Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

GE DASH 8-40C LOCOMOTIVE: HO SCALE

RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN – December 2004

Review: Ken Goslett

Mfd. by Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205

Modern diesel locomotives, with their wide noses and comfort cabs, may be powerful looking but many are far from handsome. The leading builder, General Electric, produces brutal looking units that Norfolk Southern fans have nicknamed “catfish.” Catfish may be functional, but beautiful? Hardly?

Fortunately, one doesn’t have to look too far back to find a handsome, high-tech General Electric locomotive. The 4,000 h.p. Dash 8-40C, first outshopped in 1987 and still on the rails today, fits the bill. With outlines that are chiseled and angular, rather than rounded as on GE’s earlier U-Boat locomotives, the Dash 8-40C speaks of the modern age but with styling better balanced than the newer units.

The cab, air compartment, engine hood and radiator sections go together well. On the later Dash 8-40CW an increased height difference between the air and engine hood makes the two components seem ill-suited to use on the same locomotive, but on the standard cab Dash 8-40C the components complement each nicely.

The Dash 8-40C is my favorite modern GE locomotive. To catch one in the lead on Union Pacific, CSX or NS is always a delight. To dig back through slides and see lash-up of them on the CNW or Conrail brings back memories of “the catch of the day,” and now we have an excellent model of the Dash 8-40C in HO scale from Atlas that will create the same memories on a layout.

This Atlas locomotive is not the first HO Dash 8-40C model but it is arguably the best so far. It follows prototype dimensions and proportions faithfully. It doesn’t merely resemble the real thing it looks as good as the prototype does. The cab side windows are the correct size and in the correct place. Atlas has kicked the super-detailing trend up a notch, too. As modelers we’ve become accustomed to (spoiled by?) a wealth of added details on ready-to-run models. Separate grabs, thin handrails and wipers are all present on the new Atlas offering, but there are also a handbrake chain, sand hoses and a speedometer cable. With these additions, the model become something special. Atlas has out-done themselves.

Atlas builds more than one shell for their Dash 8-40C models. This is because the prototype units varied in their approach to dynamic brake exhaust. Some units had the dynamic brake exhaust grilles on the side of the car body, while others had them on the roof. Atlas makes both and applies the correct shell to the appropriate railroad paint scheme.

The model’s drive is equally impressive. The locomotive tips the scales at a hefty 17.4 ounces and is smooth, powerful and quite. At one volt the Atlas C40-8 begins to creep along the rails, drawing only 0.18 amps. Six and twelve volts bring 35 scale miles per hour and 60 s.m.p.h., respectively. A typical running current drain while pulling is 0.25 amps, and this rises to 0.50 amps at stall.

The “Silver” version comes without a decoder but is equipped with the eight-pin NMRA standard DCC plug. As such, it costs $30.00 less than the DCC and sound-equipped “Gold” version.

Should one wish to replace the magnetic knuckle couplers that com on the model, Kadee magnetic couplers easily fit in its coupler boxes, which are secured with a small Phillips screw. At the long hood end, a Kadee No. 5 or No. 58 can be used. The same is true of the short hood end; however, an extended shank Kadee No. 46 is a wiser choice if the model’s snowplow interferes with the trip pin of a freight car coupled to the locomotive.

Paint scheme offerings match the prototype owners, CNW, Conrail, CSX, NS and UP, and all are offered in multiple numbers. For the moment, the CNW models are decorated in the delivery scheme of “Zito” yellow; perhaps the darker yellow repaint scheme will follow. CSX units are available in the grey, blue and yellow scheme, but not yet in the “stealth” grey or “dark future” solid blue. No doubt they are on the way.

Just as progress comes to railroad locomotives, it comes to models as well. The Atlas Dash 8-40C is at the top of the heap. Silver versions are prices from $110.00 to $120.00, while the decoder-equipped Gold models vary from $140.00 to $150.00. Modelers have been waiting for a good, affordable model of this locomotive, and now they have it.