zstripe Bob, Couple months ago....I picked up two RS2's Walther's Mainline DC loco's/DCC ready with 8 pin plug, LED constant lighting, for I thought a great price...under 80.00, which are great, quiet runners, Proto 1000/Life Like. I didn't care about who the line was. Take Care! Frank
Bob,
Couple months ago....I picked up two RS2's Walther's Mainline DC loco's/DCC ready with 8 pin plug, LED constant lighting, for I thought a great price...under 80.00, which are great, quiet runners, Proto 1000/Life Like. I didn't care about who the line was.
Take Care!
Frank
I have several P1K and P2K diesels and they all run quite well. I don't have a problem with LifeLike (I prefer their P2K steam engines to any others, actually!) but don't have any of their RS3 engines. I don't have any RS3s other than the Atlas, Stewart brands (well I did get a Bachmann RS3 with sound and it is quite good) and was comparing the drive units in them. The Kato drive seems much smoother and responsive to the throttle. I really appreciate all the comments/recommendations about these engines.
-Bob
Life is what happens while you are making other plans!
rrinker That's an RS-2, not RS-3. Not the same thing The P1K locos were decent locos, the DL109 weighs a ton, the whole long nose is a big solid chunk of metal. --Randy
That's an RS-2, not RS-3. Not the same thing
The P1K locos were decent locos, the DL109 weighs a ton, the whole long nose is a big solid chunk of metal.
--Randy
Randy,
You must have read my post at the time I was changing the 3 to 2.. After I read my post...I saw the error and changed it. LOL.
They do perform like my Kato's though.
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker Stewart used Athearn parts in their own frame, so yeah, it's straight Blue Box, but that also means you can fit one of the Athearn remotor kits. The Stewart shell is actually one of the more accurate ones, since they offered all the major variations. The newer Athearn RS3s are their own RTR thing, using the old MDC shells, but updated. First one I got would barely run, poor contact between the square bronze bushings and the truck sideframes. Second one ran great, so I just swapped shells, and I will eventually fix the other one. The MDC ones I have are the 'newer' ones with a P2K drive fromt he FA, vs the originals which also used an Athearn BB drive. And the undec Atlas ones I have are all the older Kato ones. --Randy Randy, I guess it's hard to tell what you are getting with some of them unless you have this kind of info? I will eventually replace some of my older ones with newer drives or just new engines. Thanks for all the detail data concerning the RS3. I think I would prefer the Kato drive. -Bob
Stewart used Athearn parts in their own frame, so yeah, it's straight Blue Box, but that also means you can fit one of the Athearn remotor kits. The Stewart shell is actually one of the more accurate ones, since they offered all the major variations.
The newer Athearn RS3s are their own RTR thing, using the old MDC shells, but updated. First one I got would barely run, poor contact between the square bronze bushings and the truck sideframes. Second one ran great, so I just swapped shells, and I will eventually fix the other one. The MDC ones I have are the 'newer' ones with a P2K drive fromt he FA, vs the originals which also used an Athearn BB drive. And the undec Atlas ones I have are all the older Kato ones.
I have an older Stewart RS3 that I bought at a show and it was a kit I had to build, but the drive is too much like the Athearn drive; noisey. I have another Athearn kit with either an Atlas or Kato drive (not sure, still in a box somewhere) but it has many detail parts from other mfgs. Need to get it out and see what I bought. I model NYC and they seem to have had a lot of RS3's as well.
One can never have too many RS3's. I have a huge backlog, need to get them together and painted -I have a half dozen Atlas ones that are unpainted, a couple of MDC kits, 2 Athearn ones, and a brass one. The Atlas and MDC need proper horns and a few other details, one Athearn is ready to go, the othe needs the paint stripped for repainting and the drive doesn't work very well, the brass one needs the driveline redone and needs to be repainted since it ahs flaked off in places. Word is Bowser is redoing the Stewart ones as well, which makes ye another option for some more. Good thing the single largest class of locos on the Reading was the RS3.
rrinker I have a newer one, with the gold motor, if I could find it. I upgraded it with Ernst gears and it is a real sweet runner that way, even witht he stock motor. I sort of gave up on it after I switched from my old freelance concept to modeling the Reading - they didn't use S12's. If you like Baldwin switchers and want a good one, the line from Bowser are excellent locos. Finely detailed, Canon can motors, and the sound ones with Loksound are especially nice. --Randy
I have a newer one, with the gold motor, if I could find it. I upgraded it with Ernst gears and it is a real sweet runner that way, even witht he stock motor. I sort of gave up on it after I switched from my old freelance concept to modeling the Reading - they didn't use S12's. If you like Baldwin switchers and want a good one, the line from Bowser are excellent locos. Finely detailed, Canon can motors, and the sound ones with Loksound are especially nice.
