So, the fun with my Atlas NJ Transit ALP-44 continues. So, I decided to keep the locomotive and put in an order for screws and the new side frames for the trucks. Last week I put the train on the track for first time and all it did was make engine noise. No bell, no horn, no lights, no start-up procedure using my conventional transformer. I don’t have DCS or Lionel TMCC/Legacy at the moment, but all information I read about this Atlas locomotive was that it would run both conventionally and with Lionel TMCC/Legacy in addition to Atlas’ discontinued LocoMatic control.
So I took it to my local hobby store, Ready to Roll Trains in Miami, to see what Bill Lucas and friends could do as they have all O Gauge control systems on its track. Bill put the locomotive on the track and saw the same result I did, just engine noise and nothing else, whether the track was being powered conventionally or with a remote system. Bill even removed the Roof Electrical Box Cover – I didn’t know that could be removed – and pointed out to me a panel that looked like it needed codes to input and maybe the locomotive was locked. The unit that I purchased didn’t come with a manual or the LocoMatic control box and there was no information available on the Atlas website so everyone was at a loss as to what to do.
So, I’ve gone ahead and purchased a LocoMatic control box on FeeBay to see if that will make it work or unlock the codes. If anyone has an owner’s manual, I would greatly appreciate it if you could scan a copy of it and e-mail it to me.