Atlas RS3 less than satisfying

[bman]

I have no scientific data to prove it, but some of my  club members and myself find that any new Atlas loco runs better after the wheel treads have had the blackening worn away. Not sure what chemical they use in the process but it doesn't seem topromote electrical conductivity.  It doesn't take much cleaning and running to wear it off.
I also wind up cleaning out the excessive amount of lubricant that gets slapped on the trucks at the factory.

[Dave V]

I have no scientific data to prove it, but some of my  club members and myself find that any new Atlas loco runs better after the wheel treads have had the blackening worn away. Not sure what chemical they use in the process but it doesn't seem topromote electrical conductivity.  It doesn't take much cleaning and running to wear it off.
I also wind up cleaning out the excessive amount of lubricant that gets slapped on the trucks at the factory.

This was definitely the case with Athearn's re-release of the MDC/Roundhouse N scale 2-8-0. The Athearn version looks great with all of its blackened wheels, but I found they wouldn't run for sh!t without removing the blackening from the wheel treads. That's easy enough to do... Put some isopropyl alcohol on a paper towel and lay the paper towel across the rails. Set the locomotive up so that half the wheels at a time are over the paper towel and "give 'er all she's got, Captain!" The do it to the other wheels. And repeat until desired performance is achieved.

[bbussey]

Frankly I didn’t understand the three downvotes on the OP’s first post in the thread.

Perhaps because he trashed the manufacturer in the first post implying that either they did nothing to remedy the situation or he didn't bring it to their attention, and then revealed in the subsequent post that Atlas indeed offered to make good on the engine even after he voided the warranty by disassembling it.  Not cool.

And for the record, I haven't had any issues with the ten undec RS-3 mechanisms I bought to upgrade vintage and Classic units.  I still need to add keep-alive in most of them, but the ones that have KA installed run just fine.

[Dave V]

Perhaps because he trashed the manufacturer in the first post implying that either they did nothing to remedy the situation or he didn't bring it to their attention, and then revealed in the subsequent post that Atlas indeed offered to make good on the engine even after he voided the warranty by disassembling it.  Not cool.

And for the record, I haven't had any issues with the ten undec RS-3 mechanisms I bought to upgrade vintage and Classic units.  I still need to add keep-alive in most of them, but the ones that have KA installed run just fine.

Yeah, that’s on me for not reading that subsequent post thoroughly. I kind of missed the part where the company offered to honor the warranty even though he had voided it.

Sometimes mistakes happen in manufacturing. And it can be frustrating to the customer. But it does sound like Atlas did all of the things and then some.

I agree. Not cool.

To each his own. OP might consider a conciliatory post given that the company did try to make it right.

[OldEastRR]

All of the newer Atlas engines have that film on the wheels, I'm guessing its to prevent any oxidation but can't say for certain.  It is a simple matter to run them over a piece of paper towel soaked in IPA and clean them up.  Same as general wheel cleaning maintenance.

Be nice if Atlas TOLD the buyer to do that when he buys the loco new. Nice customer care.

[delamaize]

Jeesh....when did this turn from "Model railroading" to "Open the box, put it on the rails railroading."

[dem34]

Jeesh....when did this turn from "Model railroading" to "Open the box, put it on the rails railroading."

Always a fine line. I can understand where he's coming from. Because Locomotives ain't cheap. It can be frustrating for things to not work out of the box. But also I have a bias since if I do have an issue with an Atlas locomotive I can just hand deliver to one of their employees at my club.

[Bobster]

Good morning all,

When "black oxiding" parts - if the wheels are steel, and chemically converted to magnetite, there will often be an oil, wax, or paint coating to prevent rust forming.  In the machine shop I work in the black oxide parts almost always come back with an oil coating.  This coating tends to attract dust and we have to wipe the parts down (remove the excess oil, before using them or shipping them to a customer.

Bobster

[Dave V]

I kinda thought a wheel cleaning was standard for any new locomotive before sending it into operation. At least a cursory one. And If I see a bunch of black on that paper towel, it's telling me I have more work to do.

