Bachmann GP7 on Atlas chassis?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

FWIW the 1996 and up Atlas GP7 (and GP9) is super easy to DCC ...

Is it? I thought it was only relatively recently that these mechs were converted to be DCC friendly.

[peteski]

Is it? I thought it was only relatively recently that these mechs were converted to be DCC friendly.

http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp79.html

He probably meant that one can use the TCS 2-light-boards decoder.

[Mark5]

http://spookshow.net/loco/atlasgp79.html

He probably meant that one can use the TCS 2-light-boards decoder.

Yeah

http://www.tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/N_Scale/Atlas/GP9/GP9%20with%20CN/Atlas_GP9_with_CN.html

I'm not sure how well these play with other decoders.

[robert3985]

Bump! Old topic, new question:
I'd like to do the opposite.... I have a set of nice but old DCC unfriendly Atlas Geeps that I never bothered to convert to DCC. I understand the new(ish) Bachmann GP7' run pretty good, come with a decoder, and they can be had new for under fifty bucks. Can the old shells be fitted onto the Bachmann mechs without too much trouble? Anyone done it?
Advice appreciated.
Otto K.

@Cajonpassfan   Otto, DCC-izing your old Atlas GP-9's and GP-7's is very easy with the TCS CN and GP two-board decoders which fit where the light boards are on the old chassis.  Requires a bit of soldering (just a bit) and the TCS instructions are exceptionally clear. 

Photo (1) - TCS CN decoder install in old Atlas GP-9:


If you want sound, then that's a completely different story! ....and I'll let @jdcolombo  tell that story!

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks guys! Appreciate the advice and info (although in typical Railwire fashion, no one actually answered the question I asked) I guess I was looking for an easy way out. Yea, I know it's easy, but when you layer on a hundred easy projects, it becomes too much, and these engines are way down on my priority list. And yes, Bob, I do want sound, at least one per two units (have four).
Otto

[peteski]

Thanks guys! Appreciate the advice and info (although in typical Railwire fashion, no one actually answered the question I asked) I guess I was looking for an easy way out. Yea, I know it's easy, but when you layer on a hundred easy projects, it becomes too much, and these engines are way down on my priority list. And yes, Bob, I do want sound, at least one per two units (have four).
Otto

If you want sound then you will have to make some heavy modification to any of the chassis mention here.  This doesn't answer your question again but it gives you a wider range of choices. 

[ns737]

Otto K. if you are referring to the atlas/kato gp7 or gp9 shell. they are the same width to the Bachmann shell. and the atlas/kato will fit on the Bachmann chassis.

[jdcolombo]

Hi Otto.

Actually, these days there are very small hard-wired decoders that you could use for an older Atlas GP7/9 frame in place of the TCS one.  The ESU LokPilot V.4 and the Zimo MX621 are both superb decoders, and either would fit on the "shelf" of the frame underneath the existing light boards.  If I were doing a non-sound DCC conversion today, I's use one of these over the TCS, and keep the light boards.  You would use the light boards for power pickup for the new decoder, cut the traces from the power pads to the LEDs, and wire the LED circuits on the light board to the decoder light outputs (IF you are OK with the color of the light from these older LED boards; if you find it too yellow, then either you would have to replace the LED or the TCS would solve that problem).  Doing this might take an extra 5 minutes over using the TCS, but my own view is that both the ESU and Zimo decoders are superior to the TCS, and the ESU decoder has the advantage of "playing nicely" with ESU Sound decoders in the event that you later would like to consist with a sound unit.

And speaking of sound in an older Atlas Geep frame:

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John C.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thank you John C., for taking the time to share your knowledge. Much appreciated, and I do agree with you on the ESU's, love the control. So it's now a question of how long before I get to it....
Thanks also @ns737.
Otto

[Mark5]

Yeah I was hoping JD Columbo would chime in.

Mark