How good are Atlas TMCC diesels?

I have around 10 Atlas O engines.  Superbly detailed. Run well. Sounds are so...so. The only issue i've had was with antenna issue on SW15 switchers. Atlas fixed the problem.

I AGREE - THE LIONEL RAILSOUNDS ARE AVERAGE. THEY SEEM MUDDLED BUT ARE LOUD ENOUGH. I WISH I COULD IMPROVE THEM - NEW SPEAKERS OR SOMETHING ELSE.

THEY DO RUN GOOD AND PULL WELL. SMOKE UNITS ARE WEAK.

Great runner really nice detail pulls like a tractor .The sounds on mine is good but the smoke unit usually takes a long time to put out but unless the engine is trashed you don't want it to smoke like a steam engine anyway. Looks like it's well put together as all the atlas engines I've owned. Been an Atlas customer since 1969 and have always had good luck with their products. I still have one engine I got in 1969 that still runs.

David

 I just got a used Atlas switcher. I was impressed by the sounds and quality. I will need to modify the antenna. I have not worked on the TMCC signal yet on my DCS layout so I can't judge it fairly.

 I would buy more.

Mine have generally been good. Detail and graphics are excellent, but the detail can be pretty fragile. I agree with previous comments about sound. Lionel will not sell decent sound components and chips to licensees, only obsolete, generic sound packages. I'd love to see someone come up with a TMCC-compatible sound package that doesn't infringe Lionel's patents. I'll take an Atlas diesel over Lionel any day, but Lionel's sound is better. As far as operation goes, it has been excellent except for the occasional unit that gives trouble matching speeds in MU operation at very low speed. I'm not sure if this is a mechanical issue or a problem with the TAS speed control used on their engines. 

All in all, I am happy with Atlas diesels. I have about ten of them. 

I have the 3-Rail Ann Arbor units and I am mostly happy with them.  I have not run them a great deal but have tested running them with the CAB-1, CAB-2 and DCS remotes.  I have not tested MUing them yet.  I would rate the sounds as "OK".  They make the sounds they are supposed to but nothing that made me say "WOW".  I'm happy with the detail and very satisfied that I got my money's worth.

All that being said, I might modify them at some point to have better sound and/or convert them to whatever incarnation of DCS exists at the time.

Here are (5) of them. Click on the image to access a video.  GP7 and (4) SW9s

These are all Atlas.

Some of the best detail available.

I have had great luck with my Atlas O diesels. My only complaints are some antenna problems, and they use older TMCC sounds.

I like atlas engines ....great detail...so so sound......smoke units burn out to quick...i gave up on trying to get them repaired.......but all that aside real good lookers that run great!

I'm on the market for Atlas TMCC diesels because they're the only manufacturer in O-gauge that puts out a good amount of scale Penn Central motive power. Sounds and smoke are all secondary to me, all I really care about is TMCC and scale detailing. Eagerly awaiting a Penn Central RSD-15 I ordered from Doherty's.

I have an Atlas GP9 I bought as an unpowered unit when the first came out.  I ended up powering it with motors and PS2 from a RailKing F3 I won off Ebay (and a wiring harness from an upgrade kit so all the lights would work).  I had to buy the Power Transfer Gear Assembly (P/N 687076) but ended up with a quality, scale GP9 in Seaboard Air Line paint, for a lot less than what a powered unit with TMCC cost at the time.

It's been running fine since.

 What exactly is the antenna mod that Atlas made to the SW?

I have only one Atlas TMCC diesel, the Jersey Central SD40-2.  Overall I'm not that impressed in comparison with my Lionel Legacy diesels by either the TMCC performance or the sounds.  The RailSounds 4 are OK, but nothing to write home about and the TAS speed control was really disappointing.  In the first 15 or so speed steps I don't notice that much of a difference between them.  The only reason that I got this one as opposed to the Lionel model is that it is a -2 which is prototypically correct.

Having said that I have on order their new CNJ F3's which have the new ERR speed control (100 speed step) which apparently works very well with Legacy 1.4 and "improved" RailSounds.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that based upon the reviews of their earlier F3s and with these new refinements these will be a home run.  In all honesty however, had Lionel offered the same engines in Legacy I would have probably gone with Lionel.

These units with TMCC have been around since 2000 or 2001. The original units had a small (L) shaped antenna that was mounted about seat level in the cab.   The last units I purchased have a small antenna plate attached to the inside cab roof, much larger than the original units.  The other noticable modification was LED head lights.   There are also a lot more capacitors attached to the bottle shaped mother board.  

I talked to Bill Seratelli (Atlas repair) a few days ago about potential service problems with these units in that eventually all R2LC boards and associated components will be obsolete.   Interesting when you have (9) of them.   There has to be a lot of them out there in 12 plus years.

 Thanks Mike! I tried an older TMCC base on my 2 rail track. I had to keep my hand over the unit to get it to run. I'm really torn about diving into another system. I know once it's up and running, I will enjoy it.