Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

HO TRAIN MASTER HAS ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES

MODEL RAILROADER – January 2005

Reviewer: Jim Hediger, Senior Editor

This Train Master heavy-duty diesel locomotive is the first Atlas HO scale model to include a sound system, which adds even more realism to the smooth-running mechanism and superb detail we’ve come to expect from Atlas. These models include railroad-specific details and come ready-to-run in DC and DCC (Digital Command Control) versions.

Fairbanks-Morse introduced the prototype model H-24-66 Train Mater locomotive in 1953, and it started a horsepower race that went on for the next decade. In this FM model designation the H indicates a hood-type carbody, the 24 is its horsepower (2,400), and 66 means 6 motors on 6 axles.

The Train Master remained in production through June 1957, with 107 units completed at FM’s Beloit, WI plant and 20 built for Canadian Pacific by the Canadian Locomotive Co. at Kingston, Ont., Canada. They were sold to ten original owners, including Virginian (25), Canadian Pacific (21), Reading (17), Southern Pacific (16), Central RR of New Jersey (13), Delaware, Lackawanna &Western (12), Pennsylvania (9), Wabash (8), Southern (5), and Canadian National (1).

The Train Masters were monsters, weighing between 375,000 and 394,000 pounds (an EMD GP9 weighed about 250,000 pounds). Most Train Masters were used in heavy freight service, but the Lackawanna, Reading, and Southern Pacific units spent many years hauling commuter trains.

The model matches the prototype drawings published in the Model Railroader Cyclopedia: Volume 2, Diesel Locomotives.

Atlas provides a two-sided sheet of exploded isometric drawings which show how the locomotive is assembled. Five different body shells are used to produce models with specific prototype details. Most of the body parts are highly detailed styrene, but the fine railings are made of flexible acetal plastic for better durability. The only parts left for the user to install are the end railings and drop steps, which press-fit into the body.

The radiator fan grills have an excellent see-through effect that’s also used on the corner steps and pilot footboards. All of the hood doors have individual latch handles. The windows, number boards, and lenses in the headlights and classification lights are clear styrene.

Mechanically, the Train Master follows the successful Atlas pattern of starting with a heavy, zinc alloy frame. A can motor, fitted with a pair of turned-brass flywheels, is mounted in the middle to drive both truck gearboxes through acetal plastic universal shafts.

Each truck has an acetal plastic gear case with metal contacts to pick up current with all of the wheels. The sideframes are an interesting combination of superb acetal plastic castings with metal springs. Under close inspection, they include the brake pipes across the top, sand hoses at both ends, and a speed recorder cable on the engineer’s side under the cab.

All of the blackened nickel-silver drivers have RP-25 wheel contours, and the wheelsets match the National Model Railroad Association gauge.

Accumate magnetic knuckle couplers are factory-installed at the proper height on both ends.

The built-in electronics offer a wide range of user choices. Plan to spend some time studying the 36-page owner’s manual which explains how everything works. It also includes capsule summaries of initial DC (analog), DCC, and sound operation. Later chapters cover the more-advanced programming procedures.

Atlas Master Gold Series locomotives include a QSI Sound system, which can be programmed on either DCC or DC systems, and an automatic dual-mode decoder that senses which power system is in use. All of the sounds associated with a diesel locomotive are produced automatically, and individual items may be activated by pressing a function key. The sounds produced have a volume adjustment up to 86 decibels.

The bell and horn are provided along with sounds of the diesel engine idling and changing speeds, an air compressor starting and occasionally venting, coupling noises, shutter opening and cooling fans switching on, a dynamic brake whine, and squealing flange or braking noises. An interesting A-shaped frame holds the dual speakers that provide a doppler effect.

The dual-mode decoder conforms to the NMRA DCC standards and can be programmed for 14-, 28-, or 128-step speed control (28 steps is the default setting). It uses function keys F1 through F12 (F10 produces a verbal speed reading in scale mph). The decoder supports advanced consist control, extended addressing and all forms of programming specified in NMRA Recommended Practice 9.2.3.

In case of a DC or DCC programming error, Atlas has included a magnetic wand that will reset the locomotive to its factory default settings without disassembly.

Performance. Using the default settings, the H-24-66 started moving on 8.5 volts DC and ran smoothly at 1.9 scale mph. Its top speed of 83 mph is close the prototype’s maximum 79 mph with passenger gearing. The drawbar pull is equivalent to 62 free-rolling freight cars on straight and level track. Note that this high starting voltage is typical of DC-mode sound systems, but the model can be reprogrammed to a lower starting voltage if desired.

Our sample Train Master came superbly decorated in the DL&W’s classy three-color passenger paint scheme. All of the colors were smoothly applied with sharply defined edges between them. The lettering includes numbers on both ends and in the number boxes.

Adding the sound dimension to Atlas’ superb railroad-specific detailing and ultra-smooth operation clearly put these big FMs at the head of their class.

HO Train Master Features
Accumate magnetic knuckle couplers (proper height)
Directional lighting
Dual turned-brass flywheels
Etched-metal radiator grills
Five-pole skewed armature can motor
Heavy die-case metal underframe
Individual hood door handles
Metal springs on trucks
NMRA eight-pin DCC socket
Painted crew figures
Railroad-specific details
Separately applied detail parts
Windshield wipers

Atlas HO Train Master
Prices: Silver Series, $139.95; Gold Series with dual-mode decoder and QSI sound, $249.95

Manufacturer
Atlas Model Railroad Co. Inc.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205-1102
www.atlasrr.com

Description
Plastic and metal ready-to-run locomotives. Silver series is DCC ready. Gold series includes
automatic dual-mode DCC decoder and sound
Road Names (two unit numbers each and unnumbered)
• Phase 1a (single headlight with small number boards)
Erie Lackawanna (black and yellow
Fairbanks-Morse Demonstrator
Lackawanna (gray, maroon, and yellow)
Wabash (blue, gray, and white)
Undecorated
• Phase 1b (dual headlights with small number boards)
Southern pacific (black, silver, and orange,
SP (gray and red)
Virginian
Undecorated
• Phase II (single headlight with large number boards)
Canadian Pacific (maroon, gray, and yellow)
Jersey Central (dark green)
Pennsylvania
Reading (dark green)
Undecorated