# o atlas trolley



## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

My atlas trolley ( few years old)is taking a dump. Only runs slow at full speed. Its all electronics inside. I guess the speed controller is shot. Anyone else with this problem?


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## Spence (Oct 15, 2015)

It might be something as simple as dirty wheels etc!!


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

Nope, perfectly clean


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> My atlas trolley ( few years old)is taking a dump. Only runs slow at full speed. Its all electronics inside. I guess the speed controller is shot. Anyone else with this problem?


What about the motor, gears, axles? Are they lubed? Is there something binding in the powertrain?

Can you test off the track with a direct connection to the transformer (alligator clips). If it still runs slow, that would eliminate the track as a source of the problem.

Here's what happened to me on a small Marx engine that was running fine then slowed dramatically and started to overheat.

Faster than a speeding bullet. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. _*More powerful than a speeding locomotive!*_ My girl's long blonde hair.

Picked up a couple of strands that got wound around the powertrain parts. I bent the very end of a safety pin to pick it out.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I had one locomotive that had tinsel wrapped around tight on the axles.
It was hard to see unless you looked real close.


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

*motor*

motor is sealed between trucks. Looks clean at wheels. Cant even seem to find parts or model on their site. I guess they knew it was junk too and parted from it.


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

ennisdavis said:


> My atlas trolley ( few years old)is taking a dump. Only runs slow at full speed. Its all electronics inside. I guess the speed controller is shot. Anyone else with this problem?


Is this from the old & low end Industrial Rail tooling that Atlas acquired ?

Bill


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

https://www.ebay.com/itm/O-Scale-3R...icago-Surface-Lines-Trolley-Set-/254389791091


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## seayakbill (Jan 16, 2016)

ennisdavis said:


> https://www.ebay.com/itm/O-Scale-3R...icago-Surface-Lines-Trolley-Set-/254389791091


WOW, $125 plus $55 shipping. Way, way over the top.

Bill


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> https://www.ebay.com/itm/O-Scale-3R...icago-Surface-Lines-Trolley-Set-/254389791091


A conventional powertrain with likely a DC can motor and rectifier. Not many pieces to the puzzle.

Have you tried running it on another track (e.g., a different transformer)? If you don't have that, you could test it with your car battery. And if it doesn't move, switch the leads. If it runs full speed one way and not at all with the wires reversed, you may have a bad bridge rectifier - only getting half the power from the transformer. If it runs fine both ways on the car battery, it is your transformer (or connections to the track).

In the absence of any Atlas support, a pic of the insides / power train would help.


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

I opened it up. Has a large speed control board with a ton of components on it. Not simple at all. Thinking about putting in a bluerail board. Any of you guys tried that?


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> I opened it up. Has a large speed control board with a ton of components on it. Not simple at all. Thinking about putting in a bluerail board. Any of you guys tried that?


That's likely an electronic version of an E-unit for switching direction. If you don't need direction control, a simple bridge rectifier will convert AC track voltage to DC for the can motor. Then the transformer's throttle is the speed control.

Me, aside from debugging, measuring voltages, etc. Could be a bad connection , can motor failure (unlikely), etc.

I'd bypass the board with a bridge rectifier to see if that cured the problem before buying the bluerail board. The bluerail will give you speed control (maybe lighting control as well) via a phone app if that appeals to you.

Do you have a DVM? Have you checked (tightened, wiggled) all connections. A hi-res picture of the trolley's board could let us pinpoint a bad component.

How are your soldering / wiring skills?


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

I see one problem. Trace is melted bottom right of board. Like what caused it to melt?


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That's never a good sign, clearly something is shorted to draw that kind of current!


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

Fixed trace, still same symptom.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> Fixed trace, still same symptom.


Is the cap (lower left) bulging. It's hard to tell from the angle in the pic.


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

*motor*

Its the motor, fried. Cant seem to find one on net. Double worm drive. p/n 727a12v0 s7609a11 (A)

What are my replacement options?


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> Its the motor, fried. Cant seem to find one on net. Double worm drive. p/n 727a12v0  s7609a11 (A)
> 
> What are my replacement options?


Are you sure (not aware of your skills)?

Did you try DC voltage directly to the motor? I'm not sure, but can you actually turn the wheels by hand with a double worm drive? That is, the motor can turn the wheels but you can't turn the wheels by hand to turn the motor.

Also, I found this on another forum. But you said you fixed the trace. I presume you tested on the track and it still didn't run. Did it burn the trace again?









Assuming the motor/gears are indeed shot, I only have two suggestions: (1) Call Atlas, they may have parts for the older stuff that's not listed online; and (2) Find a cheap one on eBay and salvage it's drive as a replacement.


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

*motor*

pulled the motor and its seized, hence the current draw. Need a source for Chinese motors.


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## Millstonemike (Aug 9, 2018)

ennisdavis said:


> pulled the motor and its seized, hence the current draw. Need a source for Chinese motors.


Try a search of hobby robot motors retailers. *Here's* one. They'll have an assortment of small DC can motors you can buy in single units.

The big mfg.'s only sell wholesale. Mabuchi and Johnson are two - leading mfg's of small DC can motors. And there are aftermarket equivalents/copies of their motors. So you can look up spec.'s on their websites using their model numbers to attempt a match.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I know this is a foreign concept, but did you check with Atlas?


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

No reply, phone or email.


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## ennisdavis (Dec 9, 2018)

Fixed it. Two to-92 transistors, one ic, new chinese motor, all for $8. Works!


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