# Pesky electrical pickup on Atlas and Kato



## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

Looks like same manufacturer. The tiny pick up wheel from diesel truck to the flat metal strip is hard to clean and explains why an engine runs smoother with time. Any dust/gunk there seems to be as bad of a continuity problem as dirty track. Any comments? New to N-scale.


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## Brakeman Jake (Mar 8, 2009)

It is an usual problem with locos that have been sitting for a while,whatever the scale.Contact surfaces seem to oxydize from ambient air,even when resting in their boxes,wich explains why they run much better after a little running time.

N scale engines suffer even more from this as they have smaller wheels,smaller contact surfaces and run lighter on thinner tracks so...no wonder they have issues.I run large steamers that have tons of wheel pick-ups compared to diesels and running glitches are most usual for the first few minutes of running time,even with sparkling clean tracks.


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

*Tiny pickup wheel*

Hi
Thanks for the reply. I am not talking about the track/wheel interface but a much smaller connection point. Both atlas and kato have identical pickup mechanicsm between truck and engine chassis. Two tiny rotating wheels on each truck that ride on the flimsy metal springs. Very small. About 1/8 the size of a truck/track wheel. Probably small to cut through the oxide the on the springs. Clean wheels and track all you want and you never touch this tiny floating electrical connection. Pull the truck off and you see what I mean.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*cleaning contacts*



Eusjim said:


> Looks like same manufacturer. The tiny pick up wheel from diesel truck to the flat metal strip is hard to clean and explains why an engine runs smoother with time. Any dust/gunk there seems to be as bad of a continuity problem as dirty track. Any comments? New to N-scale.


Eusjim;

There is a tool that might help you clean those contacts. Actually two tools. The first is a locomotive cradle. This is just a troth that will hold your locomotive upside down, while you work on it. They are commercially available, but at ridiculously rip off prices. It's easy and a lot cheaper to make your own, also the overpriced commercial version is just a piece of soft foam rubber, with a slot in it. My cradle is two 1zx2 pieces of lumber fastened to a 1x3 base. It's lined with soft felt to protect the loco's finish. 
The other tool is a relay contact cleaner. This is a very thin strip of flexible, and mildly abrasive material designed to fit the tight space between contacts on an electrical relay. It will fit between the contact and the wheel of your N-scale diesel. Pushing and pulling on the cleaner strip will clean both parts at once. It is abrasive on both sides. www.grainger.com carries all sorts of odd electrical stuff including tools. 
As for track cleaning, and for better electrical pick up, I like a product called LPS-1. Grainger carries it. The stuff is a non-greasy silicone lube and cleaner that is electrically conductive. I use a "Brite Boy" eraser like cleaning block to clean the rails. It gets dirty fast. I clean the crud off the Brite Boy with a rag and LPS-1. This lets the block put a super thin coating of LPS-1 on the rails. It helps the track and wheels stay clean, and the trains run better. 
The photo below shows a can of LPS-1 and a Minitrix wheel cleaner. Both are very useful in keeping the trains running smoothly. Be aware there are three LPS versions Only LPS-1 is conductive. LPS-2 and LPS-3 will not work as track cleaners, they are non-conductive.

Regards;

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

Thanks for the good info. Do you know the precise name of the abrasive cleaner. Have searched grainger for an hour. Also, are kato and atlas diesels from the same factory


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

*Kato versus atlas*

Answered my own question. Atlas and Kato parted ways some time back. So the Atlas diesel chassis has a lot in common with the Kato. Kato has a higher coupler and theheight does not conform to NMRA standard S-2, which explains why Katos uncouple from US NMRA compliant rolling stock. Must be a different height standard in Japan.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*"Atlas" locos (in general)*



Eusjim said:


> Answered my own question. Atlas and Kato parted ways some time back. So the Atlas diesel chassis has a lot in common with the Kato. Kato has a higher coupler and theheight does not conform to NMRA standard S-2, which explains why Katos uncouple from US NMRA compliant rolling stock. Must be a different height standard in Japan.


Eusjim;

Atlas makes very few of their locos. As you have found out some were made by Kato in Japan. Others are made in China. A few of the older ones were made in Europe. So it's not always easy to know exactly what you will get. Generally their newer products run quite well, as do most all locos made recently. Atlas does make some of their own products, but the Atlas name also goes on a lot of things made by someone else.

