the prototype, we understand that we can take the model, remedy the problem and have something that we want or we can take nothing.  This goes double for those of us who run steam.  Many of the models that appear in steam require some tinkering.

I have had problems with at least one product from every manufacturer that sells N scale.  Rather than send it back to the manufacturer and waiting (as well as paying the freight to send it), there are forums such as this where we can ask questions and obtain help.

Even the much vaunted Kato has put out products that show problems.

[coosvalley]

I probably sounded like I was not a fan of Atlas products, but that is not the case. I would say 75% of my fleet is Atlas, and I hope to continue to purchase Atlas products. Recently, however, I , personally, have noticed some QC issues,, and it seems others have too. A few issues does not equal everything has gone down the tubes.

The parts issue is something that seems to be out of Atlas's control, but that in itself shows how difficult dealing with foreign factories can be. Atlas was always the best at parts supply, so hopefully they strive to fix the issue.  I have been waiting for a couple years for a spare set of U23B handrails to become available, with no luck. The real kicker here is they just released another run of them, but no parts.

And, so far I seem to be the only member here who has had an issue with my S2 axles, but I suspect that will change soon. I bet these were big sellers, and a lot of folks are going to be very unhappy when they go to run them, only to find out that they have split their own axles. I will not buy any more S2's until Atlas offers a cheap and more reliable solution than replacing them with more axles that will do the same thing eventually. But, give them time, they are aware of the issue..

Here is a new caboose I picked up, tell me what you see.



http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2711156


I hope Atlas gets back on the right track!

[Doug G.]

I was just being precautionary. I agree constructive criticism is fine.

Doug

[nkalanaga]

I see a B&M caboose that, typical of mass-produced N scale, looks a little clunky in an enlarged photo.  In person, on a layout, it would look much better.

The smokejack is crooked, but I've seen real ones that also leaned, so that isn't an issue.  Looks like metal wheels, a plus, and the paint/printing is neatly done.  I have no idea what B&M C9 should look like, so I can't comment on prototypical accuracy.  If it was something I wanted for my layout I wouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Are we supposed to be seeing anything in particular?

[coosvalley]

OK, first off, the wheels you see are FVMs, the caboose comes with the typical brown plastic ones, and the smokejack might be my fault

The ends are supposed to be a medium red, on the 2 models I have they are pale orange. Not the end of the world for me, as I will just paint them red before their planned weathering. Some B&M cabooses had bright orange panels applied in a safety experiment, but these are not those numbers.

 I am psyched to have a model of this caboose.I wish the cabooses came with etched roofwalks, since some other Master Line cars do, but it's not a huge deal breaker either.