Model Railroading > HO scale Atlas S2

Could anyone please advise their experience with the HO scale Atlas S2 switcher? I'm considering the purchase of one. Is it the equal of the Kato NW2? How good is it for slow speed switching & yard work? Is there a DCC plug already installed, or would it have to be wired for DCC? If it has to be wired for DCC how tough is it, and would a Digitrax DN142 work? Thanks.

"Could anyone please advise their experience with the HO scale Atlas S2 switcher?"

Sure

"I'm considering the purchase of one."

I recommend them pretty highly. In fact, I recommend all of Atlas' locomotives. I have 4 of them. (S1 S2 S3 & S4)

"Is it the equal of the Kato NW2?"

I don't have a Kato NW2, but I do have a Kato RS-2. As for comaprison to that, which has to be equal to if not a little better than their NW2 as you can't improve on perfection, Not quite, but close enough to make you a happy consumer. Great slow speed switching and coasting. Lou Sassi once said "If one of them ever goes out on me, it's going to become an anchor for my 14' aluminum boat" in MR. The things weigh at least a pound out of the box due to its cast underframe. My brother uses the S3 on his layout to pull 20 cars up a 2.5% grade without a slight hairs drop in speed when switching his yard. (I know, a grade on a yard lead??? Not quite.... it's on the main, but to switch the Refinery off of his yard lead, you have to head upgrade for a bit if you have a long cut.)

"How good is it for slow speed switching & yard work?"

See above. Like I said, EXCELLENT.

"Is there a DCC plug already installed, or would it have to be wired for DCC?"

Nope, Fraid not.

"If it has to be wired for DCC how tough is it, and would a Digitrax DN142 work?"

Dunno, haven't converted mine to DCC yet. (Layout still needs to be converted after I "Unstore" it from it's crates in the garage). Brother uses them for the time being on his DC Layout. (All but my Tidewater Southern S2, it's on my desk and doesn't leave the house without me. ;O) Wish I could be of more help there and I apologize for that.

"Thanks."

My Pleasure.

I have an Atlas S2 and a Kato NW2. I much prefer the Atlas. I have installed decoders in each by hardwiring them. Both were a tight fit but if you use one of the newer Digitrax DZ decoders or one of the Lenz small decoders it should make the installation easier.

My main complaint with the Kato is the power pickup. They went cheap and used metal wipers on the wheels. I ended up rewiring the the loco so I could have reliable operation.

Even if the Kato had better power pickup I would still vote the Atlas the better of the two. It is very powerful, quiet, smooth, and has very good slow speed operation.

I'm assuming that this recent run is the same as the last run a few years ago. If so, then Wangrow (System One) made an "almost" drop in decoder to replace the circuit board on the Atlas S2/S4. Remove the circuit board, file away a very small amount of frame (which fills up virtually the entire loco), reattach the wires and you're done. I have four of the last run, with the Wangrow decoders installed, and we use all of them continuously for five hours straight when we have our monthly operating sessions. They are solid runners and you could pull out stumps with them, they pull so good.