HI FOLKS: Seeking feedback from owners of this loco[road names irrelevant]. Plan to run mine d.c. for awhile, then convert w/ Lenz Standard Plus decoder. Could care less about sound[lost part of hearing in Air Force]. Pros and Cons would be really appreciated. TTFN…papasmurf in NH
Papa,
I have the Gold (sound) version of the Atlas HH600/660 switcher and I can’t speak more highly of it. The detailing is very nice and low-speed response is OUTSTANDING! [Y][Y]
I also purchased a Silver “undecorated” version so that I can paint and detail it as a '39 New York Central release, rather than the '48 release modeled by Atlas. It’s a great little switcher. You’ll be very pleased with it.
Papa, if you do outfit your HH600/660 at a later date with a Lenz decoder, be sure to purchase one that has BEMF so that you don’t jeordize on the low-speed response. I’ve found that the Lenz Gold and Silver decoders - although more expensive - are tops at “crawlability”. I have a Silver MP decoder in a Blueline Niagara that is downright scary how slow it will crawl.
Tom
Probably the finest engine I have ever owned. I bought a silent DC one, added a Digitrax n-scale decoder for silent DCC operation, then later installed a Tsunami, so I have run it all three ways. When you install your DCC decoder, in addition to the BEFM mentioned above, it also needs to have a ‘silent running’ feature (it probably will have both). My first decoder install attempt, without ‘silent running’ did give me some annoying motor buzz. Once I installed the Digitrax, it quieted right down.
All pros, no cons!
Have fun with yours!
Tom
I can echo Tom’s take on the Atlas HH660’s. I have a standard DC version of my own and have used 2 of the DCC/sound versions on the large layout my group operates on. All 3 run beautifully, can be throttled down to very low speeds and are very quiet running with the sound off. Pulling power is modest to moderate, as would be expected from an actual small, early, low horsepower switcher.
The only difficult with the model that I encountered was not operationally, but rather getting the truck chains attached. This is a problem I have seen others complain about elsewhere than this forum. I did find out later that there are ways around that, however.
CNJ831
Good point, John. I forgot about having to add the chains. It was a bit tedious to add them but it wasn’t too bad.
Along those lines, the one thing I wish Atlas had done differently was to drill the holes for chain I-hooks slightly smaller in OD. For me, there was a little too much slop in the hole.
Tom
HI: Not to worry! Lenz Standard Plus decoders HAVE BEMF and Silent Running! TTFN…Old tom aka papasmurf in NH
I have a dc version it runs very nice good slow speed quiet. I do think the high end top speed is quite fast it seems to be much faster than the Proto Alco S type switchers at the high end it must have the newer standard gear ratio.That is really not necessary for a switcher of this type. . I do think it does run very nice with moderate pulling power .It looks very nice the NH paint job is well done. Since I don`t run DCC I may see if there is room for weight to be added.