Atlas Mystery Locomotive

[nfmisso]

I believe that it is F-M....

[AntonioFP45]

Definetly not an EMD 645. The 645 is well known for the smooth "whine".

The DIESEL: sounds like an EMD 567. [;)]
The HORN: sounds like same exact 3 chimer that comes on the Broadway Limited E-7.[;)][8)]

The quality of the sound is phenomenal!

I hope you all forgive me for seeming "nit picky" but I hope that this particular 3 chime horn won't be the only one available in future Broadway or Atlas releases.

Last year I wrote Broadway and let them know that a lot of the prototype E 7s actually had the famous Leslie A200 horn which had a deep, mellow, "honnnnk", like geese. [8D][:D]New York Central, Southern Pacific, & Union Pacific E and F-units had honkers to begin with that were later replaced with newer styled multi chimed horns.

Recently I wrote Broadway and asked them what type of horn sound will the SD40-2
have as horns tend to vary from railroad to railroad even with the same model locomotive. Western roads seem to favor 3 chimers. 5 chimers are very common here on the east coast and Canada. The Nathan K5La is the most commonly used horn by CSX and Amtrak.

I realize that model locomotive manufacturers have to limit some options to keep costs down, but my intention here is to put the thought on the table so it could be considered as more models are produced. For those of us that like horn variety, we could give this input to the manufacturers when they post polls of what we would like in future releases.

For those of you that are intereted in diesel locomotive horn sounds, history, and their differences, just go to your search engine and type 5 Chime Horn Consultants. Good detail and sound samples also. You'll need Media Player. This is where I learned to identify horn sounds whenever I'm out railfanning. As a kid, I've always enjoyed the variety of locomotive horns that I heard.

[dave9999]

Hey Nigel,
I had a PATENT on this topic !!! I'll see you in court !!!! [8D] Dave

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AntonioFP45
[ [?] I wonder if Atlas has "partnered up" with QSI or Soundtraxx for the sound system? The quality of the sound is phenomenal!

QSI as stated in the poll question.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Hey Nigel,
I had a PATENT on this topic !!! I'll see you in court !!!! [8D] Dave

Hi Dave;

I created the poll because of your topic; I didn't want to wade through everyone's notes and explanation - guess I am lazy [:D][:D]

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave9999

Hey Nigel,
I had a PATENT on this topic !!! I'll see you in court !!!! [8D] Dave

Hi Dave;

I created the poll because of your topic; I didn't want to wade through everyone's notes and explanation - guess I am lazy [:D][:D]

Well you know what they say: Laziness IS the mother of invention. [8D]Dave

[ClinchValleySD40]

Definitely NOT EMD. And not GE. I'm guessing (hoping) Alco, but could be FM.
It is a four cycle engine.

[AntonioFP45]

Hello Clinchvalley, [#ditto]

[:)]You may have something there as far as FM (though the FMs diesels had a "throaty rumble" to them. There was an FM switcher at an industrial plant here in Tampa about 15 years back. Though faded, still had the Milwaukee Road colors on her!

Would be nice if it were Alco, but Alco's had a very distinctive sound. A railfan I know who likes Alcos coins it this way:
To identify An Alco by ear, just listen for something that sounds like a
"Harley Davidson on steroids with an upset stomach"

Basically ALCO 251 diesels emitted a quick "Diddy-Bump", Diddy-Bump", or "Huckety-Buck, Huckety-Buck" rythym, depending on running condition. Very distinctive as I've heard Alco's before in a working rail museum. When Alcos throttle up, they sound [{(-_-)}]LOUD and impressive! I believe it was railroad author Don Ball who said in one of his books that Alcos at full throttle sound like they're about to fly apart! [:0][:D]

I may be wrong, but as a teenager in the late 70s I used to spend hours watching Seaboard Coast Line GP7s, GE U-Boats, and EMD switchers. GE's tend to have a deep "chug" from the 4 cycle diesel. The old 567 series engine had a plain, steady rumble to it "da-da-da-da-da" when idling. Go to Broadway LImited's website and listen to the E7s sound sample.

I'm anxious to see what this unit is and only hope even more are models are quickly forthcoming. Peace!

[NevinW]

The most amazing thing about the announcement and the subsequent discussions is the certainty many people have about what they are hearing how much disagreement there is about what the sound represents. It shows just how subjective the sense of sound is. I really doubt that it is going to be another F unit or early Geep for economic reasons, so I predict it will be the SD24 or an FM. In all honesty, it sounds like a diesel but I couldn't tell you which one. - Nevin

[nfmisso]

OK; how many of you actually listened to the sound bites on the QSI website?

[Anonymous]

Only the other 2.

[AggroJones]

Blood, I don't think some one will bring out another F-unit. Even with sound.

