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I have an Atlas F3 powered A unit from 2009 that has very poor performance from speed step 1 to 30.  Below speed step 30 it is very hesitant and jerky.  Above speed step 30 the operation is smooth.  A night and day difference.

It has a TAS EOB installed and set to 128 speed steps.

I am using Lionel Legacy to control it.  The engine is set in the controller to REL100.

I have two other F3s from the same manufacture period, an A and a B, setup in the same manner as the problem unit and they do not exhibit this same performance issue.

I have expermimented with the Background Pulse setting but it had no effect on the problem so i put it back to the default.

I have also reprogrammed the R2LC board to the default and then set the engine ID and speed step to 128.  The problem persistented.

Any have any thoughts as to the cause of the problem and/or a resolution?

Thanks,

George

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Personally I would plan on replacing that EOB with ERR.  It's just a more modern, more reliable product.  No tach sensor, easier to install and no down-side except the cost.

If you don't mind while you have it apart, can you please put a small mark on the wheel tread and turn the flywheel by hand?  Please count how many turns of the flywheel it takes for one revolution of the drive wheels.  I was always curious what gear ratio Atlas used in these, and how it compares to Lionel and MTH.

Both Lionel and MTH are around 10:1, which is really Toy Train territory.  Consequently the speed control has to work very hard to keep the motor running at single-digit speeds.  After its excellent SW switcher, Atlas was roundly criticized by the 2-rail O scale community for the use of a "toy train" motor and gear train in its road diesels.  Supposedly they lowered their gear ratios in response, or at least discussed lowering the gear ratio on the Atlas forum.

I could never get a straight answer out of Atlas, but inquiring minds want to know 

Last edited by Ted S

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