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Athearn and Atlas HO Scale RS3s - best of both

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  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 8 posts
Athearn and Atlas HO Scale RS3s - best of both
Posted by alcors350 on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 11:33 AM

The Athearn RS3 gets good reviews for the shell detail, the yellow box Atlas model with the Kato drive is a great runner. Has anyone married the Athearn shell to an Atlas yellow box drive and frame?  Or to the Classic Atlas which was made in China?

Tags: Alco RS3 , HO Scale
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 6:13 PM

 I have a ton (well, about a half dozen) of the Atlas/Kato RS-3s, undec. I have a spare Athearn RS-3 shell, too (from a chassis that was a mess and needs a lot of work to get to run, the shells may be nice, but the mechanisms need some help). I suppose I could see - the Athearn shell though would need as much work as the Atlas shells, since it was a case of "buy whatever was available" to swap on the shell I had with the poor mechanism, so it needs to be stripped and it has the wrong prototype specific details.

 My new Atlas RS-3 is quite well detailed, other than still having the wrong horn - the Athearn ones at least got a closer, but still not right, horn. On the Athearn, I just need to change the horn itself, the bracket projecting from the cab roof is right. On the Atlas, I need the bracket AND horn, since they just have single note honkers mounted to the hoods. But also considering I paid about the same for the Atlas with DCC and sound as the Athearn with plain DC, plus it runs better...

                                     --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    December 2015
  • From: Shenandoah Valley
  • 9,094 posts
Posted by BigDaddy on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 6:38 PM

According to Trainworld, Bowser's RS3 will be here the end of September.  I canceled my order maybe 1 year ago, before Chinese factories closed and before Covid, because my patience was gone.

I'm sure it will be a very good runner.

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

Shenandoah Valley

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • 8 posts
Posted by alcors350 on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 9:05 PM

I model the CNW and I have several Atlas Alcos, split between the old yellow box Kato drive models and the newer, though not current, Atlas Classic model. The YB Kato drives are excellent but the thicker handrails, lack of wire grabs and fan detail is obvious when compared to the Classic version. The other issue is the coupler on the YB models is attached to the shell, not the frame.

I have not been able to find an Atlas Classic RS3 in CNW livery and I'm not keen on stripping, painting and decaling one from a different road. Once was enough. Ditto trying to upgrade handrails and grabs myself. So the rationale for the Athearn/Roundhouse shell is get the CNW paint, numbers, and detail already done for me and drop that shell on an existing Kato drive and have it fit. Even better, if it fit over the TCS WOWSound decoder and sugar cube speaker. List price is $140 and I've seen multiple sites selling them for $110.

 

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Canada, eh?
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Posted by doctorwayne on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 9:46 PM

This is one of the Kato-powered units from Atlas (a gift from a friend who wasn't a model railroader).  It was lettered for L&N, so I re-painted it as a CNR loco. 
I removed the Delrin handrails from the side walkways, but kept the stanchions, which were drilled-out to accept new handrails bent from piano wire.  I also replaced the moulded-on grabirons and added a few details.
At the time, I didn't think that I could do a credible job on the end handrails, though, so left them as-is....

It later went to another friend.

I bought this one, used, from a nearby hobbyshop.  It's the Kato-powered version of an RS-1, and was purchased for another friend who wanted it re-painted and re-lettered for his freelanced road.  When I was done with my part of the job, I mailed it to him, and he sent it to another friend for installation of DCC.

Here's the loco before it was sent to the friend who first wanted it.  All of the handrails (ends too) have been replaced with ones formed from piano wire...

Several years later, that friend left the hobby, but offered some of his stuff for sale.  I got some Jordan vehicles out of the deal, and my friend who got the RS-3 bought the RS-1.  Like me, his layout is DC, so I removed the decoder and fixed up the loco where required.
The RS-1 is one of my favourite early diesels, and I was very tempted to keep it, but it's too modern for my layout.

Wayne

  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
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Posted by rrinker on Tuesday, September 15, 2020 10:02 PM

 I have to find my spare Athearn shell - for some reason I think it might be CNW! Actually, I have the whole loco, I just put my Reading shell on the CNW chassis which ran fine out of the box, the chassis that came with my Reading shell needs some fine wires installed to completely bypass Athearn's pickup system, and/or the plastic piece in the truck shaved down a bit so the bushings can touch the metal part. 

 It's either CNW or KCS, not sure. Have to dig it out from wherever it is hiding currently. 

                           --Randy


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

  • Member since
    September 2010
  • 400 posts
Posted by Mister Mikado on Wednesday, September 16, 2020 12:02 AM

I own two Atlas Classic HO RS3s in the black boxes.  They are the smoothest runners in my roster of smoothies because they are the only engines that coast on after a fast throttle shutoff--try it for yourselves.  Amazing little beasties they are.

My two are the gorgeous red and black Rock Island, and the Utah belt with its unique southwest colors.  I used to be head over heels for the old run Lehigh and Hudson River, an enchanting green with the electric spark logo.  Lost a bid on one for $80 years ago.  Now if you can find one at all, the price is celestial.  Happy staring at photos of it...

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Posted by alcors350 on Thursday, September 17, 2020 4:50 PM

Beautiful job on the wire railings. I'd never get the curves right. Do you recall what diameter wire you used? 

  • Member since
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  • From: Canada, eh?
  • 13,375 posts
Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, September 17, 2020 7:51 PM

alcors350

Beautiful job on the wire railings. I'd never get the curves right. Do you recall what diameter wire you used? 

 
Thanks for your kind words, alcors350. 
 
Those were done some time ago, but I'm pretty sure that it was .019" piano wire. Next time I see the friend who has both of those locomotives, I'll try to remember to take my calipers along, and, if I'm in-error, will let you know in this thread.
 
Wayne
 
  • Member since
    February 2002
  • From: Reading, PA
  • 30,002 posts
Posted by rrinker on Thursday, September 17, 2020 10:06 PM

 The Stewart Baldwin switchers will also coast forever on DC when you cut the power. Long enough to experiemtn with shorting the track to brake them, and the spinning motor generates enough current to keep the headlight lit while it coasts, too.

Amazing runners, and nearly dead silent, even at full throttle. Canon motors and some very well made gears.

                                --Randy

 


Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's

 

Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.

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