Atlas SD35

[mrp]

I picked up one of these at the show in KC. The sound seems OK. It has trouble staying on the track, especially on curves. The trucks have no lateral / side to side play at all. My earlier ones are fine. Not sure if I got a stray bad one or common to the batch. Anyone else having the problem?
Michael Pennie

[wmcbride]

I picked up one of these at the show in KC. The sound seems OK. It has trouble staying on the track, especially on curves. The trucks have no lateral / side to side play at all. My earlier ones are fine. Not sure if I got a stray bad one or common to the batch. Anyone else having the problem?
Michael Pennie

My tightest radius is 11.5" and I just ran mine back and forth thru it several times and didn't have a problem. Hadn't had any derailments anywhere else including turnouts.

[rrjim1]

I have a couple hours on mine over my 195' single track main with lots of turnouts and one 12" curve. Runs and sounds great.

[GM50 4164]

I just received my Chessie SD35 this week. Well done Atlas! Now to remove a small nub and swap shells lol!

[wmcbride]

I just received a DCC-ready SD35 into which I slipped in the new Loksound boards. Easy as could be. Programmed it using the ESU Atlas SD35 sound file, with lowered volume levels and there it was: excellent sound. The integral speaker in the DCC-ready units makes this so simple.

Atlas deserves kudos for providing a good, enclosed speaker with no wiring required to add sound / DCC.

[JanesCustomTrain]

Fellas, fellas, what everyone is missing in regards to the large area at the rear of the frame is for the caps we get to add later! Or as John mentioned, adding a better sounding speaker system! I'm aiming for caps, lol.

Or, or put a better speaker there and put the caps into the now free space in the fuel tank.   

Jane

[GM50 4164]

Or, or put a better speaker there and put the caps into the now free space in the fuel tank.   

Jane

Yeah, there would be quite a bit of room in there for the caps. Love me some Depeche Mode!!

[Kuchler10]

Has anyone who purchased this new version had a problem with a wobble while on straight, flat track? My new unit is uneven and only one side of each truck will make contact with the rails at any given time. This is a problem that I had with my ESU LokSound Intermountain SD40-2, which is constructed essentially the same way but with the truck contacts instead of the wires. All I did to fix the SD40-2 was take it completely apart and put it back together, but I have dismantled the SD35 multiple times without luck. The clips holding the sides together don't seem to both center and level the two fame sides like the screws used to. I hope somebody has some sort of input because I am stumped. I would hate to send it back over an issue like this because it works and sounds great as long as I hold the trucks to the rail.

[rrjim1]

Has anyone who purchased this new version had a problem with a wobble while on straight, flat track? My new unit is uneven and only one side of each truck will make contact with the rails at any given time. This is a problem that I had with my ESU LokSound Intermountain SD40-2, which is constructed essentially the same way but with the truck contacts instead of the wires. All I did to fix the SD40-2 was take it completely apart and put it back together, but I have dismantled the SD35 multiple times without luck. The clips holding the sides together don't seem to both center and level the two fame sides like the screws used to. I hope somebody has some sort of input because I am stumped. I would hate to send it back over an issue like this because it works and sounds great as long as I hold the trucks to the rail.

I helped a friend with one just like yours. I dissasembled the loco and then put just the frames together with the spacers and clips. I filed the bottom of the frame were the trucks fit into a little at a time and kept testing the trucks until they would turn freely and have just a little side to side movement.  The loco now runs great. 

[Kuchler10]

@rrjim1 Where exactly did you file, the bottom of the frame where the frame sits on the truck towers, or the inside where the trucks swivel?

[rrjim1]

@rrjim1 Where exactly did you file, the bottom of the frame where the frame sits on the truck towers, or the inside where the trucks swivel?

The bottom of the frame.

[Kuchler10]

@rrjim1 Thanks for the help. My unit is now running smoothly with no wobble.

[mrp]

Per my previous post, my SD35 had trouble staying on the track. I sent it back to Atlas for repair. It seems OK now, though the trucks don't have as much play as the earlier versions.
The note from Atlas said the 'loco had truck issues, causing derailments on curves and straight track. This was due to excess flash in chassis, which was cleaned and then reassembled.'

Michael Pennie