Out of the box, power pickup was horrible, so when I had it apart to install a decoder I actually disassembled each truck and soldered a wire to the side that pickup up power via the bolsters, and ran this wire directly to the circuit board. So both sides now have wires between the trucks and circuit board, not one side wires, one side through the bosters (which like the metal gearbox sides were completely blackened - not very conductive). And it's STILL very flakey. So tonight I did some poking and prodding with the power wires to see just where the problem was. Touch wires to both front circuit board track terminals - runs fine. Try the rear - runs fine. Try touching the wheels at the back - runs fine. Touch wires to the wheels on the front - no go. Touch wires to the gearbox sides ont eh front truck - no go. Touch wire to one circuit board terminal and opposite wheel - runs fine. Flip around - no go. Try truck side (one I soldered a wire to) and the tab from the other side (the side thathas a wire from the factory). Runs fine. So, it't the crappy rivet job between the metal gearbox side and the metal tab that has the wire soldered to it. Tested with my meter, too. If I press against the tab, I can get a short between the tab and truck side, but if I just touch it on there - forget it, open circuit. Looks like I need to completely take it all apart again and solder that wire directly to the metal gearbox side and bypass the tab. And do the rear truck to, just so I don;t have problems later on. If it weren't for the glued in (!) light bulbs, I'd swap the shell to the Roundhouse RS-3 chassis (P2K one, not the older Atheran one), because that one runs great. GRRR. Sort of like "DCC Ready" means "almost ready, with maybe a little work", it seems RTR means ALMOST Ready to Roll. Or I got a lemon.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
1. Did that - part of the intial 'fix'.
Seriously, this is the most trouble I've had with a blue box type loco in - well, forever. I had an old S12, the only mod I made was to repalce the top clip with wire, and it never stuttered or stalled (well, after I replaced the sintered wheels with NWSL nickel silver ones). I also had an old Heavyweight F unit that I put a decoder in and never had any problems. I was in the middle of cutting down the extra weight a bit so I could fit a spare Stewart shell on it.
I think I may just have a lemon, as the rear truck is perfectly fine. I suppose the easiest thing to do would be to get a repalcement part - or liek I said just bypass the tab. Or bypass it all and solder wires to the bearing pieces and bypass the metal sideframes altogether. I've seen that oen done before, just never actually had a need to do it on prior locos.
Interesting report but scary as I'm expecting to recieve one of their RS3s today by UPS. I finally found a Rio Grande RS3 but had to order online. I bought another one a couple of years ago and it ran beautifully from the beginning. No fixes needed.
Jerry
Rio Grande vs. Santa Fe.....the battle is over but the glory remains!
So, if you have a bad rivet connection between the bolster tab and the metal side, why don't you just solder them together where the two pieces meet? Hit it with a file to rough it up and remove any weathering, put some flux on it, and solder it (without melting the plastic bits of course).
Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
I have 2 RDG and 1 CNJ, and 2 undecs. These are two or three years old.
I have the problems above including another, Cracked gears on drive axles. I have a pile of about 12 or more? in a pile. These are beatiful locomotives but crappy and frustrating electrical pickup. the one RDG unit worked great out of box. It was the first one I installed a LokSound in. That was a year ago. It now has cracked axles.
Don't overlook this. I am researching replacements.
Chris
Paul3 So, if you have a bad rivet connection between the bolster tab and the metal side, why don't you just solder them together where the two pieces meet? Hit it with a file to rough it up and remove any weathering, put some flux on it, and solder it (without melting the plastic bits of course). Paul A. Cutler III*******************Weather Or No Go New Haven*******************
At a glance it appears it would need to be soldered on both sides, meaning I'd have to take the metal bit off the side of the truck, and it appears to be riveted through the plastic. <-sideframe--plastic---tab-> Far easier to just solder the wire itself to the sideframe liek I did for the opposite side.
The point of a ten penny nail and a small hammer can cure the loose rivet problem. With the point of the nail inside the rivet head, tap the nail to spread the rivet and tighten it.
I received my new Athearn RS3 and there seems to be no power pickup problems but it is a bit noisy. After I get a decoder in it and break it in we'll see how it performs. My first one was smooth and quiet.