Atlas SD45's

[peteski]

If there is enough space in the hood. At 10mm wide, I'm not sure there is.

I believe that is exactly the issue with the ESU 5 micro is.  They are a bit too wide.

[learmoia]

I wonder if they will do a CNW non dynamic 45?

[ednadolski]

Isn't that better than out-of-scale, sloppily applied separate grab irons?

Why presume that it necessarily would be done sloppily?

As for out-of-scale, we all know that there are very few separately applied parts that are done in a truly scale size (and that is not limited to N scale). But again, why presume that it would have to be grossly out of scale, when some vendors have shown that it doesn't always have to be that way.  I give kudos (and my purchasing dollars) to them.

Molded-on parts OTOH never can or will be prototypical.

Ed

[wcfn100]

I wonder if they will do a CNW non dynamic 45?

If they did, it probably wouldn't have the nose bell.

Jason

[rrjim1]

Well I can't wait if I'm still here I will have all three sound equiped EL SD45s pulling my 1970s 20 car TOFC train.

[kscessandriver]

I believe that is exactly the issue with the ESU 5 micro is.  They are a bit too wide.

I guess I'm having a hard time thinking .5mm is the difference. An SD45 hood width is 7 feet (84 inches), so in N scale, that is roughly .525 inches (or 13.35mm). I'm not at home, so I can't measure, but someone could measure, what the thickness of an Atlas shell is normally.

But I suppose if it does indeed come down to .5mm, there is hope that one can make the ESU decoders fit. I just don't understand why everyone all the sudden is running to the SoundTraxx hot garbage.

[nkalanaga]

"An SD45 hood width is 7 feet (84 inches), so in N scale, that is roughly .525 inches (or 13.35mm)."

But how wide is the inside of the model shell?  The prototype is made of sheet metal.  Ours is thick plastic. 

[pedro]

"An SD45 hood width is 7 feet (84 inches), so in N scale, that is roughly .525 inches (or 13.35mm)."

But how wide is the inside of the model shell?  The prototype is made of sheet metal.  Ours is thick plastic. 

For comparison, an Atlas GP40 shell is 9.9mm inside dimension, measured at the rear end. Wall thickness .84mm.
Kato SD45 is 10.9mm.

[Specter3]

Nothing for me in this announcement except the anticipation that since they did a high hood version that Southern Railway units cant be too far down the road. So, looking forward to SOU units in a year or two. Well at least the ability to order them.

[kscessandriver]

"An SD45 hood width is 7 feet (84 inches), so in N scale, that is roughly .525 inches (or 13.35mm)."

But how wide is the inside of the model shell?  The prototype is made of sheet metal.  Ours is thick plastic.

That’s what I was asking someone to check on. I’m not at home with my models to measure, but other people have. If an Atlas shell of similar sized locomotive is 9.9mm, I don’t see the TSU-N18 fitting either. Maybe it’s a new decoder?

[ridinshotgun]

I just measured the width of the most recent release of the sd40-2w and the frame is 9.55 mm. 

The ESU 59828 lokpilot with a next18 connection should fit since it is 9.2 mm.

[packers#1]

I’ll probably end up with a BN one when it’s all said and done, but I won’t be preordering it

[sirenwerks]

I'd be less concerned with the nose mounted light than I would be about the 4 window cabs, to be honest.

ZGood catch, that GE-ish characteristic slipped my mind...

[basementcalling]

Bow down and kneel before your prototype width hood unit.


Anyone blaspheming Atlas for going with the narrower sound decoder can sacrifice their units by sending them to my address.


The MOST common complaint heard round these parts for years has been that N scale locos are too wide. And now Atlas solves that issue and people are upset they have to change decoder vendors?

See, if everyone still lived in a sound free DCC layout room none of this would be necessary. 

Glad to see someone decide to replicate a long since out of production classic. Time was, the mere existence of the Bachmann SD45s would have precluded Atlas from making their own version.

We've come a long way, baby.

[garethashenden]

Bow down and kneel before your prototype width hood unit.


Anyone blaspheming Atlas for going with the narrower sound decoder can sacrifice their units by sending them to my address.


The MOST common complaint heard round these parts for years has been that N scale locos are too wide. And now Atlas solves that issue and people are upset they have to change decoder vendors?

See, if everyone still lived in a sound free DCC layout room none of this would be necessary. 

Glad to see someone decide to replicate a long since out of production classic. Time was, the mere existence of the Bachmann SD45s would have precluded Atlas from making their own version.

We've come a long way, baby.

The ESU Nano is only 8.5mm wide. It would fit fine and yet Atlas went with a different vendor. If there truly were no other options then their decision is fine. But there’s an existing solution they chose not to use. Which will make it more work for those of us who want ESU decoders.