New Run Atlas C-630s with DCC Sound

[BCR 570]

I got a chance to look under the hood of one of the new Atlas C-630s at my local hobby shop this afternoon, and noticed a few interesting changes.  I knew from conversations with Steve Millenbach that the chassis was in for a re-design to accommodate the sound option.  Here is a quick phone photo:



Observations
The speaker is in the fuel tank area, facing upwards into the mechanism.  There are no holes in the enclosure or fuel tank.
Sound quality is good and comes pre-programmed for ALCO 251 prime mover.  Owner may need to re-program for air start for older C-630s.
Gone are the wipers between the frame and trucks.  In their place are flexible wires exiting the chassis and soldered to the tabs coming up out of the trucks.  Nice!
Gone are the screws and nuts holding the chassis halves together.  In their place are plastic clips at each end of the chassis.
Decoder sits on top of frame and slides in and out for maintenance of drive assembly.

Nice to see a model which has been around for a while get a significant upgrade.  From speaking with Steve, this will be the drill for most of the Atlas locomotive models.

I just wish they had taken the time and money to tool for the Dofasco trucks so that the Canadian road names can be offered more accurately.


Tim

[peteski]

Thanks for the info. This model is already being discussed in the Product Discussion section in https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=45190.0

Looks like this new chassis design is also being used in the new SD35 (discussed in the same section in https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=45158.0 ).
I'm not a big fan of using leads for connecting trucks to the chassis but Atlas' designers seemed to not mind it.

[mandealco]

Nice review Tim.  I'm not convinced that wires are the way of the future, but time will tell.  At least they are short and may not be subjected to a lot of movement.
Cheers
Steve

[Viperjim1]

If I recall BRoadway Limiteds has theirs done the asame way and some are having problems with bad solder joints or failed solder jobs, but I could be wrong. Just forwarding what I have heard.

[peteski]

If I recall BRoadway Limiteds has theirs done the asame way and some are having problems with bad solder joints or failed solder jobs, but I could be wrong. Just forwarding what I have heard.

Wires in models connecting parts which move are never a good idea, but I already griped about it enough in the other thread I linked to earlier.  Looks like this was done because the speaker placement is encroaching in the part of the chassis that would hold the power pickup strips. Hopefully in the future releases they will redesign the mechanism to go back to the proven and better wire-less design (which I highly doubt since they just redesigned it to adapt it to the ESU sound decoders).   

[MK]

I wonder if they used the ultra fine many stranded silicone wire (small gauge of course) to increse the flexibility.  We call these "wet noodles" in the radio control airplane world.  But we use them at much larger gauges (14-10) for lipo battery leads since we jam the battery into narrow fuselages and often need to "fold" the leads.

[scaro]

Though folk are justifiably wary of the wires, they sound like they'd make regauging easier.

[BCR 570]

My impression was that the wires were done well.  There are grommets at the chassis exit holes to prevent chafing, and I made sure to inspect the solder joints at the tabs on the trucks.  Yes, time will tell if this approach is viable, but the contact strips had their problems too so it is interesting to see this tried.

Tim

[C855B]

If I recall BRoadway Limiteds has theirs done the asame way and some are having problems with bad solder joints or failed solder jobs, but I could be wrong. Just forwarding what I have heard.

I haven't had issues with my BLI power just yet, but between two ScaleTrains.com turbines I had to resolder about five connections to pickup tabs, one having separated outright. Hand-soldering is an inexact process now rare in mass-production, and I suspect the assembly crew had to be specifically trained in the technique, down to learning which end of the soldering iron to hold. Hopefully not the hard way.

[Steveruger45]

My impression was that the wires were done well.  There are grommets at the chassis exit holes to prevent chafing, and I made sure to inspect the solder joints at the tabs on the trucks.  Yes, time will tell if this approach is viable, but the contact strips had their problems too so it is interesting to see this tried.

Tim

I’m with you on the wires Tim. For me both have there pluses and minuses  I actually fitted wires on some old locos some years ago instead of the contact strips and it did improve the performance issues I was having way back then on those old locos. I don’t have any of them now but I connected the wires for each truck side to the top of the frame one each corner to the appropriate tab on the then split dc boards.  It worked a charm.
I’m a little vague on how these wires on this and similar new Atlas releases mount to the frame.  I’m assuming they are ended with some sort of metal crimp that is pushed into their respective holes in the frame with a slight interference fit to make good contact.  If this is the case and they are too tight a fit, some damage may occur at future disassembly.  This could be limited or even solved completely by checking the fit to get it just right for ease of removal and good contact and putting a smear of something like NoOxId special A on that contact area before pressing them into the frame.

[peteski]

Though folk are justifiably wary of the wires, they sound like they'd make regauging easier.

Not sure how that would be so. They are still using the same trucks (with external axle-point bearing/electric pickup) and simply hand soldering the wires to the bearing plates on the nub which used to contact the flat pickup strip on the chassis. It is a kludge.

But it is what it is - we can gripe all we want and that will not change the design.  It is sad though to see the design taking a backward step. Ideally, the goal is to totally eliminate wires in the chassis.  They did just that with the motor and speaker connections, but added them to the trucks.

[drbnc]

Maybe an iterative step to a wireless design in the future.  Quick to do, use an older shell, add ESU decoder, and BOOM!  New model.  Good to see they are doing this, means the scale is seen as still profitable!

[peteski]

  Good to see they are doing this, means the scale is seen as still profitable!

Were there ever any doubts in your mind that the N scale is still profitable for manufacturers?!  There is a plethora of new models (and some reissues  of models) being produced. This wouldn't be happening if N scale was dying.  Still the 2nd most popular scale as far as I know. These are good times for N scalers.

[drbnc]

True, but ScaleTrains sez the sky is falling - not enough pre-orders for their unique choice of models.  So there's that.   

[peteski]

True, but ScaleTrains sez the sky is falling - not enough pre-orders for their unique choice of models.  So there's that.   

One new model, from one company. That is not "sky falling". Even with all the Intermountain cancellations, these are still the best times in N scale (even if some recent mechanism designs seem to be mowing backwards).