Hi guys!
I have three new HO scale Atlas GP-40 that runs like a clock. I’m thinking of buying another Atlas engine:
[link]http://www.atlasrr.com/HOLoco/hogp40.htm[/link]
It seems that this engine was released in december 1999. Is this the same quality as todays Atlas GP-40 when it comes to running, details and so on?
It is the same tooling, but I don’t know if the level of detail was the same. The older ROCO tooling was phased out in the 1980s. Personally, I have never had any issues with any Atlas locomotives old or new, HO or N. I have piles of them dating back to 1969. The biggest challenge was getting Kadee couplers on them at the right height, but that was back when the wonderful #2x, #3x, and #4x series of couplers didn’t exist.
I am a little afraid to ask. Why are you thinking about getting a locomotive painted for Chessie?
It is the same as todays, if it was made in China. The previous generation (late '70’s/'80’s) was made in Austria by Roco, excellent for it’s day, but not compared to more recent models.
Just want to mix up the Rio Grande engines a little, like the prototype:
[link]http://www.carrtracks.com/143kyune.htm[/link]
I also have a couple of Southern Pacific locos.
I had a Atlas GP 40 that I got during the late 60’s it was a great runner smooth…back then they were 25.00 I bought mine for 12.50 from a LHS on sale…Cox 47
The old Atlas/Roco H0 Geeps are easy to identify, the fuel tank had the wrong shape and had a vertical channel in the middle of the fuel tank that didn’t belong there. They also didn’t accept KDs out of the box.
The Atlas/Kato units (ALCo RS-3, RSD-4-5, RS-11 & C-424/425) were produced starting in 1986. The Atlas first ALCo “S” series was produced by Roco in the early '90s with a new drive. The RS-1, GP-7 and the GE U-boats were the last Kato produced models for Atlas (first half of the 90s). All Atlas production shifted to China in the late 90s and all the previous Kato drives were cloned with virtually indistinguishable running characteristics and quality, (they got it right).
All of the new models (including the Geeps) produced from the late 90s onward and all the “Classic” models have been produced in China with the same basic drive and quality. The only real difference are the electronics; pre DCC/post DCC and lighting, (switching to LEDs).
Just don’t mix it up too much so one cannot tell it is a Rio Grande Railroad. Foreign road loco’s like that are the exception not the rule. That is why they get photographed so much. It is very unusual - hence interesting.
It kinda depends on the time period. In the 70’s and up to the mid-80’s, yeah, foreign power was pretty rare. But in the late 80’s (Anshutz era) to the UP merger, foreign power was more common - mostly SP and SSW of course, but a few odd Chessie, Conrail, KCS, UP etc can be found in photo’s. I’d mostly concentrate on SP and SSW.
As for the Roco Atlas, I used to have several but when the newer better Atlas stuff came out I sold off my Roco based Atlas. Yes, the fuel tank looked bad (wrong shape and that slot), but they were very nice for their time (1970s).
The GP40 is almost identical to the new release. The Atlas GP40, not the Rocco version as metioned, was the Classic in the red box. I have 2 of these first made in China releases. I Installed the Atlas dual mode decoder so as not to have any issues with all of my other Atlas GP38s, SD35s and later release GP40s. They run exactly the same as all newer versions, and have had no trouble with them after many years of some serious use.
But during that time the SP and SSW wasn’t foreign power. That is home road equipment.
I have an Atlas GP40 from 1979 or so that hasn’t run in many years (it was a smooth runner though-a bit more than my Atlas Chessie SD35 (which is somewhere-I need to find it-a year older than the GP40.)
Anyways, what would it take to get these guys back in good running order & maybe updated? The GP40 had the WM shell (which I cut up for a possible hi-nose kitbash & failed miserably-& got chastised by a fellow at a train show in 1985 for hacking up a COLLECTORS ITEM-I found out since thanks to this forum he was pretty much off base.) Anyways, they still have the old horn hook couplers too-one of the reasons I didn’t convert back then was basically because of reading in MR at that time that some Atlas (or maybe all? shrugs-it’s been some years) to install KDs, it required drilling & tapping, & to a 13-14 yr old at the time, scared me off, & kinda still intimidates me. I want to eventually get them going again-any ideas would be appreciated. Fortunately my LHS does loco work (DCC, & I don’t know what all) & a good fella to work with-I’ll get his IMOs too.)
I would not dismiss the older Atlas locomotives so lightly…They are still smooth runners and only needs some detail parts added and the “screw driver slot” filled in with body putty and one will have a great running locomotive…I have the Atlas/Roco Alco S4 and I will match it against the newer Atlas Alco switchers any time.
I’d imagine the Rio Grande employee’s would beg to differ. Heh heh. Of course in 1988, Rio Grande purchased the SP and got a bunch of worn out locomotives in the deal! Anyway, for the first few years after that, Rio Grande power was still standard and SP power the exception - at least thats how it appears in photo references. Rio Grande - Scenic Line of the World by Dale Sanders was shot during the 1988-1992 time frame if I remember correctly.