Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

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This review was taken from the January, 2002 issue of Model RailroadNews and is reproduced with permission of Lamplight Publishing, Merlin, OR.

ATLAS HO DASH 8 BW DIESELS

Review by Michael J. Pratt

Atlas’ newest diesel locomotives in its HO scale, Atlas Master series is General Electric’s Dash 8-40BW and Dash 8-32BWH. Atlas Master series locomotives feature Atlas’ Dual Mode DCC decoder, allowing them to run on both conventional, analog layouts, as well as those equipped with Digital Command Control.

The Dash 8-32BWH locomotives are being offered for: Amtrak (red, blue, white, silver, gray, black), Amtrak (Phase IV scheme), Amtrak California (blue, silver, yellow, orange), and undecorated. Atlas’ Dash 8-40BW road names include: Santa Fe (red, silver Warbonnet), BNSF (red, silver), and BNSF (Premium Heritage). Undecorated models in both standard cab roof and gull wing cab roof are also being offered. (BNSF models feature gull wing cabs.)

GE’s Wide Cabs

GE’s Dash 8 series of locomotive brought to the forefront the angular shapes that so identify the company’s modern diesel power. The large rear radiators along with the angled cab and nose are especially prominent on the Dash 8-40B and its derivatives.

Following the production of Dash 8-40B locomotives, General Electric began producing the same basic locomotive with a wide, North American safety cab. Known as the Dash 8-40BW, the 4,000 horsepower locomotive uses the same 16-cylinder, FDL-16 prime mover as the Dash 8-40B.

Other similarities of the two locomotives include the same total length of 66’-4”, and the use of floating bolster trucks on the same truck center measurement of 40’ 1-1/2”. One spotting difference between the Dash 8-40B and 8-40BW, other than the cab, is that the dynamic brake ventilation openings have moved from the rooftop to a side-mounted position directly behind the wide cab. To the rear of the left side cab is a vented box for the Dash 8-40BW’s cab air conditioning unit, a feature not found on the 8-40B.

Production of the Dash 8-40BW ran from October 1990, through April 1992. During that time, a total of 83 units were constructed. Santa Fe became the first, and only customer for the B-B truck, North American safety cab equipped locomotive. These locomotives can now be seen in Burlington Northern Santa Fe’s green and orange, or as BNSF’s version of the Warbonnet.

GE’s Dash 8-32BWH is based on the same frame as the 8-40B and 8-40BW, and also measure 66’-4” in length. These locomotives were built with passenger service in mind. Constructed in December 1991, only 20 units were built.

Due to weight limitations imposed by Amtrak, the Dash 8-32BWH is equipped with a 12-cylinder FDL engine rated at 3,200 horsepower. This change in weight resulted in a closer spacing of the trucks, making them approximately 6” closer together. Another difference with the passenger version is the inclusion of a second alternator. This second unit serves as hotel power for the passenger cars.

Two Atlas Masters

Like Atlas’ Dash 8-40B, the new Dash 8-40BW and 8-32BWH models are loaded with detail. As with the previous offerings, all rivet, grill, and hatch detail is superbly done. The top of the cabs feature antenna, grab iron, and finely molded anti-skid pattern. The other end features metal grill work for the radiator, as well as single grab iron.

Both roof tops are identical, with the exception of certain details on the Amtrak Dash 8-32BWH: a second blade antenna mounted on the long hood; a forward facing, five chime horn; a larger exhaust stack, and a blank panel on the radiator grill.

Nicely done grill work, doors, hinges, and latches are molded on the shell sides. All grab irons on the shells are made from formed wire. The walkways feature finely done safety tread. The hand rails and stanchions are molded in flexible plastic with an average cross section of .018”, or 1.56 scale inches.

Moving to the cab we find separately molded windshield wipers on each front and rear window. The nose features six top mounted grab irons and two sand filler hatches. Five grab irons are located in front of each nose. The Dash 8-40BW features a window in the nose door. No window is in the Dash 8-32BWH’s door, but the nose does feature two painted class lights.

The rears of both models differ more than the fronts. The sand filler is located below the rear light on the Dash 8-32BWH, and on top of the long hood of the Dash 8-40BW. The 8-32BWH has class lights, the 8-40BW has them plated over. The 8-40BW has numberboards (though painted over on the Santa Fe unit), and the 8-32BWH has its roadnumbers painted on. The 8-40BW features rear grab irons, the 8-32BWH has none.

Another difference between the models is located under the frame. The Dash 8-40BW features an angular fuel tank that occupies a sizable area between the trucks. The Dash 8-32BWH features a small, rounded fuel tank hanging behind equipment compartments.

Both models ride on floating bolster trucks. Single brake cylinders with piping are included on each truck. Speedometer cabling runs from the rear journal of the left front truck. The sanding lines that appeared on the Dash 8-40B make a second appearance on the new models.

Atlas has included the same style of brake chain as on their Dash 8-40B, this time on the left rear truck to coincide with the brake wheel mounted on the left rear of the long hood. I think the chain is still oversized. The ends of the chain are fastened by small hooks molded into to the plastic allowing the shell to be removed easily. A fine tweezers is needed to fasten the chain back into its proper place (or to allow a finer chain to be used).

