Atlas Model Railroad Co. Product Review

ATLAS GIVES N SCALE AN ALCO C628 LOCOMOTIVE

MODEL RAILROAD NEWS – July 2004

Review by Dave Otte

Alco C629 Diesel Locomotive: MSRP: $104.95 w/o decoders, MSRP: $134.95 w/decoder

Atlas Model Railroad Co.
378 Florence Ave.
Hillside, NJ 07205
908-687-0880
Fax 908-687-8857

No one can complain that Atlas Model Railroad Company is scale biased. Producing models in O, HO, and N scale, they have offered model railroaders an array of distinctive locomotives based on good solid research and development work. Level of detail, where possible, and accuracy are not unique to any one scale either, as Atlas puts as much creativity into their N scale models as they do their larger O scale models. A good example of this is the manufacturer’s recent release of the American Locomotive Company’s C628 diesel locomotive in N scale. Our investigation of this new product revealed Atlas’ use of several carbody shells reflecting different production phases as well as railroad specific details, all in an effort to deliver to the 1/160 scale fan a faithful rendering of this six-axle Alco.

Alco’s C628
The early 1960s was an era of milestones for second-generation diesel locomotives. The economy as well as railroad operations had changed dramatically since the industry’s post World War Two transformation from steam to diesel. The cost of doing business was up and the amount of freight that railroads had been hauling during and immediately following the war was on a decline due to raising competition from trucking companies. This eventually translated into the railroads changing their locomotive requirements from multiple low horsepower diesels to more powerful single units. Thus the horsepower race was on, a race that would see the demise of several manufacturers, and a contest which still continues to this day.

A relatively newcomer to the road diesel locomotive market, but no stranger to the industry, General Electric set the tone for second generation diesel development with their release of the 2500 horsepower four-axle U25B and six-axle U24C locomotives in 1960 and 1963. EMD countered with their 2250 horsepower GP30 and existing 2400 horsepower SD24 introduced in 1959. Fairbanks Morse never did quite recover from their problems with their early 1950s release of the rather poor selling H24-66 Trainmaster and was basically out of the diesel locomotive building business by now. However, Alco, who had been pushed into the number three spot by GE, fought back hard in hopes of regaining their prior position in the market place with the announcement of a new line of diesel locomotives in early 1963 – the Century series.

This new group of true second-generation diesels included Alco’s response to the six-axle high horsepower U25C and SD24, the C628. At 2,750 horsepower, Alco’s C628 put the company well over the top in the horsepower competition. The new design was powered by a turbo-charged 16-cylinder 251-C prime mover, which at full power operated at 1,050 rpm. The 69-foot long 350,000-pound locomotive utilized a sealed carbody design that was also targeted for easy maintenance by providing numerous hatches for access to the engine, generator, radiator, compressors, and filters without the need for removing the entire hood. Advancements made with the introduction of the C628 also included transistorized wheel slip control and a slide-detection system that automatically reduced the power to the traction motors and, if necessary, initiated sanding when wheel slipping occurred. This combination of high horsepower and adhesion for maintaining consistent tractive effort allowed the C628 to change the notion of six-axle locomotives from one of low speed heavy haulers to fast freight engines.

Of the six-axle Century series locomotive designs that went into production (including the C630 and C636), the C628 was the best selling, with 186 units built including four Alco demonstrators. Constructed between 1963 and 1968, original US purchasers of the C628 were: Atlantic Coast Line, Delaware & Hudson, Louisville & Nashville, Lehigh Valley, Monon, Norfolk & Western, Pennsylvania, and Southern Pacific. An additional 46 units were delivered to Mexican railroads Ferrocarril del Pacifico, Ferrocarril de Chihuahua Pacifico and National of Mexico, as well as production of five C628s for Hammersley Iron in Australia.

The Atlas C628
To appreciate Atlas’ rendering of this Alco engine, we first need to take a look at the production phases of the prototype. Railfans have come up with three distinct phases: Phase I C628s had rain hoods over the central air intake grills, full angled cab fronts, and short access doors located on the long hood directly under the exhaust stack. Phase II models get a bit more complicated with two sub groupings. Phase IIa locomotives had no rain hood, but continued to be equipped with the full angled cab and short access doors, while Phase IIb C628s had tall access doors under the stack. Finally, Phase III units continued with the tall doors, but only the center windshield section of the cab was angled, allowing the front crew door to open out against the railing rather than against the nose as on the earlier phases.

