N Scale Engines?

ozzy

Active Member
what do you guys think of the atlas engines? are they worth the $$? and is it worth buying from ebay ? or is there better deals out there?
 

TruckLover

Mack CH613 & 53' Trailer
I think that Atlas engines are great. I love my DASH 8-40B (HO scale) and I got it on e-bay for $50.00

What I do is, I place a bid early on and if someone outbids me, I wait until the close of the auction to see what the closing price will be and then decide if I bid again.
 

Herc Driver

Active Member
I love the Atlas diesels (own several). They look and run very well. Wherever you can find a deal on them - buy buy buy!
 

railohio

Active Member
I have a couple Atlas engines myself and they are nice models. Somewhere middle-of-the-road in the quality spectrum but still worth the money.

Unless you're a semi-advanced modeler I'd stay away from eBay. There are a lot of models out there that are mismarked and you gotta know your stuff to see that an engine is actually Botchmann and not Atlas or Kato. On the other side of that sometimes you can find a nice deal with mismarked items. As always with eBay, buyer beware.
 
The Atlas locomotives that were manufactured by Kato are not quite up to today's detailing standards (and the GP-7/9 is oversized) but they are practically indestructible. I have seen used copies go on eBay for under $30 especially in less popular roadnames and that's a great deal.

These locos have "Kato" stamped into the fuel tank on the underside so a quick query to an eBay seller will get that confirmed. If the seller can't or won't provide that information just pass the item by; trust me, there will be others.
 
Atlas engines are great. They could use a little more weight for pulling power though. But they run pretty smooth and are nicely detailed. I wish Atlas made an N Scale Dash 8-40C/CW like they do in HO. And yes, you gotta know your modeling before you buy from ebay. But most ebay items are very nice and are much cheaper than retail price.
 

railohio

Active Member
I have both the Atlas/Kato and Atlas "Classic" GP9 releases. Both run great although the Atlas/Kato model is heavier and pulls more. The trade-off is that it was designed to use the old Atlas/Kato RS11 frame and is about two scale feet too long. This isn't readily apparent until it's side-by-side with one of the newer models but, as was said before, for the price I payed I don't really care.
 

josh0351

New Member
I run several different loco’s on my layouts (all UP of course, except for an old lay-over LifeLike Amtrak EMD F40PH and a Santa Fe GP-40) – here’s my review:

  • Bachman Spectrum GE C40-8 (Dash 8-40C)Hobby Store Purchase ~NEW~
    • RUNS: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
    • PRO’s: GREAT detailing for a Bachman and the price (*includes hoses, snow plow, sun shades, and mirrors!), although I think it is just out of scale on the large side; Is a Dash-8.
    • CON’s: Runs much rougher than the other models; Jumpy; Noisy; Tends to hang on turnouts at low speeds.
  • Atlas (“Classic”) GE U25B (“U-Boat”)Ebay Purchase advertised ~NEW~
    • RUNS: 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
    • PRO’s: Fair detailing & nostalgic diesel look; Got it at a good price on Ebay; Even though it runs a bit slower than my others (*my theory is that it is not brand new as advertised FYI), this is actually my favorite loco to run.
    • CON’s: Older model / not see on modern railroads.
  • Atlas GP-40Ebay Purchase advertised ~NEW~
    • RUNS: 9 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
    • PRO’s: Good detailing; Got it at a good price on Ebay; Great little runner – loads of power.
    • CON’s: None thus far...
  • Atlas EMD MP15DC SwitcherHobby Store Purchase ~NEW~
    • RUNS: 8 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
    • PRO’s: Fair detailing.
    • CON’s: Under-weight – Cannot pull more than 5 or 6 cars.
  • Kato GE AC4400CWEbay Purchase advertised ~NEW~
    • RUNS: 10 (on a scale of 1 to 10)
    • PRO’s: OUTSTANDING detailing; Runs like a champ at all speeds; will pull MANY cars; Has ditch-lights (*one of my favorite features!:thumb: ); Is VERY quiet; Etc.
    • CON’s: None thus far, although I will add that Kato uses a semi-gloss finish paint unlike Atlas (and my Spectrum come to think of it), which uses a dull coat which makes the loco more realistic out-of-the-box...
All loco’s are excellent runners and respond well at low, operational speeds; however the Kato does shine above the others both in operation and detail. My Bachman Spectrum is a bit of a “rough runner” though. My Atlas Classic GE U25B runs a little slower than the other 2 Atlas models, but I actually prefer it second only to the Kato for some reason. Also, I’ve decided moving forward to purchase Kato whenever possible and as a first choice, followed closely by Atlas. Do not own any Intermountain, but will probably stick with what works for me…
 

ozzy

Active Member
well i got an atlas FM "c" santa fe on the way, got it off ebay for 20.00. hope i did good????.....lol

i just got this one to have somthing here to test my track with as i get it layed out, will buy others to run im sure.
 

3railguy

Member
ozzy said:
well i got an atlas FM "c" santa fe on the way, got it off ebay for 20.00. hope i did good????.....lol

i just got this one to have somthing here to test my track with as i get it layed out, will buy others to run im sure.

Atlas FM "C" as in "C Liner"? It's an early Atlas engine made by Rivarossi. They came out in the late 60's. They are noisy and high geared. They are OK for circle running but the electrical contacts must be squeaky clean. Shelf display is another option as they are good looking and loaded with nostalgia.

I have several current China made Atlas engines and they are smooth running and well detailed. They are finicky when it comes to dirt and crud. They do not like dirty track. A clean running enviroment is a must. It's best to keep them sealed in their cases or a closed box when not running. I tear mine down once a year or so for a good cleaning and lubrication. Atlas sells a lube kit for this that works pretty well. Maas metal polish is good for scrubbing contact strips.

Kato is catching up with Atlas in the detail department but still has one over on Atlas in the mechanical department. They are super smooth and seem to run forever on the dirtiest track. The new SD-40-2 is a knock out.

Unless I got it dirt cheap, I would only buy Atlas N scale engines on ebay if they were in mint condition from an established dealer or one of those "buy it now" retail stores.
 

ozzy

Active Member
3railguy said:
Atlas FM "C" as in "C Liner"? It's an early Atlas engine made by Rivarossi. They came out in the late 60's. They are noisy and high geared. They are OK for circle running but the electrical contacts must be squeaky clean. Shelf display is another option as they are good looking and loaded with nostalgia.

I have several current China made Atlas engines and they are smooth running and well detailed. They are finicky when it comes to dirt and crud. They do not like dirty track. A clean running enviroment is a must. It's best to keep them sealed in their cases or a closed box when not running. I tear mine down once a year or so for a good cleaning and lubrication. Atlas sells a lube kit for this that works pretty well. Maas metal polish is good for scrubbing contact strips.

Kato is catching up with Atlas in the detail department but still has one over on Atlas in the mechanical department. They are super smooth and seem to run forever on the dirtiest track. The new SD-40-2 is a knock out.

Unless I got it dirt cheap, I would only buy Atlas N scale engines on ebay if they were in mint condition from an established dealer or one of those "buy it now" retail stores.



well, if it turns out to not be as good as what i want , its ok, for 20.00 bucks, it will make a good engine to try to weather for the first time, hate to practice on an 100.00 enginge and mess it up.....lol and i plan on haveing a turntable and a roundhouse, so it can sit there and look good. :D
 
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