Atlas HO RS-3: "yellow box" -vs- "Classic"


IronBeltKen

IronBeltKen

Lazy Daydreamer
I need a few 4-axle Alcos in my private road roster, and after reading the various reviews, I've determined that I want Atlas units - not Athearn or Bachmann. I see quite a few Atlas RS3's on ebay, but some of them are the "Classic" series and others are the earlier versions in the yellow box.

My main concern is running quality - quiet motor with good low speed control; I don't need super-fine detail and don't care about extreme prototype fidelity since these will be for a freelanced road. Will I be better off with the Atlas Classic series or will the yellow box units be good enough?
 
I've had both, and both run very well. The Kato version runs a little better, and a little smoother. Not a lot, but noticeable.
 
CSX_road_slug said:
I need a few 4-axle Alcos in my private road roster, and after reading the various reviews, I've determined that I want Atlas units - not Athearn or Bachmann. I see quite a few Atlas RS3's on ebay, but some of them are the "Classic" series and others are the earlier versions in the yellow box.

My main concern is running quality - quiet motor with good low speed control; I don't need super-fine detail and don't care about extreme prototype fidelity since these will be for a freelanced road. Will I be better off with the Atlas Classic series or will the yellow box units be good enough?
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Mechanically they are basically the design. As far as I know the only difference is who manufactured them. The yellow box units were built by Kato, and so my guess is that they would actually be the better units. They are Atlas! Both will be superb runners.
 
Thanks I.H., I believe you just answered the question I asked Terry! I think I'll go with the yellow box units, since their prices seem to be ~$30 lower than what people are asking for the Atlas Classic models.
 
Yes, the yellow box are Kato, and have Kato motors. The Classics are made in China, with Chinese clone motors. Both run very well, the Kato yellow box engines run just a touch better and smoother.
 
Ok, looks like the yellow box Katos will be my choice. Something I just thought about: With their tight enclosures, is any milling required in order to fit a decoder in them? IIRC these models were introduced before the "DCC ready" era...
 
Hang on a minute, weren't the earlier yellow box units made in Austria?
I think the classic series have improved electrical boards and might be DCC ready.
As mentioned already the Kato equipped units are your best bet.
I think there's something like five or more different Atlas series of loco's now, wow!
 
I have quite a few of the first run of the Atlas yellow box units. They have the Kato drive. Fantastic locomotives. Don't pass them up. I would probably get a few more just because I like them so much, but I really do have enough and also don't feel like custom painting any more.

Herd of Alcos.jpg

These are some of my Atlas units with the exception of the two at the upper left. They are remotored Athearn locomotives.
 
Rico said:
Hang on a minute, weren't the earlier yellow box units made in Austria?
I think the classic series have improved electrical boards and might be DCC ready.
As mentioned already the Kato equipped units are your best bet.
I think there's something like five or more different Atlas series of loco's now, wow!
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Yellow box, "made in Austria" are Roco. Yellow box, "made in Japan" are Kato. Black box Classic series are made in China.
 
montanan said:
I have quite a few of the first run of the Atlas yellow box units. They have the Kato drive. Fantastic locomotives. Don't pass them up. I would probably get a few more just because I like them so much, but I really do have enough and also don't feel like custom painting any more. ...
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Chet - LOL it looks like you have an overabundance of RS3's the same way I have too many geeps!:D

bnsf971 said:
Yellow box, "made in Austria" are Roco. Yellow box, "made in Japan" are Kato. ...
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Thanks for clarifying that Terry, guess I'll have to look closely at the photos or ask the seller where their model was made.
 
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CSX_road_slug said:
Chet - LOL it looks like you have an overabundance of RS3's the same way I have too many geeps!:D


Can't have too many Alcos. There are more in the other yard on the layout and a couple in hidden staging.

These are not new units as they are from the first release but after years and years of use, the still run as well as any new locomotive on the market today.
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Rico said:
Hang on a minute, weren't the earlier yellow box units made in Austria?
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Yes and no, Generally this is true for the GP40, SD38, SD24, and other units made in the 1970s, but not the RS-3. The RS-3 was never made in Austria. The RS-3 was the land mark unit built by Kato that raised the bar on what an HO scale model could run like.

I am fuzzy but I think the only Yellow box unit that was made in both Austria and Asia was the FP7. Those are easy to tell apart by looking at the front pilot. The later ones have the "D" shape coupler opening. There were also several yellow box Chinese models including the S2, S4, RS1. I think the yellow box GP7 was Kato. I've got a few somewhere, I'll have to look one up and check for certain.

Even so I always loved the Roco Eastern European drives too, especially compared to their contemporaries Athearn, Hobby Town, Bachmann, Model Power, MRC, ... Basically the story is the same. If it is Atlas HO, there shouldn't be much of an issue of it running well.
 
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My Yellow box RS3 is a Kato. I also have a Yellow box RS1 which is a Kato, and a Yellow box S2 which is a Roco marked Austria.The S2 is the only one upgraded to DCC, using a silent NCE decoder specifically made for the S2. The large percentage of my Atlas Alcos are Black Box "Classics" I believe the Classic RS3 needs to be hot wired, while most of the others may be DCC ready.
 
I run three GP-40's and one GP-38 Yellow box Atlas. They are Atlas/Roco, made in Austria. They run very well and are in use every day. All are equipped with RailPro sound modules which make them run even better.



Mel
 
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