hey all, I picked up 3 older Atlas SD35s and an SD24 for a good price at a swap meet a few months ago. Now that I have worked my way through several projects I'd like to install kadees on my units. The problem is, it appears that these locomotives have their NMRA/horn-hook couplers installed with a single pin in a shaft......no coupler boxes. Is there a reccomended Kadee coupler assembly that anyone has used with success on these old Atlas locomotives? It appears the draft gear and box assembly will have to be pretty short as the trucks are very close to the front and rear pilots. I know they are way behind in technology (probably 20 years old). Was 15 bucks a locomotive a reasonable investment? Thanks for the advice and reccomendations.
I have several Atlas/Roco engines, and they run very nice. The details are a bit clunky, but they can be replaced. I did that with the lift rings & grab irons on all of my engines. As for couplers, you'll need the Kadee number 7s. You'll need to do some filing work on the holes and coupler pockets, but it's necessary to get the coupler boxes to fit. Also, you may want to think about filling the gap in the fuel tank- I used body putty, sanded down smooth & painted over.
Pat, $15 each is definately a good price. I usually see them on eBay for about $25-35, depending on the roadname and model. I picked up a MILW GP40 at a show in Eugene last spring, and I think I paid $25 for it. Didn't notice any others at a price that low. I still think the orange is a bit too bright, but it's certainly a lower price than the new release GP40. The Kadee chart in my Walthers catalog is recommending a #37 coupler for all the older engines, except for the FP7 (#34 & 38). Pat
<font color="336633">I have 3 old Atlas/Roco units (2 SD24's 1 GP38) and I fitted number 38 couplers (as no snow plows were fitted) with a self tapping screw.
What's the difference between the number 7 and the number 37 couplers? IIRC, the 7 is an offest shank type.
Yes, filling in those unfortunate gaps really helps. I have been running several of these engines for years. Among them a foursome of GP40s in that great Rio Grande design with the large lettering. Had to work on the numbering a bit. One problem that has arisen is breakage of the truck frames. No way to glue them, unfortunately. So be careful.
I have several old Atlas/Kato (yellow box made in Japan) Alco C424 and C425. They had that stupid pin too. I ended of drilling out the hole and tapping it. I believe I used a 2-56 Tap and Drill set and a pin vise. I found these engines to be excellent runners, and I converted them all to DCC using a NCE DASR decoder in them. I only screwed up one installation and ended up making the motor useless. However, I quickly and cheaply fixed this. The Chinese built motor that was put in the GP40's and other Atlas models is a perfect swap for the kato motor used in the C424/C425. The motor matches the old Kato motor in speed and performance and you can't tell which has the Kato and which one has the Chinese built motor.
How do I go about removing the truck frames I've pried in places to the point where small areas of the plastic has started to bend. I opted to quit so I don't bust them, but need to paint the side frames from that glossy gray mud color to a flat black. Thanks
Assuming you are referring to the Roco /Atlas models: The truck frames are a one unit "ring". They are fixed longitudinally. Hold the engine upside down. You now need to insert a screwdriver into the indentation next to the fuel tank. Pry the tab from under the visible (darker) nose and the whole frame should come off. The plastic is a bit on the brittle side, so be careful. There is no way to glue it together if it breaks.