Like the Dash 8-40B, each end of the Dash 8-40BW an 8-32BWH models feather MU cabling and coupler cut bars. The front pilot features a snowplow with plastic grab irons on the top edge. A large red trainline is included on both ends of the models.

Modelers will need to add the front and rear handrails, and cab sunshades. These are taped to the bottom of the model’s Styrofoam tray. You may need to enlarge, or at least chamfer the holes for these add-on parts. I found the pins of the handrails and sunshades to be a tight fit. Atlas has factory equipped each model with Accumate magnetic couplers, X2f couplers are also included.

In case you think there is nothing for a modeler to add, look carefully at the front pilot. The front pilots of both models feature lens equipped ditch lights. No bulbs are included, but they can be easily added – Atlas has provided clearance for ditch light bulbs behind the pilot.

Truck centers measure very close to 39’-9”, closer to the Dash 8-32BWh (39’ 7-7/8”), than the 8-40BW (40’ 1-1/2”). The difference between the two prototype truck center measurements is 5-5/8” – in HO, between 1/16” and 5/64” (0.0646” or a gnat’s behind). In an attempt to have these two versions more accurate, would you be willing to pay the extra for tooling a wheelbase difference of 1/16”? I didn’t think so.

The two new Dash 8 models are yet another example of Atlas’ commitment to excellence in assembly and paint work. The more you look at these models, the more you find. In writing this paragraph, I noticed five grab irons on the rear of the air conditioning unit. The Dash 8-32BWH Amtrak scheme features one grab painted blue, another white, and the top two red! Our other sample, a Dash 8-40BW for Santa Fe, features them all painted in ATSF yellow.

The Santa Fe Warbonnet Dash 8-40BW follows the prototype almost precisely, even down to the Old Glory on the side of the nose worn by some units. The silver is nice and fine, not coarse as on some older models. The red is deep and the yellow bright. The only places I could find that could possibly be improved are a few spots in the large Santa Fe that did not completely fill the gaps between the side panels, and the lack of black gaskets around the windows (they are printed around the rear numberboards!). But these are pure nit-picks because I couldn’t find anything else!

The Amtrak Dash 8-32BWH is striking red, white, blue, dark gray, and silver. Everything from the frame down is black. Again, a work of art with clean color, fine stripes, and separately colored grab irons. The large red, white, and blue striping on the loco sides is typical Amtrak, and matches the prototype.

Both locomotive schemes feature numberous warning labels and other small lettering, including two warning labels on the underside of the radiators! Both models feature nicely done GE builder’s plates. The Amtrak unit only has the plate on the right side of the cab, with an open frame on the left side. Prototype photos show only a plate on the right side, but it is difficult to tell about the open frame. Nice of Atlas to catch this paint detail, though. The open cab features the same steam era figures as did Atlas’ Dash 8-40B.

Under all this glitz is Atlas’ five-pole, skewed armature motor with dual flywheels. The setup is the same as the Dash 8-40B; die case frame, eight wheels that provide electrical pick up and power to the tracks, and the decoder board can be accessed under the radiator grill insert.

The two locos made a venture over to John Sipple’s layout for some fun and testing. The locomotives weight 18.5 ounces each. Performance was identical for both samples. Starting voltage is typical Atlas (i.e. superb), and ranged from 1.05 to 1.2 volts @ 0.07 amps. The sample locomotives can maintain a constant motion around the oval shaped test track, with 18” – 24” radius curves, with only 1.1 volts from the throttle. Scale speed at this setting is roughly 4 miles per hour. At twelve volts, the locomotives moved along at approximately 65 smph without a train.

But how do they do pulling a train? Though the tests were performed on level track, the train was stretched around two 24 inch radius curves for a total turn of 180 degrees. Each loco could pull, without slipping, a train of 23 cars, with a total train weight of 100.35 ounces (not counting loco). All cars are NMRA weighted; most for 40 footers, but there are a few 50 footers as well. Keep in mind that the train is not traveling in a straight line. I agree with John that this is a very valid test. With a total train length of 144.5”, not many layouts could accommodate a totally straight train.

Adding one more car to the train (103.85 total ounces) made the locos slip, but still moved the train. Another car added to the train (107.85 ounces) resulted in stalling the train. It should also be noted that an Atlas GP40 which weigh in at 17 ounces – 1.5 ounces less than the Dash 8 – produced comparable results but with one less 40 footer, reducing the car counts by one, train weights by 4 ounces, and train lengths by 6 inches.

Gear noise is almost nonexistent in the two samples tested. Both locomotives are evenly matched with each other, as well as with the Dash 8-40B models reviewed earlier. The directional headlights are dim, only showing a faint glow at 5 volts.

All tests were conducted on DC track, but switching to DCC operation is simple. By removing the grill insert, you gain access to the decoder jumper plug. Remove the jumper plug by pulling it straight up, then replace it according to the included diagram. The Dual-Mode Decoder is preprogrammed to match the last two digits of the locomotive’s roadnumber. The models come factory set for analog operation.

Atlas’ new HO Dash 8-40BW and 8-32BWH add themselves to an already impressive list of models available from the New Jersey company. Both rival the previous Dash 8 models in detail and performance, and outgun almost all of the competition. The phrase “almost all” is used because I have not seen everything, but I’d love to see anything that surpasses these latest offerings from Atlas.

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