Repair service


Johne230

Johne230

Member
Can anyone recommend a repair service I need to send my atlas SD60 in for repairs,I cant get it to run smoothly anymore it stalls and loses power if I tap on it it will start running again.Anyway Atlas has a turn around time of 6 to 8 weeks I think thats a little to long to wait.If anyone on here does repairs let me know.Thanks Guys!
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Have you checked the entire electrical path from wheels to motor? Is it DC or DCC?
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It is DC and DCC ready I have checked everything up to the motor,if I apply power to the wheel wipers it runs great I even put new contact strips on still the same I changed one set of trucks with new ones still the same. I dont know what else to try.
 
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kjd said:
I assume you have done the obvious wheel and track cleaning.
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Johne230 said:
Yes twice.
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Johne230 said:
It is DC and DCC ready I have checked everything up to the motor,if I apply power to the wheel wipers it runs great I even put new contact strips on still the same I changed one set of trucks with new ones still the same. I dont know what else to try.
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I have had to do things 3 times. I would clean the wheels and axles on the remaining original truck with emery cloth until they had a shine. Other locomotives run fine on the same track, then your track is ok.
 
Noooooooooo. Don't ever use emery cloth on the track or wheels, ever.

If the loco checks out fine from the wheels up, I would check the track work then. Just a little bit of corrosion will cause you fits of intermittent power. You mentioned that tapping the loco would make it go. That tapping can go through the loco into the track.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Noooooooooo. Don't ever use emery cloth on the track or wheels, ever...
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Ken I have to respectfully disagree with you on the emery cloth. I admit it is a last resort, but it works. Works great, a magnet and vacuum catch all the debris. I have a half a dozen or more old all original Tyco locomotives running great thanks to emery cloth and other service of course.

After 2 cleanings, It may be stubborn corrosion or containment on the wheels.

It may need a more harsh approach. Sometimes you need an abrasive even stronger then Walthers Cratex Abrasive block. For that I use 220+ grit emery cloth or even a new razor blade.

Look very close at the wheels, it will be obvious if you need emery cloth.
 
I had the same thing on my Athern GP-38. I "Hot-Wired" the loco to get the wheels to run and then did the Emory cloth trick to really clean the wheels. The end result was like night and day in the engine's operation.

Im not sayung to use Emory cloth all the time, but to get the DEAP clean of the wheel, it might be needed. Then, just make sure you maintain the clean condition using normal methods.
 
The problem with using emery cloth is that it will scratch the nickle silver plating of the wheels. This will create more area for dirt to get a better hold. Just a paper towel with paint thinner will break down any gunk that will accumulate on the wheels. Emery cloth on the wheels is like using it on your chrome appliances or painted surfaces.
 
D&J RailRoad said:
Noooooooooo. Don't ever use emery cloth on the track or wheels, ever.

If the loco checks out fine from the wheels up, I would check the track work then. Just a little bit of corrosion will cause you fits of intermittent power. You mentioned that tapping the loco would make it go. That tapping can go through the loco into the track.
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Its not the track all my other Locos run fine.
 
I use cut up swatches of old, white (once white anyhow) T-shirts wet with 90-percent alcohol to run the wheels on under power. Less shredding than the paper towels. I use the same swatches to clean the rails by running my index finger down the track with the cloth over the finger tips. Just be careful around the switch's points. They are easy to snag. Always go backwards over them.
 
If applying power to the contact strips makes it go and all the other locos work on the track fine, the problem is between the track and contact strips. On newer Athearns, sometimes paint will get between the bronze bearing and its holder making intermittent pickup. Not saying that's what it is but as an idea of the kind of things to look for.

As far as NS plated wheels, isn't that what most things come with now? They're blackend but still NS plated brass unless you replace them with solid NS wheels.
 
I finally have the engine running and it is running very well now. I took it apart again cleaned everything again swabbed the littlest amount of oil on all the moving parts put it back together and WA LA she is running.
 
Victory!

Third time was the charm.

Great thread! I learned some things, thank you everybody.
 
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