ATLAS SW12OO ERR CONVERSION

Yup, Atlas diesel switchers are the best.

Did yours come with electrocouplers?

I think an ERR MiniCommander2 and one of their new RS boards will fit. The speaker will have to be fairly small though.

Google "Modern Toy Train Parts".  That is Boxcar Bill's web site, he is a forum member and carries ERR boards at a discount and can help you figure out what you need.  Super nice guy and more than willing to help.  His phone # and email address are on his web site.

Steve, Lady and Tex

Some of those are tight, but you can at least install the MiniCommander 2 and the new RailSounds Commander single board.  There is also a new Cruise Commander Lite coming out that will have a smaller footprint than the standard Cruise Commander that might help.

I'm sure it can be made to run TMCC and have sounds, the only question would be fitting the cruise module in.

Assuming this unit had TMCC, some of the original offerings were Dallee electronics, it has an interesting bottle board with a wire connection to the sound power board. Limited room under the hood and above the motor.   Tight fit, no matter how you look at it.
Two custom units. Note the mounting on the sound power board.

Sound power board is forward, Sound board middle, and R2LC board closest to the cab.  The whole thing sits on stilts above the motor assembly.

The new offerings of SW, currently listed on the Atlas website, show an ERR drive.  Single motor drive, these motors tend to draw more amps than some two can motor models.

It should fit the MiniCommander 2 and RailSounds Commander boards, not so sure about the Cruise Commander.

I mentioned that these horizontal motors pull a few amps.  Note in the picture above the mother board support is done with a lot of aluminum as a heat sink for the existing electronics.  How ever you mount the ERR board be concerned about heat dissipation, this whole assembly is locked-up in a die cast hood.  It would be interesting to see a picture of new SW from Atlas with the ERR boards.

Any idea what boards are in there now. For most of the last decade Atlas used TAS electronics. You might be able to keep the sound boards and radio board.

If its not TMCC a ERR Cruise Commander should fit as they fit in a Williams NW2 along with their new small Railsounds board. Rather than a mini commander which makes you select what features you want (lights or couplers, not both) I would wait for ERR's new mini cruise board.

Go to their site and check dimensions to make sure their stuff will fit before ordering.

Pete

The new Cruise Commander Lite is going to be the size of the TMCC DCDR, so you have something that you can "test fit" to see if it would be possible.

I question why the motors would pull amps, though I haven't actually seen that rig.  What's offering so much drag that it requires that kind of power to move?

I bought my NW-2 many years ago, before I had changed my layout to all Command Control.  The unit came with that one, large motor, had Dallee Electronics for reversing and a rather soft sound system.  A few years later, Atlas offered an upgrade for that engine which included a new, die cast frame.  Apparently the motor on this conversion was mounted lower or away a bit, and that provided room for the TMCC to be installed.

Unfortunately, I did not choose, at the time, to purchase this kit or have the conversion done.  As I understand those kits are no longer available after I sent the engine to Atlas for updates.  So it was returned with it's original conventional electronics.

I would be glad to pay, today, to get the engine converted to TMCC if I could just get locate one of those kits.  Anyone have one or know how to convert the engine to TMCC?  My layout no longer operates anything on conventional;  everything is hooked up through either TMCC, DSC or Legacy.  I'd love to have that little engine operating, once again.

Paul Fischer

The current SW offering from Atlas has the following electronic detail per their latest catalog.

TMCC Features :

• Electric Railroad Co. “Cruise Commander” Technology

• IMPROVED RailSounds

™ digital sound system

• LEGACY COMPATIBLE (100 Speed Steps)

• Operating diesel exhaust unit

• Electro-couplers

• Lionel

® TrainMaster Command Control

 Altas has both Cruise Commander and a smoke unit under the hood of the currently advertised SW's.   Should be interesting. None of the Atlas SW's to date had smoke.  

The motor appears to be a high torque, low RPM, double flywheel, horizontal assembly. One of the few offering that did well with TMCC with out any speed control. More amps.   

I don't think I'd personally consider a small switcher that "pulls lots of amps" in normal operation.  I have a real problem getting most of my dual-motored engines to pull more than a couple of amps with 30 cars behind them!

Thanks for all the replies and information. I have not yet responded because I have had other issues to deal with.

FLASH: Yes, my engine has electrocouplers.

GUNRUNNERJOHN & OTHERS: I am aware of the new MiniCommander 2 and will see how well and how much room I have in the engine. Will let know once I get it all worked out.

Since I have 2 other projects I need to complete first, it may be a couple of weeks before I get to tearing into the Atlas SW. Once I do, I will let you all know what I find.

Regards to all,

RAY