Atlas SD45's shipping

[spookshow]

I cleaned out the holes in the axle wipers and put some conductalube on the axle ends, we'll see if that helps any.

-Mark

[ridinshotgun]

That is strange I had three running in consist for several hours over the weekend and forgot to clean the wheels before using them or doing the programming and the ran like a top. Both in DC before decoder installation and then after putting ESU stuff in them. They are probably my best running locomotives I have in recently added to my stable.

[spookshow]

Several hours is nothing, get back to me when you've run them non-stop for a week+

-Mark

[spookshow]

I've been maintaining speed step 7 for about 4 hours now, which is promising. I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but I think maybe it really was the wipers that were causing the slow speed problems. Now I just need to see if it'll run all day and then all night.

-Mark

[C855B]

Has anybody weighed these yet, in comparison to, say, a Kato? I'm away from the layout at the moment or I would answer that question.

Working theory is that despite the metal fuel tank, this model is too light over six axles to reliably break through the molecule-thin layers of normal wheel and rail oxidation.

[spookshow]

Kato is a little heavier, but probably not by enough to make a significant difference (3.45 oz vs 3.3 oz).

-Mark

[spookshow]

One thing I will say about those axle wipers is that they are (rather inexplicably) chemically blackened right down to (but not over) the axle holes. Still, if there's any overspray at all......

-Mark

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I saw a couple of these over the weekend, including two sets on the FreemoN layout. They seemed decent enough.

So I bought the future Conrail 6069. Now to get the ESU chip for it...

[spookshow]

12 hours in and still creeping along. I think cleaning out the wiper holes is definitely the answer to problem free running at all speeds. Which sucks for a brand new model, but oh well. That's BLI, er, I mean Atlas, for ya.

-Mark

[peteski]

Now to get the ESU chip for it...

I cringe when Amuricuns call DCC decoders "chips", although it seems to be the popular things to to in Britain.  A DCC decoder is a circuit board with bunch of chips (Integrated Circuits) soldered onto it.  Some older decoders had a socket on them holding a microcontroller chip, which could be removed and an never version chip installed. And of course there are those edible chips (like potato or corn).

Having industrial electronic background where I only used the word "chips" to describe Integrated Circuits, not complete circuit boards makes this even more crigeworthy to me.  If you think you're being hip - you're not.

[OldEastRR]

So for all this time Britons have been ordering fish with decoders in them? 

[sp org div]

I got two gold series SD45’s that are on a back track in my engine service facility simply for display
They would barely run at all out of the box
I ran them in circles for three hours straight at near full throttle hoping for the best
Last time I ran them they ran well with the sound muted but did hiccup once or twice per 300’. With sound enabled at slow speed they constantly stall. I am resolved to the idea they eventually are getting keep-alives unlike my fleet of ESU locos that run flawless in the same conditions. Apparently others are fretting over similar so interested to see how they deal with it as more have time to get these out and running…

[tehachapifan]

My SP unit arrived today and, I must say, it looks quite nice! Did anyone notice the stepwell steps have actual holes in them?

While I can't run mine until I get a decoder for it, I'm a bit discouraged by these reports of poor running characteristics.

[C855B]

Again, I found it to be a matter of cleaning the blackening off the wheel treads; at least a couple of passes. We shouldn't have to, but we have to.

Also, I'm standing by for Mark's ( @spookshow ) conclusions about axle wiper conductivity. That's another "shouldn't be", but it might be what we're dealing with.

[spookshow]

Mine completed its 24 hour speed step 7 torture test without a single stumble, so I think cleaning the axle wiper holes is something that people are going to want to do sooner or later. Before I performed that task, mine was stuttering and stalling on a regular basis (despite constant track and wheel cleaning). Just stick an exacto blade into the holes and twist.

While I was in there I also added conductalube to the axle ends, which may or may not have contributed to the improvement. It's a good idea anyway because the axles can start to get squeaky after a while if left dry (or at least that's been my experience with BLI locos).

-Mark