Atlas C628s/C630s with SOUND now?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Atlas just announced their March announcements, and the new run of their centuries has sound:
http://www.atlasrr.com/NLoco/nc628c.htm

Neato!

[Mark5]

Atlas raising the bar!

Looks like the normal version even includes the speaker?
Atlas Master® Silver version is Sound Ready and equipped with speaker for easy conversion to DCC sound

Mark

[bdennis]

I assume these are Loksound decoders in the new C628's
I wonder if the frame has been changed to accommodate the decoder and speaker?
I already have 4 x D&H C-628's but a factory Loksound equipped C-628 would sound awesome if the S-2 is anything to go by..

I wonder if the decoder can be placed into the earlier release loco's.??

Paul from Atlas??

[coosvalley]

Awesome!

[MichaelWinicki]

The charge card is pleased there's no PRR or PC in this batch. 

[MK]

...yet. 

[C855B]

Looks like the normal version even includes the speaker?
Atlas Master® Silver version is Sound Ready and equipped with speaker for easy conversion to DCC sound

Velllllly intellestinkt. This means, possibly, the frame has been reworked to add a speaker box. This is: 1) bad, because this loco was not the best puller to begin with, and reducing chassis weight with a speaker cutout will not help the cause, and 2) good, this means the speaker box can be replaced with a box full of tungsten cubes. Looking forward to trying!

[jdcolombo]

I suspect that Atlas has done what Intermountain did for the SD40-2: put a speaker in the fuel tank area.  The announcement says that the sound version has six function outputs and that the non-sound units can be converted.  We had previously discovered (and ESU has since confirmed) that the IM board had six function outputs; it's the only sound decoder I know of that can fit in an N-scale hood diesel that has six outputs.  This means that it is highly likely Atlas is using a version of the ESU board designed for the IM SD40-2 in this model, and from a manufacturing perspective, the obvious place to put a speaker is in the fuel tank area, just like the IM SD40-2.  It does mean that those not interested in sound could presumably remove the speaker and fill the hole with lead or tungsten for greater weight if they wished to do so.

I do hope Atlas does a somewhat better job with the speaker than IM did.  IM's implementation wasn't too bad, but it could be improved:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=41074.0

John C.

[eja]

Some road names are noted with the a disclaimer  †These models do not have details specific to prototype M630 Models .

For those prices one might  ask, "Why not?"

[basementcalling]

Some road names are noted with the a disclaimer  †These models do not have details specific to prototype M630 Models .

For those prices one might  ask, "Why not?"

Because that's the cost for a sound equipped or sound ready unit.

Not my era, and glad of it. I don't want less pulling power from a speaker cavity in the frame. Now if Atlas really wants to step up, offer a milled frame replacement piece to plug the sound box hole for those of us not interested in sound.

What's the MSRP on the sound ready versions? $129 for a non DCC engine ain't so bad, but if I want DCC with no sound with ESU lock sound board be the only decoder option?
If so, nope nope nope no sales here.

[BCR 570]

Some road names are noted with the a disclaimer  †These models do not have details specific to prototype M630 Models .

For those prices one might  ask, "Why not?"

The M-630 is a different carbody.  There was certainly a case for at least providing the correct Dofasco trucks, given the number of Canadian C-630Ms.  The wrong trucks were a deal breaker for many Canadian modellers.


Tim

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The charge card is pleased there's no PRR or PC in this batch. 

Truth. A PRR one has been on my watch list for a while.
It amuses me, for an engine that I actually think looks kinda dumb, I have way more GP30s that I should!

[reinhardtjh]

Atlas created a Facebook Photo album for the new ALCo C628/C630 on June 15th.  No information with the photos but it can be assumed they are painted, pre-production samples of the upcoming releases.

http://www.facebook.com/pg/atlastrains/photos/?tab=album&album_id=10156861030515110

There is a comment that they should ship from Atlas in early July. 

[jdcolombo]

Crap.  I may have to buy one just to see how they did the sound installation.

Well, at least it's an ALCo and should sound interesting!

John C.

[reinhardtjh]

I've got 6 or 7 of the older 630's I acquired for building the WNY&P's ALCo fleet.  I have to decide if I want to sell them and get the new chassis.