Locomotive traction problem


V

vpersh

New Member
I have 3 Atlas GP40 locomotives. Two of them will pull one of my grades with a good string of cars with no problem. My third loco with only a few cars in tow gets to the grade and starts spinning its wheels about halfway up. It seems like there should be no difference between the three but obviously I'm missing something.

Any suggestions on what to do to get more traction?

Thanks, persh
 
look closely and see if wheels are actually spinning. A stripped/cracked gear would make axles slip instead of wheels.
 
dennis461 said:
look closely and see if wheels are actually spinning. A stripped/cracked gear would make axles slip instead of wheels.
Click to expand...
Yep, of the 4 axles one wheel on one side isn't solid on the axle. I'll look at it in the next couple of days and see if that fixes my problem. Here's hoping!!

Thanks a million for the tip.....
 
As Dennis mentioned, it's more likely to be the gear in the center of the axle. The axles are gapped in the middle, the plastic gear providing the insulator between sides.
 
One wheel on the axles is solidly connected while the other spins freely. Does that mean the gear is bad? Or is that side of the axle just loose from the gear?
 
Bought this one used so I'm not sure how old it is. Old for sure. I'll give an attempt to take it apart and see what's going on. I wonder if parts are available?
 
If it's a Proto2000 model it's a known issue. A-Line makes new gears for it. I put some A-Line gears in my P2K GP7 and they worked great.
 
I don't think something this old would be a Proto 2000....but what do I know. Made in Austria, if that means anything.

As I begin disassembly, I'm not seeing how to get the truck out of the frame....Any thoughts?
GP40Truck.JPG
GP40Truck2.JPG
 
Yeah, that's not Proto2000, that's Atlas. I'm not sure, but usually to get the trucks out you have to remove the cover over the worm gear.
 
vpersh said:
As I begin disassembly, I'm not seeing how to get the truck out of the frame....Any thoughts?
Click to expand...
I know the thing marked in red below is a clip. That will allow the two halves of the gearbox to come apart. I don't remember exactly how to get the bottom off. Seems there is a clip on the grey plastic that once pushed off will part from the gearbox from back to front (Atlas printed side to coupler side). I do remember that there is a brass pick up held in place by that, so when it does come off the brass plate is loose to fall off.

Unfortunately I don't have an Atlas yellow box handy to look at.
 
Iron Horseman said:
I know the thing marked in red below is a clip. That will allow the two halves of the gearbox to come apart. I don't remember exactly how to get the bottom off. Seems there is a clip on the grey plastic that once pushed off will part from the gearbox from back to front (Atlas printed side to coupler side). I do remember that there is a brass pick up held in place by that, so when it does come off the brass plate is loose to fall off.

Unfortunately I don't have an Atlas yellow box handy to look at.
Click to expand...
Did you mean to attach a photo with the thing marked in red?
 
That's the atlas roco model made in austria
Don't try to remove the truck those arm's tend to break off Atlas made great running engines but this design sucks
You can remove the bottom cover the clip is part of the cover If you look from the side you can see where it latches at the end closest to the motor It's part of the whole bottom cover
then the wheels will come out
 
You were absolutely right, Mike. Getting to wheels and gears was really a nightmare. I never could get to cover off by messing with clip closest to the motor so I went for the clip on the other end and....sure enough, it broke off. )Luckily I was able to rig up a way to drill and tap a hole and screw it back on.). Interestingly enough the axles are one piece and one wheel on each has a plastic hub as an insulator. I haven't got it all the way back together yet so I'm not sure that the tractions problems has changed....we'll see. It really is a poor design!
 
Normally if you stick a flat blade screw driver in that slot just to the left of where it says Atlas on the bottom and gently pry to the right the cover will come off The problem is old age of the plastic getting brittle
 
So how did you repair the wheelset was it just loose need a pict of the repair to the cover if possible
Thanks Mike
 
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