Thanks Randy,
I do like the S12 and this is the only one I have, but my favorite is the RS3 (notice my avitar!) and I have too many of them (well, I guess you really can't have too many RS3's!) but may pick up another later on as a sound/detailing project. I have never had a Bowser engine so that might be a good one to start with.
MisterBeasley When you are getting it up to speed, are you also leaving a straight section and heading into the curves? It could be a problem with a truck or wheels making contact with the frame, which would not happen on a straightaway but as the trucks turn they could be making contact. But, my guess is going to be the motor. I have one of these ($15) and I put in a decoder. It runs well enough that I'm considering upgrading it to sound. I think mine is a newer model, though.
When you are getting it up to speed, are you also leaving a straight section and heading into the curves? It could be a problem with a truck or wheels making contact with the frame, which would not happen on a straightaway but as the trucks turn they could be making contact.
But, my guess is going to be the motor. I have one of these ($15) and I put in a decoder. It runs well enough that I'm considering upgrading it to sound. I think mine is a newer model, though.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Frank,
That's the one! Thanks,
This should be the one You are Referring to. Came out in mid 1974 and has the older steel side looking motor, that draw's more current than the Gold:
Mark R. Could be a current draw issue. At lower speeds, the motor isn't drawing as much current as it does at higher speeds. If it's been sitting for a few years, chances are any lubrication in the trucks has stiffened up. Does it have a gold can motor, or the older style open frame variety with the curved iron sides ? Mark.
Could be a current draw issue. At lower speeds, the motor isn't drawing as much current as it does at higher speeds. If it's been sitting for a few years, chances are any lubrication in the trucks has stiffened up.
Does it have a gold can motor, or the older style open frame variety with the curved iron sides ?
Mark.
It doesn't have the enclosed gold motor, rather one of the earliest models from what I can tell (I am not that familiar with all the Athearn engine 'designs'). I did have several other engines on the layout at the time. Now that I think about it, I did hook up my old DC power supply (connected with test leads) and run it at a pretty fast speed while sanding (400 grit) the commutator and wheels. I did arc a lot at the wheels when running, but it did run!
I am beginning to think it most likely is a high current motor and not a candidate for DCC. I see newer power chassis on Ebay for this engine which might be my best choice if I still go to DCC.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
What's the current draw? No decoder, might be to high of a current draw for the DCC systems DC controlled loco feature, which means it might be too high for a decoder too. You might want to check it..... And, were there any other units online with it? Might have been enough current draw to overload your system if you had more than one combined....
Ricky W.
HO scale Proto-freelancer.
My Railroad rules:
1: It's my railroad, my rules.
2: It's for having fun and enjoyment.
3: Any objections, consult above rules.
I've had this Athearn S-12 diesel for a few years sitting on my dislplay shelf. It ran on DC when I got it but have since converted to DCC (not this engine though) and just today decided to test run it (address 00 on my Digitrax system) while installing Kadee's. It runs forward and back but as soon as it gets a little speed on it, the loco stops and the whole DCC system shuts down for a few seconds and then restarts. I took the body off to see what was going on and realized it has the sliding wipers across the top of the motor and trucks. I removed the top strap and soldered wires from the trucks to the motor top. I retested and it still shorts out at higher (25-50% so top speed). I then cleaned the armature and wheels (it has the sintered wheels) and still no change. It seems to run OK at slow speed. I don't see anything that is causing it to short out unless one of the metal truck side frames is touching something, but why would it only do it at higher speeds?
I though about putting a decoder in but now don't know if it is worth it, or if it will burn the decoder out? Any suggestions? I only paid $20 for it so I don't really care if it is a 'dead' issue!