Atlas SD 35 coupler height

[peteski]

Since you are using NCE system, are you using the Momentum button on the throttle, or actually setting CV3 and 4 using programming track?  Also when you set those CVs for 255 was the momentum visibly more pronounced?

For accessing higher number functions see page 19-20 of the manual. 

[spookshow]

So my question is do the DC SD35's from this run suffer from the same issue? Anyone know?

I don't know what you mean by "this run". The one I purchased (Cargill) came out last year.

-Mark

[peteski]

So my question is do the DC SD35's from this run suffer from the same issue? Anyone know?

I don't think any DC models would have this issue since those DC  light board do not have the same capacitors on them as a LokSound decoder.

[shawnfinley@att.net]

The DC board that was OE in my Cargill had the front corners lopped off so it would clear the light deflector. When I uploaded the pics to show Atlas tech support, he asked why I did that?.......When I post a few more times, I'll be able to drop some pics

[bman]

I don't know what you mean by "this run". The one I purchased (Cargill) came out last year.

-Mark

The OP's B&O and your Cargill hit the shelves towards the end of last summer if I remember correctly. I should have phrased my post that way my aplogies. I need to start paying more attention to Atlas releases though.  I've now at least one mechanism from each different design over the years from the early Atlas/Kato split light boards to the latest U33B with the E24 interface and everything in-between. Then I start either stripping/painting or swapping out shells on the mechanisms. It's going to get confusing if I decide to go all in on DCC here at home.

[trainforfun]

Yes I did. See the second post from the top.

-Mark

Did you try to add a shim between coupler and body ?

[signalmaintainer]

Did you try to add a shim between coupler and body ?

That's a good solution, of course. But it's the manufacturer's responsibility, if NMRA standards matter to the manufacturer, as I think they do for Atlas, to ensure the product leaves the factory meeting specs.

Clearly, that's not the situation here. Sounds as if Atlas lost the plot on this batch of SD35s.

[spookshow]

Did you try to add a shim between coupler and body ?

  This is what I posted - "I think going with shimmed MTL 1015's is the simpler solution"

-Mark

[trainforfun]

This is what I posted - "I think going with shimmed MTL 1015's is the simpler solution"

-Mark

Sorry didn't saw that

[trainforfun]

That's a good solution, of course. But it's the manufacturer's responsibility, if NMRA standards matter to the manufacturer, as I think they do for Atlas, to ensure the product leaves the factory meeting specs.

Clearly, that's not the situation here. Sounds as if Atlas lost the plot on this batch of SD35s.

Exactly , ATLAS is wrong on this batch

[u18b]

In  my experience, components like capacitors get smaller as the time progresses. Manufacturers find ways to make them more compact.  But also different manufacturers might have slight size differences for a capacitor with the identical electrical ratings, so it might be possible that ESU's parts supplier switched brands they use.

Pete.
This reminds me of the BLI AC6000 decoders that would blow.
According to BLI, the factory swapped out some sub-par parts.  End result disaster.

So this does happen.

Also, if these are true ESU decoders, is it possible that ESU messed up?

I remember when the first TCS decoder came out for the Kato NW2.    The parts cause the exhaust stack casting to be pushed up.   You had to trim the pin to make it work.
Sometimes decoder makers get things wrong.

[peteski]

Yes, those are "genuine" ESU LokSound 5 decoders (I have no reason to suspect knock-offs).

I simply mentioned that as the time goes by, in general electronic components became more miniaturized. That MLCCs in this example look to be the same physical as they did when the boards were first manufactured.  Since they do not have any markings (uncoated MLCCs don't have markings in general) I can't say if they are the same or not.  Those caps are are there to smooth out some internal decoder voltages (like 5V).

Further proof is in my own writeups of the V4 and 5 versions of this decoder.

Here is the LokSound 5 version (58721) used in this model.


Here is LokSound V4 version (73199).


Even the V4 version (which was made several years ago) appears to be using the same size capacitors. Yes, my measurements show that the version 5 is slightly thicker, but that might be my measurement error.  The difference is 0.11mm or 0.005".  My opinion is that these are the identical caps ESU has been using since v4 decoder was made 7+ years ago.

But just because the PC board fits the chassis that does not guarantee that the decoder will fit correctly. The ESU wide-body decoder (with E24 nano piggybacked on it) is too thick for several N scale Kato locos, even though the board fits the model. It might be that Atlas did not take vertical  clearance into consideration when they used that decoder. Also, that decoder outline is not some NMRA standardized size (like Next18 decoders are). It is Atlas' design where apparently something got lost in the ESU design.  As I mentioned this specific decoder size was designed over 7 years ago, Maybe whatever Atlas models were considered for it had enough vertical clearance, or maybe the vertical clearance was not even considered?  Who knows.

[crrcoal]

Has anyone talked with Atlas about this?

[peteski]

Has anyone talked with Atlas about this?

Appears so, in reply #21 ( https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=60575.msg835055#msg835055 ), but the answer makes no sense to me.  Both the chassis and the decoder were designed long before this problem occurred.

[Mark5]

Both the chassis and the decoder were designed long before this problem occurred.

Yup. Here's a longshot hail Mary: @Atlas Paul