I never expect perfect operation out of the box. It's only after cleaning up the extra lube (boy, if I had a dollar...LOL) and cleaning the wheels plus a reasonable break-in time do I judge the locomotive's performance. This can all be done on the day you get it if you take the time.

[thomasjmdavis]

I do have a certain sympathy for the OP and his expectations.  I am old enough that the earliest locos I bought all came with specific instructions to lubricate them before operation, and recommendations on lubricants- what needed grease vs. what needed oil, and the amount of time to run it to break it in.

More importantly, the locos I bought in HO and N in the 1960s and 70s usually came with a Hobby Shop owner, who was concerned that his customers be happy with their purchase, who did the initial lubrication before the loco went into the display case, and before you paid for the loco, he put it on his test track, and let you run it around a bit, to make sure you were happy. So, at least, you knew it worked before you paid for it, and if something went wrong after, that same hobby shop owner (or employee) would fix it for you, probably for free if it was something minor that did not require parts.  At least, that was my experience.

I think the "open the box and put it on the rails" mentality in N scale is the fault of Atlas and Kato, when they put their heads together and produced the RS3 in 1983- the first loco I encountered in N scale that you could literally take out of the box and put on the rails and have it work well.  But... that was in the days before wheel blackening was standard.

Ah well... I have to get back to 'modeling' on a used BLI Reading T1, that started shorting out 30 seconds into reprogramming the decoder.... No need to respond on that, if I don't find something obvious pretty soon, I'll be starting a thread on that...

[delamaize]

I kinda thought a wheel cleaning was standard for any new locomotive before sending it into operation. At least a cursory one. And If I see a bunch of black on that paper towel, it's telling me I have more work to do.

I never expect perfect operation out of the box. It's only after cleaning up the extra lube (boy, if I had a dollar...LOL) and cleaning the wheels plus a reasonable break-in time do I judge the locomotive's performance. This can all be done on the day you get it if you take the time.

you and I are in the same camp. Brand new locomotives get torn down, over oiling and grease is cleaned up, and proper amounts applied, then strait to wheel cleaning, Even before programming. After wheels are clean, then it gets programmed, and break in time with a small consist.

For locos that have sat a long time, pretty much same process, minus programming, and break in running.

I always felt this was just common maintenance, and it seems to work, given I have several locomotives, Mostly Katos and Atlas, that are 25 to 30 years old, that still run great.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Jeesh....when did this turn from "Model railroading" to "Open the box, put it on the rails railroading."

Don't forget step 3: "complain"

[Missaberoad]

Don't forget step 3: "complain"

Step 4 "Demand a forum do your research for you and then never thank them." 

[peteski]

Good morning all,

When "black oxiding" parts - if the wheels are steel, and chemically converted to magnetite, there will often be an oil, wax, or paint coating to prevent rust forming.  In the machine shop I work in the black oxide parts almost always come back with an oil coating.  This coating tends to attract dust and we have to wipe the parts down (remove the excess oil, before using them or shipping them to a customer.

Bobster

The thing is Bobster, that not all companies use the same chemical blackener (or even the same material for the wheels or the final plating.  Kato uses different type of blackener, which has a glossy surface and Kato wheels are never shipped with oily protective coating. They are dry.  Rust?  Not on N scale wheels which are basically brass turnings which are then plated with either Nicker or a similar metal, then the chemical blackening is applied to that plating. At least this is how Kato wheels are done.  Atlas wheels might either use no Nickel plating (bare brass) or have plating which is much thinner than Kato (Atlas wheel treads, in use, fairly quickly turn golden-brass color, while Kato treads retain their silver color for a very long time).

There is a big difference in the manufacturing process between China (Atlas) and Kato (Japan).

The tread surface of Kato wheels is also much smoother than  Atlas, so they do not accumulate oily dirt as easily as Atlas.

[eja]

....At least this is how Kato wheels are done.  Atlas wheels might either use no Nickel plating (bare bras) or ...

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