Atlas alp45 (n scale) insainly slow

[simsuper80]

In the n scale world it is usually the model itself that is capable of a much higher top speed then the actual prototype.  But for the first time ever (at least from what I have seen) the alp45 made by atlas has the opposite problem. Not only does the real alp45 have a much higher top speed then the actual model, but the model itself cant even manage to go 50 scale MPH.

I really dont see any good reason to make a passenger locomotive run this slow. Is there any way to make this model run any faster, at least 80SMPH? I have the sound equipped model if that makes any difference (speaking of which, I cant figure out why the diesel engine wont make a sound.)

[peteski]

Have you read Spookshow's review?  There is a mention of the slow speed (and that his ended speeded up after a while), and how to select the diesel sound.
http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasalp45dp.html

[simsuper80]

Oh! I didnt know that review would be up so quickly! I'll have to check that out

[peteski]

Oh! I didnt know that review would be up so quickly! I'll have to check that out

Mark doesn't waste any time. He is right on top of latest releases. 
I actually just contacted him to see  if he still had that model, so I could buy it from him and investigate the slow speed problem. He sells his test models at a reduced price, but he just sold that one too.  I'm not planning to buy one of these locos, but if I could have got my hands on one at a bargain price, I was going to try to figure out why it is slow and if there is a way to remedy it.  Oh well . ..

[greenwizard88]

After some back and forth with TrainWorld and Atlas, the problem seems to be that the brushes are ever-so-slightly too large, and running it for a while warms it (dunno what the "it" is, sorry) up and fixes the issue. All of them are like this, and all of them will run better after being broken in. I didn't run mine in for 20 hours, but I did manage to get it up to 102smph after a fair bit of running. My first one was RMAd, but my 2nd one is much quicker to reach full speed, although it initially started at a max speed of 30smph when I first put it on the track(!).

IIRC, the HO version didn't have a high top speed either, although it was nowhere near as pronounced. I don't know if it was just slow or if it had the same issue, since I never really got to run it before switching to N scale.

[simsuper80]

Well now I'm having a new problem. After running it for a few min, all control to the locomotive stops, and the sound cuts off. Not only that, but if I take it off the track and put it back on, it behaves as if the track power is off. it also cannot be read on the programming track. This problem ceases after a couple of min.

[MK]

Over on Trainboard someone actually called up Atlas and they said they are aware of the issue and their engineers are working on it (whatever that means).  The poster bought it from MBK and called them up to see if they have a better running one.  They grabbed 5 from the back and they all run painfully slow so MBK asked the poster to send it back.

[peteski]

Well now I'm having a new problem. After running it for a few min, all control to the locomotive stops, and the sound cuts off. Not only that, but if I take it off the track and put it back on, it behaves as if the track power is off. it also cannot be read on the programming track. This problem ceases after a couple of min.

I wonder if the tight motor (brushes, bearings, or whatever) causes an excessive current draw from the decoder, shutting the decoder down for a while?

[spookshow]

FWIW, I didn't have any problems with mine stalling out. As for the initial slowness, I always break my locos in for a couple of days anyway so it was no big deal to go through that process to normalize the speed. Also, I have plenty of locos (mostly Atlas) that for various reasons (lube, whatever) need a couple of minutes to warm up, so also something that I don't stress about. YMMV.

-Mark