Atlas, in their determination to bring out a model worthy of the prototype, has tooled several distinct carbodies to accommodate for Phase I, Phase IIa, and Phase IIb C628s. This covers the majority of C628s built, as only 26 Phase III models were manufactured an all of those went to Mexico. Furthermore, the parts diagram sheet included with our review sample indicated additional carbody shells within these phases with or without nose headlights as well as one or two sand filler hatches on the short hood. Picking up on other road specific details, Atlas has also created two different cabs, one with horizontal oriented headlights and another with a vertical headlight housing as well as sills with or without footboards on the pilot. The only US operation of C628s that cannot be represented at this point are those high short hood units owned by the N&W.

Besides offering all of these details, the 4.86-inch long model (over the pilots) is properly scaled in all the major dimensions that I checked. The plastic carbody shell features all the properly located access doors and hatches complete with the latches and hinges. These are complimented by the appropriate vents and grilles with screens, which have a crispness and depth that is impressive, to say the least, considering these details are all molded on the carbody. Likewise, all the handgrabs are present as well as coupler cut bars and MU hoses on the pilots. The sill-mounted handrails are separately applied with the end platform railings installed by the consumer. Clear glazing, air horns (specific for prototype), body mounted Accumate couplers, fuel tank assembly and the rain hoods (on Phase I models only) are the balance of the add-on parts.

Of special note are the C628’s six-wheeled trucks. All of the prototypes originally rode on Alco’s own Trimount design trucks first introduced on the RSD4. Primary suspension is provided for by coil springs and equalizer arms. Not noted for their smooth rides, they are unique in appearance, as compared to EMD’s Flexicoil trucks used on the SD24, and by the fact that the axles are not equally distanced apart from each other. Instead, the middle axle is spaced 5 feet 7 inches from one outer axle and 6 feet 11 inches from the other outside axle. The Atlas model displays this proper wheel spacing on their versions of the Trimount trucks, plus they have incorporated all the recognizable details of the suspension and brake system.

The internal assembly of the N scale C628 is almost identical to Atlas’ recent release of the SD24, with a split metal frame housing a can motor with dual flywheels. The DCC/light circuit board is mounted in between the insulated frame halves with contact strips installed on top of the frame, providing the electrical connection from the all wheel pickups through the frame to the board. Motor drive shafts turn all six-axles by way of a worm gear to truck gear tower assembly. Models may be ordered with or without a decoder.

Out of the box, our non-decoder equipped review sample didn’t run at all. From previous experience, I decided to pull the body shell off the frame and check the aforementioned contact strips between the circuit board and frame. I loosened up the frame screws and pulled the circuit board out. Sure enough one of the strips was not making proper contact with the board. After springing up the contact strip a bit, I reassembled the model and found it to respond to track power immediately.

Once running, the C628 ran very well. Low speed was clocked at an impressive .5 scale mile per hour while upper speeds exceeded the prototype’s average 70 mph. Relatively quite, its trade marked Scale Speed motor propelled the unit around our test layout’s 12.375-inch radius curves with ease and no derailments were encountered. Regarding the number of cars this model can pull, I began to encounter wheel slippage at about 23 freight cars, yet was able to add two additional cars before the locomotive’s movement was stopped completely on our level test track layout. Equipped with golden-white LEDs, the C628’s directional lighting system also worked well, illuminating all headlights as well as the number boards.

As far as decoration is concerned, the modeler has a list of roadnames from which to choose their C628. Available in two different roadnumbers each as well as non-numbered units, Atlas is offering this Century series model in the colors of the Phase I ACL, L&N, Pennsy, and SP C628s; the Phase IIa Delaware & Hudson units, and the Phaae IIB Lehigh Valley “Snowbird” Alcos. Undecorated models of each phase are available too.

Our sample came decorated for the Atlantic Coast Line who owned 11 of the 2,750 horsepower giants. In fact, the first C628 production unit was delivered to the ACL in August 1963. Numbered 2000-2010, the ACL C628s went on to operate on the Seaboard Coast Line and later under the ownership of the L&N until being retired in September of 1981. Our properly numbered 2004 sample looked quite distinguished in its all black paint and correctly displayed the rain hood and short access doors of a Phase I model, as well as the extra headlight and dual sand fill hatches on the nose. The unmarred finish was further enhanced by the perfectly straight, opaque yellow carbody and sill striping. The sharp graphics included fully readable ACL heralds on the cab sides and the company name accurately stretched out on the sides of the long hood, all in the proper aluminum paint. Finishing out the attire of this N scale locomotive with the V-shaped white safety striping on the lower portion of the pilots.

Final Thoughts
Whether you’re an Alcohaulic or not, the Atlas C628 really makes one feel appreciative of this manufacturer’s efforts to bring the best possible product to market – despite the scale. Although our sample had to be tweaked to get it running, I believe this was an isolated incident and the model is really a good performer. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give the Atlas C628 an overall rating of 9 with 10 being reserved for that theoretical perfect N scale model!