Vintage Atlas Locos

[railfan]

If you've ever thought of buying older atlas N scale locomotives here is something I've noticed about them. If you look at bottom side you can see exposed gears on some trucks and not on others. On these particular ones it means NO GEARS = NO DRIVE. At least some, if not all, of these non-driven wheels do have electrical pickup though. Only the trucks with gears showing have driven wheels. (Other older or newer locos may or may not have trucks with gears inside that are not exposed).

The santa fe war-bonnet E8 (made in Italy) and the fairbanks morse C-liner (yugoslavia) with only one driven truck each, do not run. I have not yet tried to see if they can be coaxed into working with some lubrication, tweaking, and TLC. I got these for $10 each thinking might get them running or use parts from one to make the other run....or just start a RR salvage yard on the layout.

The southern pacific E7 (austria) runs really nice and smooth (but noisy), fast and slow, though not as perfect at slowest speeds like the newest of todays. The war bonnet E8 body will also fit on this one with minor trimming above the rear truck.


Mike

[railnut49]

Hi railfan, my son and I bought some old atlas GP-30's that didn't run, and we then bought half a dozen kato motors with flywheels. Only took a little dremel work to fit the new motors in, and we used the atlas drive shafts, it all dropped right in. We both now have some great running locos for a fraction of the cost of a new atlas GP-30. I have a bunch of atlas and bachman F units, and some run ok, some don't, but they will likely get new motors also. New Motors run around 20 bucks each. Don't discount on older loco til you check out new motors available that may work.

[railfan]

Thanks for your feedback Railnut49. I was a little disappointed when I found out those two old atlas engines only have one powered truck even when they're working.....but I'll probably try to get them running someday.



Mike

[dave1943au]

The only older Atlas loco I have is an RS11 made by Kato, pretty old but runs like new.

[peteski]

Thanks for your feedback Railnut49. I was a little disappointed when I found out those two old atlas engines only have one powered truck even when they're working.....but I'll probably try to get them running someday.

Mike

Why be disappointed Mike? Look at this from a different perspective. These models go back almost to the infancy of N scale models. They are like museum pieces or antique cars. Look at them as such.

remember, they were manufactured as toys back in probably late 1960s. At the time they were actually pretty advanced. Back then there were no precision miniature electric motors readily available to the hobby industry. There were no precision-molded plastic gears. The entire mechanism was much simpler than today's models. Even headlight light bulbs (if the models had them) were much larger than what you see today (LEDs were still decades away from being used in this type of application). At the time they were made, they were made as toys (not precision scale models). They had huge wheel flanges so that kids could operate them at breakneck speeds through very tight curves.

Would you buy some early 20th Century Ford Model A then compare it to the car you drive today (or any contemporary car) and be disappointed that the Model T does not have side windows, windshield wipers, directionals, electric starter, automatic transmission or dozens of other items considered standard equipment on a contemporary car?

You see my point?

[railfan]

I do see your point and very much appreciate your perspective. You are right about the antique aspect of these models. When I see that someone else like you cares about it....that makes me value them a bit more. Thanks for your insight.


Mike

[Iron Horseman]

If you've ever thought of buying older atlas N scale locomotives ....

HA! The Atlas E8 was my first ever N-scale locomotive. Got it for Christmas 1969. It actually ran quite well when it was new. It wasn't until about 1984 that I began to have problems with it. Then it ran fine in reverse for a while. I purchased a second one to run very unprototypically as an AA set. That didn't end up working very well either.

Then I purchased the NEW E7 (about 1986) for $7 at a swap meet. Spent all afternoon tearing it down, cleaning, lubricating, and reassembling. Ran wonderful. I put it on the layout and set it to run around for a while. It ran and ran. Apparently a facing turnout wiggled out and the train shot off the main and up the branch line toward the stub end mine. I heard the change in sound, saw where it was heading and ran toward the controls. I didn't make it in time. The locomotive went shooting off the edge of the layout and about 42" to the floor. Splattered into a zillion pieces. I picked them all up and put them into a tray in my parts cabinet where it still sits today.

The southern pacific E7 (austria) runs really nice and smooth (but noisy),

I don't recall mine being noisy. But it has been so long, and by relative comparision was probably the best loco on the market other than the Halmark Brass FTs.