Atlas RS2 and RS3

[Matt Bumgarner]

Pardon my posting about an Atlas product on the Bachmann board, but I find you folks are generally more helpful here.

Does anyone know if:

a) Atlas RS2 and RS3 underframes are identical?
b) Can I **EASILY** drop one of the older bodies onto one of the newer underframes that feature LEDs and DCC ready equipment?

Thanks in advance,

Matt

[brokemoto]

They seem to be pretty tolerant of discussing the products of other manufacturers, here.  There is another manufacturer that maintains a board; they are also tolerant of discussion of other manufacturers products.  I suspect that it gives the board owner a better idea of what his competition is up to and how well the buying public is receiving the efforts and products of the competition.

That stated......................

Atlas sells RS-3s and RSD-4s on chassis that are knockoffs of the flywheel equipped split metal frames that another manufacturer pioneered. These are in the CLASSIC series.   The RS-3 has all four axles geared, the RSD-4 has only four of six axles geared, unlike the prototype.

Atlas sold and RS-3 and RSD-4 on chassis made by Kato that were split metal frame but lacked flywheels.  Those have been out of production for some time.  the Atlas/Kato RSD-4 had all six axles geared, as did the prototype.  These were good for their day, but they have been superceded.  In fact, the A/K RS-3 is what convinced many of the viability of US prototype N scale and are sometimes regarded as the first decent N scale US prototype diesel freight power.

Atlas sold an RSC-2 on a plastic chassis built by Mehano.  These had only one truck powered and were, and are,  JUNQUE.  They have been out of production for at least twenty-five years.

Kato sold an RS-2 and an RSC-2 on a split metal frame chassis with flywheels.  The RSC-2 came with all six axles geared, unlike the prototype, which had the middle axle on each truck as an 'idler' (ungeared) axle.  They may be out of production, although Kato was offering them as 'kits' on their website in the recent past; they may stll be offering them, I have not checked lately.  The price was pretty good and they came with two shells, a power chassis, trucks and railings, but they came in undecorated, only.

Walthers/Life-Like sells an RS-2.  It is in current production with a second run due this month.

The shells from the Atlas/Kato and Atlas CLASSIC (the runs on the knockoff flywheel/split metal frame chassis) are interchangeable.  The 'knockoff' chassis is the better of the two.  I have done the shell swap; it requires cutting only one set of clips on the cab of the shell from the A/K.

There is a rumour that the Atlas or A/K RS-3 shell will go onto the Kato RS-2 chassis.  You would probably have to buy the Kato roller bearing RS-2  power chassis, as I do not think that there were any friction bearing RS-3s (I could be mistaken).  I have never tried to put the Atlas shell onto the Kato RS-2 chassis.

I do not know if any of the shells will go onto the WKW/LL chassis, as I have not purchased one of those, yet.

To answer your question, buy one of the newer run Atlas RS-3s with the 'scale speed motor' and do the shell swap.  If you are using a shell from an A/K. do a test fit on the chassis.  It will become obvious which cab clip that you need to remove.  You can tell one of the newer run RS-3s by the foam in the box.  The older runs have just plastic.