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos: 
Kato, on the other hand is a true manufacturer. As far as I know, they make everything that bears their name. Their products are consistently excellent.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Kato and NMRA*



Eusjim said:


> Answered my own question. Atlas and Kato parted ways some time back. So the Atlas diesel chassis has a lot in common with the Kato. Kato has a higher coupler and theheight does not conform to NMRA standard S-2, which explains why Katos uncouple from US NMRA compliant rolling stock. Must be a different height standard in Japan.


 Eusjim;

Yes, you're right about the Kato couplers. They don't follow NMRA standards. Kato couplers work great with other Kato couplers, but many have posted that Kato couplers don't always work well with other brands.

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## rrjim1 (Mar 12, 2015)

I have had more problems with my Kato locos then with Atlas and I own quite a few. Brand new SDP40F was sent back because it sounded like a coffee grinder. Defective truck on new Kato GE loco, older Kato F3/7 units and several Atlas (Kato manufactured) all make noise. 
One of the first things I do with a Kato locos is to get rid of those couplers, they just don't work well with any other coupler.


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

*replacing Kato couplers*



rrjim1 said:


> I have had more problems with my Kato locos then with Atlas and I own quite a few. Brand new SDP40F was sent back because it sounded like a coffee grinder. Defective truck on new Kato GE loco, older Kato F3/7 units and several Atlas (Kato manufactured) all make noise.
> One of the first things I do with a Kato locos is to get rid of those couplers, they just don't work well with any other coupler.


I have now gotten used to replacing Kato with Micro Trains 1015. Kato work fine, but easier to replace couplers on one loco than all the cars. Kato couplers are 1/2 coupler too high.


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

*replacing Kato couplers*



rrjim1 said:


> I have had more problems with my Kato locos then with Atlas and I own quite a few. Brand new SDP40F was sent back because it sounded like a coffee grinder. Defective truck on new Kato GE loco, older Kato F3/7 units and several Atlas (Kato manufactured) all make noise.
> One of the first things I do with a Kato locos is to get rid of those couplers, they just don't work well with any other coupler.


I have now gotten used to replacing Kato with Micro Trains 1015.
Katos are too high, and thus uncouple readily at little bumps or hills.


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## traction fan (Oct 5, 2014)

*Oh the truck to chassis connection*



Eusjim said:


> Hi
> Thanks for the reply. I am not talking about the track/wheel interface but a much smaller connection point. Both atlas and kato have identical pickup mechanicsm between truck and engine chassis. Two tiny rotating wheels on each truck that ride on the flimsy metal springs. Very small. About 1/8 the size of a truck/track wheel. Probably small to cut through the oxide the on the springs. Clean wheels and track all you want and you never touch this tiny floating electrical connection. Pull the truck off and you see what I mean.


Eusjim;

I was also under the impression that you were trying to clean the contacts that rub on the loco's wheels. The info I gave on a cleaning tool won't help with the truck to chassis contacts. 
I have owned old Atlas diesels that had small, flexible wires soldered from the truck/wheel contacts to the motor terminals. Could you do that with your locos? If you could it would bypass the truck to chassis contacts altogether and eliminate cleaning them.

Traction Fan:smilie_daumenpos:


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## rrjim1 (Mar 12, 2015)

I think I know what your talking about. This is what I do, I disassemble the truck and use a microbrush and isopropyl alcohol to clean the contacts and axle points. I then put a thin coat of Crag DeoxIT on the axle points and into the truck contacts. This will keep everything making contact for years down the road. I have apply DeoxIT to completely dead locos and it brought them back to life without polishing any contacts. The DeoxIT is the best stuff I have found and I use it for all my electrical contacts. Great Stuff!


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

To solve pickup problems used wife's Emory board (fine grit side) on the metal
Strips followed by a conductive coating. Can't recall the coating name, but highly recommended for track. If anyone wants name I will look it up one evening.


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## Eusjim (Dec 16, 2014)

Eusjim said:


> Thanks for the good info. Do you know the precise name of the abrasive cleaner. Have searched grainger for an hour. Also, are kato and atlas diesels from the same factory


I ended up using another contact cleaner after first using an emery board for abrasive. Runs nice now. As good as my ho did with keep alive caps. Had the e little problem track of 18". Turned out the it was on a reversing section and I had painted the rail joiners and mistook plastic joiners at one end for metal and then isolated the other end. Wow. What a screw up!!!


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