Is an Atlas 2003 RS1 DCC ready?

[Avmus]

I just purchased a New Haven Classic RS-1 from ebay. According to the Atlas archive it looks to be from 2003. Is this DCC ready? I have a New Haven RS-3 that had a lightboard and I essentially just dropped in a Digitrax DH165A0 and it works great. I think that one was from 2005. Could I do the same with the RS-1? Any other suggestions for a drop in decoder? I don't want sound. Thanks so much

[G Paine]

Often the box from that timeframe will say DCC Ready if it is. Otherwis, the best thing would be to remove the shell and look for a DCC plug.

 As to  decoder suggestions check the Digitrax or NCE websites, they have decoder compatibility charts

[tstage]

Avmus,

I have an undecorated Atlas "Classic Series" RS-1 that I believe is from either of those years, which I installed a TCS A4X decoder into:

It's a direct board replacement for the lightboard that comes with the locomotive.  I removed the old lightboard and soldered the wires directly onto the A4X rather than use those black plastic retainer clips.  It runs nice and smooth.

The A4X will cost a little more than the Digitrax decoder but it has GREAT motor-control.

Tom

[BigDaddy]

ESU 58821 LokSound V5 DCC Direct Sound Decoder, ALCO

Go with sound and you will never be a hound.   

I guess Rap music won't be my second career.

[mbinsewi]

I wish ESU had a decoder selector like Digitrax.  The ESU web site is very confusing to figure out.

Mike.

[Avmus]

Thanks so much for this!!!! I seem to remember my Rs-3 board was labelled as RS-1 so it should be pretty much the same thing. 

I will check out the A4X for sure. I am back into the hobby after 20 years so DCC is fairly new to me. I have success with digitrax in converting 2 of my old blue boxes. 

I am always for for new things so thanks for the suggestions!!!

For some reason I haven;t been sold on sound yet. I love it in the videos I watch but for some reason I cant see it on my layout. Maybe once the scenery is more complete. 

[BRAKIE]

Avmus

Thanks so much for this!!!! I seem to remember my Rs-3 board was labelled as RS-1 so it should be pretty much the same thing.

There is a sound difference between the RS-1 and RS-3.

The RS-1 has a 6L 4 cycle Model 539T-6L prime mover where the RS-3 has a 4 cycle Model 244 V12 prime mover.

You could get by using the RS-3 decoder if you wish. I couldn't because I know the difference between the 539 and the 244 since I use to listen to Alco switchers(539Ts) and RS-3s (244s) idling on the old NYC in Columbus,Ohio in the 50s and 60s.

 

[rrinker]

 Yes, the board replacement form factor will work in those Atlas locos. They kept the same style innards when they changed from sourcing them from Kato.

 ESU doesn't really have a decoder selecter because they only have 2 types - one with wires, and one that is an Athearn/Atlas/etc board form factor. Either you swap the board if it has one, or you hard wire the decoder (the wired ones are available with different harnesses, so you CAN just plug them in when a loco has an 8 pin socket). Sound is a whole different ball game - the idea is to maximize the space for the speaker(s) and enclosure(s) for the best sound. Usually that is best achieved by hard wiring the decoder and removing anything unnecessary.

 To further add to the confusion over the RS1 and RS3, on my prototype, the first road switchers the Reading purchased were Alco RS3's. Since they were the first (R)oad (S)witcher type, naturally they were given class designation RS-1. GP7s were the third model road switcher purchased, so on the Reading, a GP7 was an RS-3. For completeness, class RS-2 were Baldwin AS-16s. 

 This seems to have confused some model companies (or else, this being back in the day when most weren't as picky as we are today, maybe they just didn't care) to letter models of the Alco RS1 for Reading

                                    --Randy

 

[blackpowder1956]

There is a great article in the NMRA magazine that just arrived today about converting an Atlas/ Kato RS-3 to DCC that would be worth your attention. It has a lot of good ideas to address your situation.