I suppose it could be a Trainmaster. Thats one diesle that hasn't been done well. The Athearn units suck.

[AggroJones]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Blood, I don't think some one will bring out another F-unit. Even with sound.

I suppose it could be a Trainmaster. Thats one diesle that hasn't been done well. The Athearn units suck.

I was right! It is indeed a Trainmaster!

[dave9999]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Blood, I don't think some one will bring out another F-unit. Even with sound.

I suppose it could be a Trainmaster. Thats one diesle that hasn't been done well. The Athearn units suck.

I was right! It is indeed a Trainmaster!

Blood???? I haven't heard that since Huggy Bear on Starsky and Hutch. Can you say "Disco"?

[lupo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by AggroJones

Blood, I don't think some one will bring out another F-unit. Even with sound.

I suppose it could be a Trainmaster. Thats one diesle that hasn't been done well. The Athearn units suck.

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso

I believe that it is F-M....

[bow] Awesome that you guys can recognise that sound ! [bow]

[Anonymous]

Atlas's web site let the cat out of the bag Friday afternoon!
Curious though, why Atlas is starting with this unit. Why not something that was more mass-produced, like an early Geep or RS unit? [%-)]

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kbfcsme

Atlas's web site let the cat out of the bag Friday afternoon!
Curious though, why Atlas is starting with this unit. Why not something that was more mass-produced, like an early Geep or RS unit? [%-)]

Because:

• Every Alco RS and early EMD GP variant is already available in HO.


• There have been a very large number of requests for an HO FM TM.


• It is Paul Graf's favorite.


• Atlas has already done a N scale and O scale TM, and thus has all the data required.


• The ones Atlas did in the other scales sold very well, with three runs to date in N scale.


• There a large number of road names applicable to the TM.


• Except for Athearn and brass, the TM has not been done in HO.


• The TM is more popular and was used by more railroads than the Alco RSD7/15 or RSD12.

[lupo]

did UP use this FM TM locomotives?
it was not on the ATLAS listed roadnames

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nfmisso

QUOTE: Originally posted by kbfcsme

Atlas's web site let the cat out of the bag Friday afternoon!
Curious though, why Atlas is starting with this unit. Why not something that was more mass-produced, like an early Geep or RS unit? [%-)]

Because:

• Every Alco RS and early EMD GP variant is already available in HO.


• There have been a very large number of requests for an HO FM TM.


• It is Paul Graf's favorite.


• Atlas has already done a N scale and O scale TM, and thus has all the data required.


• The ones Atlas did in the other scales sold very well, with three runs to date in N scale.


• There a large number of road names applicable to the TM.


• Except for Athearn and brass, the TM has not been done in HO.


• The TM is more popular and was used by more railroads than the Alco RSD7/15 or RSD12.

Why not a low-nosed GP9[?][?][?] A large amount of them, built in the 50's are still soldiering on today with thier original high hoods removed. Atlas could do this up very nicely (alot better than that kluge that Walthers did, UGH![xx(]) . They could use the already existing GP7 chassis as a start.
I guess the whole thing is lost on me. [V]None of the roads I model ever had a TM. I guess I'll have to wait for Atlas to move on to another engine type.
(Low nose geep 9's pppppppplllllleeeaaaaasssseeee!!!!!!!!) [:)][:D][8D][;)][:p][:)][:D][8D][;)][^][^]]

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kbfcsme

Why not a low-nosed GP9[?][?][?] A large amount of them, built in the 50's are still soldiering on today with thier original high hoods removed.

Becasue they are all different, no two shops chopped the noses in the same way. Des Plaines Hobbies offers the cab and nose for one version.

[nfmisso]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lupo

did UP use this FM TM locomotives?
it was not on the ATLAS listed roadnames

No; they had some Erie-builts and H2044, which no mfg has yet done. The H-20-44 would be a great model with a significant number of paint schemes. The H15/1644 chassis has the correct truck spacing; maybe a shell mfg will do it to fit the Atlas chassis......PRR, AC&Y, N&W (post '64), P&WV,

http://sdrm.org/roster/diesel/d-up1366/
http://www.hosam.com/fm/fwhb.html
http://www.acyhs.org/gallery/photos/504-1963.jpg
http://www.acyhs.org/gallery/photos/h20-1949.jpg
http://www.northeast.railfan.net/diesel35.html

[lupo]

THANKS NIGEL!

[UPTRAIN]

Sounds like a FM to me.

[philnrunt]

Why don't they do this or why don't they do that....patience boys, this is a golden age for modeling, and it will only be a matter of time until someone is producing a model of ...oh, lets say Missabe unit 410, as it appeared on August 9th, 1962! (If you remember that was the day Bill the engineer wore his Bears cap.)
Is this a great time to be a model rail or WHAT?
Now if only I had the gold to take advantage of this golden age!