Atlas Genset Pics


H

hamltnblue

Active Member
Hello All

Today I Picked up an Atlas Genset and added a digitrax 6 function decoder to it.

Here's a few pics

This is what it looks like out of the box. I had already removed the couplers before this pic. Note the front and rear railings are factory installed:

Gensetoutofbox.png


I was expecting the loco to be a similar size as the MP15 but was quite surprised that it is a bit larger than a GP40-2. Here they are side by side

GensetWithGP40.png
 
Here's a pic of the circuit board with a digitrax DH165IP decoder installed. Fits like a glove

Note: the location of the 2 large capacitors noted in other posts is just to to right of the circuit board under the metal box.

GensetCircuitBoard.png
 
This model has both Front and Rear Ditch lights. They are wired to come on with the head light and rear light. if you want to have them operate independently you will have to re-wire. I will be doing a re-wire witht the installed decoder on a later date. Note that the ditch lights are not isolated and share a single pair of wires. There are dropping resistors on the board but the way it's wired suggests that 2 additional resistors would be needed. The posistive and negative feed the ends with 2 resistors between them.

GensetRearDitchLights.png
 
Looks good! Thanks on the heads up about needing a 8pin decoder. I have 30+ DH123 decoders, but wont work....
 
If you only disconnect the negative wires and wire them into the functions and leave the positives as is, you won't need additional resistors.

Caveat: I'm going to assume that the ditch lights are LEDs. If they are, then they won't flash. Digitrax decoders are set up to use bulbs and don't have LED compensation, so the ditch lights will go from very bright to bright back to very bright, etc.

I'm going to put in a DH123 into mine until the Soundtraxx no-sound decoders come out. Then, I can just use two of those for flashing ditch lights.

Kellan, get a 9-pin harness that terminates with an 8-pin plug. They sell them as DH123P or DH123PS (the PS has a shorter harness if you don't want a mess of wires)

Now I am curious. Are the air conditioners separate parts or are they molded into the roof? I ask this because the air conditioners are incorrect for NS, and I want to replace them,
 
Last edited by a moderator:
diburning said:
If you only disconnect the negative wires and wire them into the functions and leave the positives as is, you won't need additional resistors.

Caveat: I'm going to assume that the ditch lights are LEDs. If they are, then they won't flash. Digitrax decoders are set up to use bulbs and don't have LED compensation, so the ditch lights will go from very bright to bright back to very bright, etc.

I'm going to put in a DH123 into mine until the Soundtraxx no-sound decoders come out. Then, I can just use two of those for flashing ditch lights.

Kellan, get a 9-pin harness that terminates with an 8-pin plug. They sell them as DH123P or DH123PS (the PS has a shorter harness if you don't want a mess of wires)

Now I am curious. Are the air conditioners separate parts or are they molded into the roof? I ask this because the air conditioners are incorrect for NS, and I want to replace them,
Click to expand...

The Ditch lights are LED's The problem with separating them is that they both share a single positive and negative. The circuit looks like the positive feeds from one end, the negative the other. The circuit appears series with positive through 1 led then through 2 resistors, then through the other led before the negative wire. If that's the case the resistors would be half the required value. Also 2 additional wires would have to be added to separate them. I'll check it out in time.
According to the parts list the conditioners are a separate item and not molded to the roof.
 
Due to the length and design of the locomotive, the prototype has clearance problems on Amtrak's Northeast corridor. The coupler lift bars swing out too close to safely clear oncoming trains. (The MBTA had to fix that issue)
 
hamltnblue said:
Hello All



I was expecting the loco to be a similar size as the MP15 but was quite surprised that it is a bit larger than a GP40-2. Here they are side by side

GensetWithGP40.png
Click to expand...

If there is a donor locomotive like say a GP40 do they use the original frame and stretch it or do they build a new frame and use as many parts as possible from the donor?
 
There's a lot of information about Gensets & other loco's in the new Special Edition of a Trains magazine called "Locomotives". I've been reading it for about a week. Tells how they are made & there's about 5 big companies building them. Some are building them from scratch & some are using engines that are moth-balled in storage yards. there's different designations of them.
 
If a geep is donated for the frame, the best you can get is a 2GS14B. The 3GS21B demonstrators were built on donor SD frames, but all new 3GS21Bs are built in new frames.
 
I havnt received my UP and possibly PHL Genset yet but thanks for showing its length ,I also assumed it was MP15 size and I will have to make my track leads a bit longer .Mercifully I am poised to lay track on my switching layout and can allow for it...... just .Saved by "hamitnblue"
 
hey ham

same pic's..
you HO guys SUCK!!!! the csx genset looks sweet!!!!!
i wonder if we will get them in N???
 
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