Is Atlas Back In Full Production?

[Brakeman Hal]

If so, I would like to retire my MTH steam loco with its stupid "Wireless Drawbar" and get back to the reliable wired connection between loco and tender.

Brakeman Hal

 

[GeeTee]

What's happening with the "wireless drawbar" ? disconnecting or falling out ? or is it something else?

 

[Brakeman Hal]

GeeTee, it's unreliable in its mating with the contacts in the Tender.

MTH should have stayed with the short plug-in wiring harness between loco and tender.

Thankfully, the MTH diesels are self-contained and require no wiring between units, so I'm not mad at my GP35!
Hal

 

[GeeTee]

I am wondering why you don't replace it with a cable . Looking at the way its designed if the connectors on the loco and tender are held rigidly in place. , the locomotive and tender have to be perfectly aligned horizontally or eventually the connector will work its way out.

Is the connector falling or working its way out ?
if those are .100" / 2.54 mm connectors you can get those and .100 space ribbon cable just about anywhere. That assumes that tender and loco socket pins are not sprung open.

What it is is expensive to make point to point wired connects (labor intensive) compared to running an auto inserted PCB through a wave solder machine.
Someone cut a corner to save $1. The cable probably cost $3-4 the board $2 . at 10X markup the final price to the customer on the cable is $50 .

 

[Brakeman Hal]

TeeGee....the connector is not falling or working its way out, but I would not expect an $800 locomotive to give me such trouble.

However, I enjoy the starting steam letoff, the chuff, the whistle, the bell, the air brake compressor, the dynamo whine, the coupler crash, and the realistic radio chatter between cab crew and dispatcher, all from the "smart" electronics and powerful speaker in the Tender.

Where are those ribbon cables found...at model railroad stores only? I would only need about a 4" length.

Thanks,
Hal

 

[GeeTee]

you would need to know the spacing row to row and pin to pin . If its .100 X.100 thats IDC spacing , connectors can be purchased thru electronics suppliers like Digikey, Mouser, Jameco . Ribbon cable is inserted into the connector and then they are crimped on. Another option is to get male headers and just manually solder wire pin to pin

 

[trailrider]

If so, I would like to retire my MTH steam loco with its stupid "Wireless Drawbar" and get back to the reliable wired connection between loco and tender.

Brakeman Hal

Grab some light stranded wire and your soldering gun and have at it! While your are at it, replace the drawbar with an insulated one.