Atlas to PS 3 conversion question

The PS/3 kit comes with about every possible light connection you can imagine, what lighting features are you thinking of?

Hi John ,

thanks for your kind reply I was looking at two engines an F3 that changes light colors on the marker lights and I thought that the dash 8 would do the same and I see now that it is not the case.

Do I need to strip the cv circuits on it ,and are the couplers to be changed?

now that I have your knowledge at hand ,would you know where I can get a couple of ps1/PS3  kits?

there is a couple of nice diesels I would like to convert.

sorry for the delay !I lost my signal last night.

thanks a lot John ,I appreciate your commitment to this blog.

jorge

I have done several Atlas as PS-2 3V upgrades and I retained some of those boards with LED and such and powered them via the PV and return with appropriate resistor in place.  But you need to reverse engineer the PCB to see what is on it.  I know that it is useful in keeping the Atlas interior clean, because it is a tight fit, especially with those that have smoke.

Or do as John states and gut it and use the PS-3 LEDs.  Or since you working with LED most likely in the Atlas you may also be able to reverse engineer it, and modify to work off the PS-3 outputs, but that requires a high level of understanding.

As far as couplers go, if this was TMCC based most likely they will not work.  The kit comes with couplers to change.  The problem is some Atlas, especially Scale types may have unique couplers.  If so, the standard MTH couplers will not work, with out heavy modification, if at all.  So we really need to see pictures of what you have to give you better advice. 

You can get the kits from MTH direct as a club member, or use some of the online retailers.  G

Thank You so much, It is very enlightening info.

I was refering to the P&P kits.l did not know tha they were for sale directly from MTH I thought only Techs had acces to them.

Thanks Again GGG

JORGE

P-n-P kits?  We get the same kit as you do to do the upgrade, but nobody would suggest they're P-n-P!

Thanks John I was reading a thread last night about mth releasing  plug and play  PS 3 kits for steamers PS 1,2 5 v,and 2 3v,so I figured by now they should have the diesel kits available.

is this project alive still do You know or is just for steam engines.

thanks John your comments are always welcome.

regards 

jorge

P-n-P is a relative term.  You can download the instructions and judge for yourself how easy the install is.

Thanks John. Do You have a link?

I Would líke very much to look at it.

Thanks Again and regards 

Jorge 

Jorge,  The new PS-3 upgrade kits are different from each other and older PS-2 3V upgrade kits.  So you need to be clear what you are working with.  The reference post in the top of this forum have much information that can help.

For a Diesel PS-3 upgrade kit, it is a real PS-3 board just like in MTH production models.  All LEDs and it comes with a 40 pin and 8 pin harness with all the necessary parts.  This COULD NOT be used as a direct replacement for a PS-2 3V or 5V Diesel engine.  RATHER, you would gut all electronics and lights and then use the kit to do a repair.  The smoke unit, speaker (for 3V) and couplers can remain.

The PS-3 Steam Upgrade kit is not a true PS-3 Steam upgrade.  Instead the PS-3 diesel board is used, but modified to install an adapter board that allows light bulbs to be used instead of LEDs.  It is called a PS-32 board.  This does use the original PS-2 3V harnesses.

This board is also the replacement board for PS-2 5V and in some cases PS-2 3V boards.  But special flash code is required and for some engine it won't work because the special code is not released yet.  For example GG-1 with operating pantographs, the COORS train, units with small single element smoke units, etc...

The PS-3 Steam kit is the closest to the old PS-2 3V upgrade kit.  Everything the same except the new PS-32 board and no battery or battery harness. 

The PS-3 Diesel is a completely new kit.  G

Thanks a lot GGG this info is great!!!!And very useful. The only question I have left is how can I keep the Atlas couplers and make them work with the ps3 upgrade kit?

Thanks a lot again I really appreciate your most helpful advise 

Jorge 

Thanks a lot GGG this info is great!!!!And very useful. The only question I have left is how can I keep the Atlas couplers and make them work with the ps3 upgrade kit?

Thanks a lot again I really appreciate your most helpful advise 

Jorge 

George, since he's upgrading a diesel, my comments were targeted to the PS/3 Diesel Upgrade Kit.

Here's a link to download the PS/3 Diesel Upgrade Kit Instructions.

So was I.  All the Atlas I did were Diesel.  They have unique PCB for markers and NB lights.  With some of the detailed cabs and thinner body diesels, running all those wires can be a hassle, let alone having to hot glue in lights vice use the OEM mounting.

Jorge, as I stated the couplers probably won't work.  So hope the MTH ones in the kit are a match.  G

Thanks a lot again John all I have to resolve is how to make the Atlas couplers work with ps3.

Do You have any idea of what voltage do they work at?

Have a great sunday and my appreciation to all of membes for all the help I get.

Jorge