Electronics issue in an Atlas locomotive

As you probably know, EOB has an optical sensor that reads the stripes on a motor flywheel in order to regulate speed.  I suspect that either the sensor has become misaligned or the stripes on the flywheel have been damaged.  Either way, you'll need to open up the engine in order to see and hopefully fix.

Atlas locomotives are notoriously difficult to work on, due to 'creative' ways the shells can be attached to the frame.  I have two of the RS-1's that I've converted to ERR electronics and I took the opportunity to document how to remove the RS-1 shell (which is in 3 pieces).  I attached the method I used.

Thanks, Bob.  I appreciate the removal tips.  Very tight space and weird fit pieces for sure.

I just finished installing an ERR Cruise Commander with Railsounds, last week. Removing the shell, as Bob indicated above, is a little hassle. But once it's off, the hard part is over.

The one thing I did was to add connectors for the front and rear lights and the antenna. For the lights, I used a Miniatronics 4 pin connector, with the 2 center wires as common. They make a 3 pin connector, but I had the 4 pin in my scrap bin. 

Walthers lists the 3 pin connector as: 475-5000301, the 4 pin is: 475-5000401. The install of the Cruise and sound was easy, just follow the instructions. 

I used the ERR antenna connector that came with the Cruise.

TEST everything as you go along. Once I got the motor and power wires connected, I tested the connections on my layout and it worked fine. If the engine runs in reverse, just switch the motor wires.

Then I installed Railsounds and tested it. Hooked up the lights and retested. Put the shell on and I was done.

Good luck,

RAY

PS the new Railsounds is much better than the TAS/Lionel system and with Cruise, no more worry about the engine struggling up my grade and running wild down it.

Thanks, Ray!  I think I'm going to go this route.  Did you use the PA sound board?  I'm guessing that's closer to the RS-1 than the C-420.

Typically, the TAS rocketing off is a sensor issue.  I've found many of them with a broken wire on the sensor, apparently many were not installed that carefully, and the wire they used wasn't all that flexible and would break after some hours of operation and flexing.  If so, it's a pretty easy fix once you get the very troublesome shell off that locomotive.  I've also seen the sensor fall off due to the sub-standard mounting techniques.

While I prefer ERR stuff to the TAS electronics, you will be spending a couple hundred and a few hours labor to convert it.  If soldering a wire fixes it, that may be the path of least resistance.

The wires attached to the bottom of this green sensor board. The board attaches to the can motor, which moves with the truck.  Picture shows red, and blue wire, there are three wires (look closely for the Black wire).  TAS upgrade kit, used on a Weaver E8.   Very small wire, breaks at the end of the solder on the board.  Along with the rubber band, these boards are CA'ed to the can motor.  Later models had a better mounting system.  

Paul,

I had an F3 sound board in my box of stock parts so for now, that is what I have in the engine. However, I'm going to replace it with the PA as it has the single horn. The C420 is the one I like mainly because of the 3 chime horn. Will have to see if I can find any prototype photos of my RS1 with a 3 chime horn.

RAY

Thank you gunrunnerjohn and Mike- very helpful- I'll check this out.

@Green Mtn. Paul posted:

Thank you gunrunnerjohn and Mike- very helpful- I'll check this out.

You're welcome.    Weaver model, several years ago.  GP38-2 

Weaver, Alco RS3

Vermont, normal times, was always one of my great get-away, get lost vacations.  

I also have those Weaver models, also the older Atlas Vermont Railway GP-60.  Got the Lionel CV RS-11 last year.  We run Vermont on our layout.  Stay well, thanks again for the help/advice!

I sent you an iMessage on how I fixed mine. 

thanks!

-Mario

Mario-

That's not a thing I use, would you mind just emailing me?  Thanks!

Paul

@CentralFan1976 posted:

I sent you an iMessage on how I fixed mine.

And why wouldn't you post it in the forum so others could potentially benefit from the information?

Funny, my Atlas RS-1 crapped out yesterday. It was running fine, then headlight started blinking and when I blew the horn it was short blasts. I tried to reprogram, nothing and now soon as track power comes on the loco comes on. I assume its a board issue. I will just have to wait to Atlas reopens. I'm not sure on here, who works on Atlas.

Ok ok. After talking with some people, an Atlas F2 I was working on had issues with speed step 2 of the EOB and this fixed it.  It would start off crawling at speed step 1 and then go to full throttle.  Then it would suddenly stop and the horn would blow.

If you are having the issue with the Atlas engine taking off on speed step 2, it’s probably not a bad board. I had the same issue with an Atlas EOB Cruise board and I know some people, and they told me to check one thing. There’s an 18-pin black PIC (integrated circuit) that sits in a plug on the board. Pull the chip out of the plug carrier and clean the fingers, I used some 1000 grit sand paper, then reinsert it.  Be gentle and I used a small screwdriver to coax both sides up ever so slightly at a time, alternating sides until it came free from the socket.  

Poof!  No more full speed. 

What clued is in was the red LED on the sensor was working fine, but I think oxidation had built up and was causing a communication error. I also had this happen on the Railsounds boards of NOS locomotives, twice; a K-Line Hudson and a set of Lionel F3s. 

Thanks!

-Mario

That wasn't so hard, was it Mario.   That's a common issue with older RailSounds board with the PLCC chips in sockets.  I have lost count of all the sound boards I've "fixed" by simply reseating the chip.

One thing I'd caution here.  Sandpaper of any grit is probably not the best idea.  You're removing the thin tin coating from the leads, this will result in faster corrosion in the future.  I use a Mylar eraser to clean the leads, it's non-abrasive and doesn't take the tin coating off.

Well, you had to beat it out of me!

One thing that I neglected to mention was to be careful removing and reinstalling the other daughter boards when getting to the component.  be careful when re-installing the board that sits over it, as you don't want misalignment of the pins. 

I see what you mean by care removing the boards, looks like you'll have to do a little bending to get them back on this one.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

I see what you mean by care removing the boards, looks like you'll have to do a little bending to get them back on this one.

Luckily, this was a picture I found freely on the interweb. (Google searched for TAS EOB).  I'm a little more careful with my electronics!