I saw a nice model of a Rio Grande S2 from Atlas. Not available with factory-installed decoder however, and no information about the possibilities of decoder installation. Is this model DCC-ready, or is installing a decoder quite easy?
Not as easy to install decoder as most other current diesel loco's. It does not have an eight pin NMRA socket. In addition the motor IS NOT isolated from the frame. I recommend you buy an NCE ATLS4 decoder that is designed expressly for the Atlas S1 thru S4 series. It replaces the existing light board and also has an LED included for the rear light. The front light is LED an is already installed on the decoder. The resistors for the LED's are included on the decoder board. It contains a NYLON screw and Kapton tape that makes isolating the motor an easy task. I have installed several of these decoders and highly recommend them.
I have only some experience with Plug & Play decoders, so isolating the motor is new for me. But if it is easy, I can try. Why makes Atlas this oldfashioned type of loco? Is it a rerun?
Don't know why it is not isolated. But the NCE instructions are very concise and should not be a problem for you. The rear LED must be soldered so I hope this is not an issue for you. I also soldered all the wires to the decoder as this is a much better method then using the plastic clips to hold the wires to the decoder. Give it a try and you will be rewarded with a really nice running loco.
Soldering is not a problem. As long as the instructions of NCE are clear, I think it will be possible for me to install this decoder. And I have some friends who like playing with decoders, so..... ;-) Thanks for your answers!
