I've done four of thes Atlas/Kato HO RS-2/3. FWIW, I cut down one of the removable weights about 1/3", bored four holes through it and attached the speaker firing down through those holes. I used a Soundtraxx AT100LC decoder since that was all that was available at the time.
With mine, the headlamps were lucite pieces set into a groove in the weights. I used LEDs and set them just as close to the lucite piece is I could get it on the one weight that wasn't modified. On the end where the speaker sits, I cut the lucite down so it just fit into the shell, polished the dickens out of it and glued an LED to the top of the shell just behind the cut-down piece. This requires a separable plug to allow you to remove the shell for access to the motor and electronics.
You will notice that I did not mention a speaker enclosure. If you choose a speaker that will just fit inside the shell and on top of one of the weights, the shell is such a close fit that there is no need for an enclosure. Once you affix the speaker to the weight (I used that blue tacky stuff sold for temporarily sticking notes or posters to walls) the sound is essentially separated one side from the other.
Lest you think this is an original approach, it is not. Bruce Petrarca of Litchfield Station recommends this method for this particular locomotive on his web site.
BTW, the Soundtraxx LC decoder DOES NOT work well with the motors of either Kato or Atlas. After putting up with assorted motor buzzing noises, I finally disconnected the LC from the motor and installed a TCS M-1 decoder for motor control. Buzzing problem solved and the motion of the loco now is superb. The LC is relegated to sound control only.
Fooling around with CV29 settings allows you to change CVs in either decoder without difficulty. To read how this is done, go to Tony's Train Exchange and look for the nomograph on installing two decoders in the same loco.
Jay, I appreciate your suggestions. This is a first go around for me (read learning experiment), so pratical suggestions like that are greatly appreciated.
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
A couple of tips on soldering and wiring.
After removing the insulation from the wires, twist the strands tightly together, apply a little flux to the wire and then "tin" the wire with a little solder, then trim the tinned wire back to about 1/8" to 1/4" before making the final connection. This will make for neater work and reduce the chances of a short. The exposed wire should be about the same length as the pad it's being soldered to. Whenever possible cover any exposed connections with shrink tubing. Use tubing sized to snuggly fit over the connection (before it's heated). I use a lighter with sort of a waving motion to shrink it down.
I would also shorten the motor leads by 1/3, it'll make it easier to tuck them out of the way. Keep all wires as short as possible, there's not a lot of room inside that RS-3 shell.
Those older ATlas units had a light bulb in the center with 2 lightbars directing the light to headlights. You will need to cut those lightbars back to make room for the 2 LEDs. After cutting them back the ends have to be sanded with up to 800 grit and then polished, to polish I rub the end on a Post-It pad until the end is all nice and shiny again. You'll also need to make clearence holes/notches through the speaker baffle to pass the lightbar through. This will probably be the hardest part of the whole job.
BTW, that round thing connected to the speaker wire is a capacitor, not a resistor.You can shorten the wires coming out of it to about 3/8" and don't forget the shrink tubing on those leads as well. At the circuit board end, the speaker wires should be tinned and inserted in the holes and soldered and cut off the excess from the bottom side of the board.
Good luck and have fun!
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
ShawneeHawk wrote:Thanks for the link and photos, Scarpia. This is a conversion I'll need to make some day on my Atlas RSD 4/5; the light board and guts look identical. I may opt to install the new Quantum Revolution decoder, however. What did you end up doing with the lights and the light bars inside the shell? Did they need shortened or modified?
Thanks for the link and photos, Scarpia. This is a conversion I'll need to make some day on my Atlas RSD 4/5; the light board and guts look identical. I may opt to install the new Quantum Revolution decoder, however.
What did you end up doing with the lights and the light bars inside the shell? Did they need shortened or modified?
I haven't gotten there yet, I just ordered LEDs and resistors last friday.
I hate to double post, but even though this is already in the general discussion, I thought someone down the road might not think to search there for DCC conversion work.
I just finished the first part of a DC to DCC with sound conversion of an Atlas RSC-2 (RS3) that took a dive off of my layout to the hard, cold, concrete floor. This is my first attempt at a job like this; not to mention that my soldering skills are pretty basic.
There is a page with my conversion work, and a link to quicktime video (4mb) of the finished product (well, finished at this moment).