I have a Atlas ALCO C-425, long out of warranty but with very little run time on it. I recently decided to put it back on the track and let it stretch it's legs. However, it acts weird. It fires up just fine, with all the sounds as they should be. But when I started it moving, it surges. The sounds do not change with the surging. I did see some sparks coming from the rear roller, but not consistently. After about half a lap around the layout, it suddenly stopped dead. No sounds, no motion. I tried to restart it, but no joy. Shut the power off, manually moved it several inches, put the power back on, and tried again. It started right up. Put it in motion, and it moved about 1/4" and shutdown again. I tried going through the procedure several times, but the engine barely moved before it shut down. I pulled it off the track and checked the rollers. Nothing leaped out as a problem. I also checked the traction tires. All 4 are intact and where they should be.
At this point, I think I need to open it up and look at the connections to the trucks. How does one remove the shell? Any tricks so as to avoid damage to the shell? I know there are at least 4 screws underneath in the corners. Do the ones by the fuel tank need to come out as well? What about the handrails? Do they stay with the shell or the frame?
Any other suggestions?
Chris
LVHR
PS One other question: The dummy Atlas ALCO that goes with the above engine has electro couplers. Can you fire them from a CAB1, or do you need to add some form of TMCC receiver to the dummy?
