Atlas S2

[Joetrain59]

It has shown me one dirty spot on tracks at rear of layout. Will clean wheels, and let it roll again. Nice weight to it, too. Looks like Z905's should screw right in. Hope the height is good.
 Joe D

[nkalanaga]

Tony:  Then mine should be able to handle the mining company's job.  All it will have to pull/push are two empty hoppers up an 8% grade!

The Arnold did a great job, but the way the trucks were mounted, it couldn't handle the vertical curve at the top.  My ancient MiniTrix FM doesn't have a bit of trouble, and the LifeLike SW worked, but just "wasn't what I wanted".

[Joetrain59]

Z905's will require removing material from pilot openings. Dremel needed here, as it's metal. Eyes and hands just not up to it lately. And I don't want to mangle this nice E-L loco. Maybe when my Undec. comes in.
 Joe D

[mark dance]

I received my S2s Monday courtesy of Mr. Hinshaw.  Thx Gary! Yesterday I got to play with them a bit. [The videos below are HD so set your resolution appropriately with the little gear in the bottom right hand corner]

As I reported on a different thread, I have found that the ESU BEMF seems to cause low speed stutter which may be magnified when running in consist with other ESU-equipped locos. I ran the three S2s at full speed for about 50 scale miles in each direction then cleaned their wheels (again) and ran the auto-calibrate routine.  Interestingly I think the factory settings for the PID variables provided better performance...so CV08=08 and I started again.

Relative to the 3 Digitrax-decoder equipped LifeLike SW1200s that these units are intended to replace here is what I found:

• slow speed performance slightly worse
• pulling performance better by about 25%
  
• prototypical appearance a whole lot better

We have an operating session coming up next week.  The first "all sound" session with 11 sound equipped units which is enough for each train "visitors" run.  We will see what the yard crews think of their new power.  I worry the sound, even at level 30, may be grating after a while.  I am also very very loathe to sacrifice smooth slow speed performance.  Perhaps I will try and find time to tweak the decoder CVs a bit more. 

md

[Mark5]

Please tell me this doesn't have a 3 pole motor 
(Hoping that it's a decoder issue causing slow speed problems - not the drive train)

[GaryHinshaw]

The slow speed performance looks really good in the videos.  Looking forward to trying out an all-sound session. Hopefully your boosters are up to it. 

[peteski]

Relative to the 3 Digitrax-decoder equipped LifeLike SW1200s that these units are intended to replace here is what I found:

• pulling performance better by about 25%
  
• prototypical appearance a whole lot better

How does the decoder brand used relate to these items? 

Wouldn't pulling power relate to the models weight and its mechanical design?
Can I improve model's look simply by installing the ESU decoder?

[davefoxx]

How does the decoder brand used relate to these items? 

Wouldn't pulling power relate to the models weight and its mechanical design?
Can I improve model's look simply by installing the ESU decoder?

He's comparing the Life Like SW1200 (which has been decoderized) to an Atlas S2.

DFF

[peteski]

He's comparing the Life Like SW1200 (which has been decoderized) to an Atlas S2.

DFF

Yeah, but I still don't get why the different decoder brand comes into play when it comes to the looks or pulling power of 2 different models.  Decoder can affect the slow speed performance, but not the other 2 items mentioned.  Maybe it is just me... 

[GaryHinshaw]

The decoder brand is obviously only pertinent to bullet #1.  Does that really need to be spelled out?

[mark dance]

I didn't say it was the decoder.  I compared the pulling and running performance of my long serving LL SW1200s with Digitrax decoders with the Atlas/ESU sound-equipped units under the conditions I referenced.

Readers can draw their own conclusions or replicate my limited experiments.

md 

[MichaelWinicki]

I received mine yesterday and put it through some paces today...

It's a wonderful little locomotive.  It looks great and the sound is very good!

The only issue I have is with Atlas choosing to using wheelsets with less tread-width than what they use in most of their locomotive line.  The result is the S2 will stall in places others do not. 

[lashedup]

Mark did you try changing the CV's to adjust for low/mid/high speed to see if slow creep could be improved? They seem like they move fairly fast at speed step 1 in the video, but I can't tell if that's you at the throttle or the way it behaves.

Thanks!

[mark dance]

Mark did you try changing the CV's to adjust for low/mid/high speed to see if slow creep could be improved? They seem like they move fairly fast at speed step 1 in the video, but I can't tell if that's you at the throttle or the way it behaves.

Yep I always do 3-point speed matching to a standard so all locos are inter operable in consists.

(If I recall they were 0, 40, 100 for those playing along at home .  The locos are dead on matched to each other in both directions out of their boxes...not something I can claim for every manufacturer!) 

md

[sizemore]

I believe it was posted elsewhere, maybe even earlier in this thread that the starting CV is set to 2 not 1 or 0, which in turn effects the "jump" to 5 SMPH.

The S.