Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

Back to reviews index

This review was taken from the August 2002 issue of Model Railroading Magazine and is reproduced with permission of Highlands Station, Inc., Aurora, CO.

ATLAS GE B30-7 & B36-7

Review by Kent Charles

Just like the prototype Dash 7 line, Atlas has added medium horsepower B30-7 and high horsepower B36-7 locomotives to its earlier release of the B23-7. As noted in my July 2001 MRG review of the Atlas B23-7, GE introduced the Dash 7 series with the B23-7 in 1977 as the slightly modified successor to the U series of locomotives. Dash 7s can be distinguished from earlier U series locomotives by the “step” in the side of the long hood forward of the radiator section. Although designed to compete with the then-dominate locomotive line offered by EMD, neither the B30-7 nor the B36-7 met with great success. Total production of the B30-7s was 199 and the B36-7s was 222. Model designations for both engines follow the pattern established with the B23-7: B for two four-wheel trucks with all axles powered, and the 30 was for the 3,000-hp or 36 for 3,600-hp+ from the turbocharged 16-cylinder engine.

Original buyers of the B30-7s were C&O, SL-SF (Frisco), SCL, SP and Cotton Belt (SSW). Delivery of the B30-7s was between December 1977 and May 1981. Original buyers for the B36-7s were ATSF, Conrail, Seaboard, SP, Cotton Belt and Southern. Delivery of the B36-7s was between February 1980 and September 1985. Most of the C&O and all of the Frisco B30-7s were equipped with AAR Type B trucks; all other B30-7s and B36-7s rode on high-adhesion FB2 trucks.

There are no significant external spotting differences between the B30-7 and the B36-7. One of the main spotting differences between the B23-7 and the B30-7/B36-7 is the number of engine access doors. The 12-cylinder B23-7 only required two sets of three engine access doors on each side of the high hood. The 16-cylinder B30-7/B36-7 had two sets of four engine access doors on each side of the long hood. A few B30-7s and all B36-7s were built with the larger exhaust silencing stack required in 1980 by the EPA. The higher horsepower of the B30-7 and B36-7 was mainly intended to move short trains at high speed. Many of these locomotives were initially used for piggy-back and intermodal service. Reliability proved to be poor on many of the B30-7/

B36-7 unites. The worst examples of poor reliability were the 16 units leased to the Santa Fe in 1980. They only lasted ten years before being returned to GE for a complete rebuild. Two of these unites were subsequently leased to BC Rail; later, all 16 were sold to BC Rail. Some of these ex-ATSF units were then repainted into BC Rail’s red, white and blue scheme. Atlas has modeled original owner-success owner with the ATSF/BC Rail and the Frisco/BN engines.

Atlas continues the high standard that it established with past N-scale engines. The model uses a split-frame mechanism, five-pole motor with dual flywheels, and all-wheel pick-up. A number of parts are identical to those used on the B23-7, yet most of the large parts are all new. As with the B23-7, a large number of variations are available: two- and four-window cabs, high and low short hood, four different sills, two exhaust stacks and two truck styles. In spite of the parts list showing a high-nose shell, Atlas has not yet released a model of the Southern prototype. For each prototype modeled, Atlas has selected the appropriate parts from the above mentioned choices. Accumate® couplers are factory installed. A small parts bag holding Rapido couplers with springs and retainers is taped inside the blister pack that holds the engine.

One minor criticism, Atlas has used only one radiator-intake/dynamic-brake cover grille pattern located below the radiator “wings” for all models. This does not match the prototype on versions of B30-7s that I have pictures of. One suggestion to reduce this discrepancy is to darken the covers with a No. 2 pencil in the areas that match your prototype. Snowplows are factory installed on both ends of my Frisco sample, which does not match the as–delivered photos of Frisco units showing no plows. Atlas advertises the following factory-installed features: directional lighting, painted safety rails, blackened metal wheels, slower stepped motor that causes the B30/B36-7 to run at a slower speed than earlier Atlas models.

Both the DC and DCC versions come with bright white LED headlights. The DCC versions include a Lenz LE063XF decoder made especially for Atlas. Discussion with Lenz indicates that this board will not be available from Lenz, but Atlas shows it as a separate part. I have not seen this Lenz decoder offered separately at retail locations. The Digitrax DN146A decoder can be installed in this engine.

Painting and printing were equal to the high standard expected, a number of warning labels are printed on the long hood and battery compartments and white on black numbers are printed in the numberboards of the Frisco sample. Railroad-specific details such as cab air conditioners and special light packages are left for the consumer to add.

Atlas offers the following variation: Undecorated B30-7/B36-7 with flat or protruding headlight, AAR-B or FB-2 trucks, thin or fat anti-climber, button or knuckle battery box; BN B30-7; Chessie System B30-7; Cotton Belt B30-7; CSX B30-7; Frisco B30-7; BC Rail B36-7; and Santa Fe B36-7. Decorated units are available in two road numbers each and unnumbered and are available with or without a decoder.