Atlas SD35

[rrjim1]

Received a new Gold Series Atlas SD35 today, test run = nice and smooth drive is quiet, sound is very good. Big surprise was it's weight 2.7 oz., compared to my old units at 2.8 oz. The other surprise was no frame pickup strips, looks like wires.

[wmcbride]

Received two SD35s as well. Ran one and I can agree that the sound is very good. The horn weakness noted on the Scale Trains Tier 4s is not present in the Atlas SD35s. The speaker is in the fuel tank and the fitting between the fuel tank and chassis is tight.

Well done, Atlas!

[wmcbride]

Do older SD35 shells fit on the new chassis?

Well, I dug out an SD35 CNJ and put it on. It fits length and width wise but seems to not snuggle all the way down as far as the new shell does. It may be about 1mm too high. Is it noticeable, as in obviously crooked or ill-fitting. No. At track-level height, one can see a sliver of silver chassis under the shell in way of the trucks.

[EmdFan]

Do older SD35 shells fit on the new chassis?

Well, I dug out an SD35 CNJ and put it on. It fits length and width wise but seems to not snuggle all the way down as far as the new shell does. It may be about 1mm too high. Is it noticeable, as in obviously crooked or ill-fitting. No. At track-level height, one can see a sliver of silver chassis under the shell in way of the trucks.

Hi Bill, long time no talk! It may even go back to the original Atlas forum, when you and I couldn't decide what scale we wanted to model...

I work for Atlas, worked here once back in the early 90s and am back again. I wasn't directly involved with the SD35 but I was pretty certain that there were no modifications made to the original shell. When I have a chance at work I will try it and see if I get the same result. Just give me a little time, will be out most of next week for the NMRA convention.

Good to (virtually) see you again.

Steve W

[wmcbride]

Ha, ha! Hey, Steve, good to hear from you!

Did you ever pick a scale or is model railroading too much like work for you now?

I only tried one of my older SD35 shells (CNJ #49687). I'll have to dig out some others from their box. There is nothing inside the top of the CNJ shell that seems to prevent it from going down all the way. I tried it again and took some photos. The older shell (at least this particular one) just would not sit down as far. Hardly conclusive being just one shell.

[mecgp7]

Pick up strips vs. wires? Do tell.

[wmcbride]

Truck wire:



Overall view (which I thought was in better focus but isn't):

[peteski]

That is and odd design. The trucks still have the nubs on top of the sideframes (they look like standard trucks).  That wire thing looks liek a bit of a kludge.  It reminds me of the way Dapol wires their tenders to the locos.  This looks like a step backwards to me, discarding a proven and well-working design.  Some design engineer in China probably just wanted to do something "different".  He probably doesn't even realize that in the dark ages of N scale, trucks were often wired.

What they did needlessly increases the parts count and assembly complexity.  They replaced 2 brass pickup strips with 4 wires, and probably 8 eyelets and 8 rivets (I cannot see how the wire is attached inside the truck).  2 parts replaced with 20?  And they all have to be assembled. 

Are those wire jumper eyelets attached to the frames using a screw or a rivet?  I hope it is a screw! 

[reinhardtjh]

Are those wire jumper eyelets attached to the frames using a screw or a rivet?  I hope it is a screw! 

Might be that screw above, right of it. The frames looked to be clipped together now - see the black plastic things on both ends.

Very odd. I can't wait to get my C630s and have a look.

[wmcbride]

It appears that the wires enter the chassis. Those are not screws on the side of the chassis frame but appear to be stuffing tubes through which the wire passes.

These appear to be the same SD35 trucks that have been used for years in that they still have the contact blade coming up as noted.

[peteski]

Strange. And the chassis halves are held together by black clips at the ends?  No more screws?  Somebody out there seems to be reinventing  the wheel. Why don't the model companies which outsource the design to Chinese designers don't rein them in when they start coming up with oddball designs?  Just tell them to make the models the proven conventional way.  I'm not against innovation but this seems like making changes just for the sake of making things different. Wire-free design is good - why not just keep on making models that way?

Like Charlie Vlk recently explained - the designers just love to come up with something different (to stand out of the crowd?).   

[rrjim1]

The reason Atlas removed the frame pickup strips and screws was to add weight to the frame and leave more room for the speaker. If Atlas used good flexible wire its sure looks like a better design, very little movement with a solid connection.  IMO job well done Atlas. 

[EmdFan]

Ha, ha! Hey, Steve, good to hear from you!

Did you ever pick a scale or is model railroading too much like work for you now?

I only tried one of my older SD35 shells (CNJ #49687). I'll have to dig out some others from their box. There is nothing inside the top of the CNJ shell that seems to prevent it from going down all the way. I tried it again and took some photos. The older shell (at least this particular one) just would not sit down as far. Hardly conclusive being just one shell.

Hey Bill,

I'm mostly in N these days but keep some HO around. Having downsized from a house to a condo helped make that decision!

I will see if I can figure out what's going on with the SD35 shell, typically no modifications are made to body shells when adding sound. Without looking my best guess is the light shield could be the problem, but that would cause the shell to sit high in the front only. I'll let you know when I can investigate further.

Steve

[jdcolombo]

Received a new Gold Series Atlas SD35 today, test run = nice and smooth drive is quiet, sound is very good. Big surprise was it's weight 2.7 oz., compared to my old units at 2.8 oz. The other surprise was no frame pickup strips, looks like wires.

I don't need an SD35, but I might get one anyway just to see how this was done.  Glad that the sound is good.  Does the speaker fire up into the chassis or down through the fuel tank toward the track? 

John C.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I don't see how this design added weight over the contact strip method. Also what is up with that large step down at the rear of the chassis? They could have added a LOT of weight there.