Anyone get their units yet? How do they sound/work?

Jay

yes they all sit to high because of the
40" wheels with the .385 wheel tread
and .060" flange.

There is bad as the 0 6 0. But the chain drive runs noisy.

Bill

quote:

Originally posted by j2morris:
Anyone get their units yet? How do they sound/work?

Jay

Not yet, but I'll post a video when they arrive.

Sorry Bill,

You must be confused. I know the Atlas O units do NOT have a chain drive and the Diesel wheels are correct scale.

Please respond only about the Atlas O Gold Units

JJ

Well what ever, Mine are chain drives
BB

quote:

Originally posted by j2morris:
Sorry Bill,

You must be confused. I know the Atlas O units do NOT have a chain drive and the Diesel wheels are correct scale.

Please respond only about the Atlas O Gold Units

JJ

I received a pair today. Only had time to do a quick test run under DCC. Nice and smooth. Great sound. Since I am not a Diesel buff I have no idea if the sound is correct. I have not measured them yet so I don't know if they sit too high. They don't look high but the proof will be in the measurements. I'll have a review in a coming issue.

Joe G.
OST Magazine

Thanks Joe

Hopefully mine will arrive shortly.

JJ

Measured the F2s last night. They seem to be spot-on which is not a surprise since they're based on the P&D shells. Ride height seems correct. Wheelbase and wheelsize OK. They look good to me. There will be more info in my review.

Joe G.

Hi Joe,

If the ride height is correct it would be the 1st time on any of the Atlas locomotives so this is good news. Maybe they're starting to pay attention to the complaints from the 2Rer's. Generally they've hiked up the chassis and shell about an 1/8" or so to accomodate the extra height of the 3R wheels or ???


Like you, I would expect the shell to be right on as the P&D shells are just about as perfect you you could make them. If Atlas changed anything around it would have been foolish on their part.


Look forward to your review.

Butch

quote:

Originally posted by up148:
If Atlas changed anything around it would have been foolish on their part.

Did Atlas keep the sweet P&D drive? (or use their chinese 3 rail drive in these?)..dave

quote:

Did Atlas keep the sweet P&D drive? ..dave

Pity; No

Hey guys,

Of course Atlas retained the P&D horizontal drive system. They'd be fools to change out a perfectly good drive system like P&D's.

Never mind.

Butch

No, they didn't. The MP15 I reviewed for OST#40 has the horizontal drive. The F2s have the "china drive" system. Sorry to burst your bubble.

Joe G.

I saw the Atlas Fs at York and I've seen the 3 rail version at a LHS. I'm no expert and I didn't measure them like Joe did but they did appear to my eye to sit too high on the trucks as compared to P&D Hobby Fs and the old Atlas Roco F9. Some folks say that with the China drives there is a lot of extra space that otherwise would be taken up/covered up by a different drive system. Maybe, maybe not-I don't know. I do know that by just looking at them head on they look high to me. The space between truck and body really spoils the illusion that this is a model train for me. Other than that they are truly spectacular.

I bought an ABA set of the Lionel Scale Union Pacific F-3's a couple of years ago and had Joe F. 2 rail them for me and attach the pilot to the shell. It is one of the nicest F unit shells I've ever owned including some early KEY units and numerous OMI and P&D locos over the years. The nose contour is correct as are the windshield openings and all the other standard detail. I think the see-thru chicken wire screening on the side of the Lionel shells is better than the P&D's IMHO and the factory paint is exquisite. I could paint all my life and never apply a paint job half as good as what comes on the new Atlas or Lionel locomotives.

The Lionel does sit a little high which I can lower and the trucks are a little too wide which I can narrow. The Atlas does come with the pilot attached to the shell and doesn't have the side ladders attached to the truck sideframes like the Lionel; so Atlas has a leg up in that department. But, Lionel doesn't sell 2R locos either.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to run these converted Lionels with the China drive or put the shells onto some Cockerham converted OMI F-3 locos I have. Remarkably, the Lionel shells fit pretty nice on the OMI frame but attach points will need to be fabricated for the shell and a few other items might need to be modified. But, I have another issue with the Cockerham repowered OMI's that prevents me from just doing the swap....they're Great Southern locos and it almost seems sacriligious to do anything but run them as decorated.

So, I'll post some photos when I decide which way to jump.

Butch

quote:

Originally posted by up148:
I have another issue with the Cockerham repowered OMI's that prevents me from just doing the swap....they're Great Southern locos and it almost seems sacriligious to do anything but run them as decorated.

Haha, Just put the GreatSouthern shells on the lionel drives and sell them on ebay......dave

Butch, I have a Great Southern Lobaugh Berk and I've decided to leave it as is. Definitely a tough decision though.

Ditto here for an old Atlas Great Northern boxcar that was John Armstrong's.
He never got around to painting the roofwalk, ladders, or changing the pizza cutter wheels for a better profile.

I just can't bring myself to make it up to standards.

quote:

Haha, Just put the GreatSouthern shells on the lionel drives and sell them on ebay......dave

Lorell had a pretty good sense of humor he'd probably get a big laugh about that one. I'd even consider trading the painted shells for unpainted shells. I was only going after the drives but now that I have them I can't bring myself to doing anything to disturb the paint scheme.

Butch