# Now, That's an Atlantic



## Mikeh49 (Sep 20, 2015)

Encountered this youtube on Facebook of an Atlantic project. How to turn your $65 loco into a $365 loco. With this, Tom, you can run your AF engines on Legacy maybe. Gunrunnerjohn our electronics guru can explain what is going on. Nice low speed operation though, and 4 chuffs per driver revolution. 






And this also about the project:


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

Mikeh49 said:


> Encountered this youtube on Facebook of an Atlantic project. How to turn your $65 loco into a $365 loco. With this, Tom, you can run your AF engines on Legacy maybe. Gunrunnerjohn our electronics guru can explain what is going on. Nice low speed operation though, and 4 chuffs per driver revolution.
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Very interesting video. Of course not much of the electronics make sense to me and is nothing I would attempt, but an interesting concept none the less.
It would take somebody like Gunrunnerjohn or AmFlyer Tom to understand it all and explain it all to us mere mortals.

Kenny


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

In my opinion he is doing this the hard way. I have two AM Northerns that were converted to run with the Legacy system. First thing was strip everything out of the engine and put in an MTH fan driven smoke unit. To drive the synchronized chuffs and smoke puffs a magnet on an axle was used to trip a micro switch. The mechanical cam he is using is unnecessary. I did not add the firebox glow but did include an electrocoupler. A Railsounds board, TMCC board, a cruise commander board and a speaker are needed. Some of this can go in the tender. I had an AM Pacific converted the same except we left in the piston type smoke unit. The baffle was removed so it made no sound. I really wish I had put the fan driven smoke unit in that one as well, just no comparison.
I am waiting to see the next years catalog for American Flyer by Lionel. I am hoping a new S gauge steam engine will be announced, specifically a Hudson. If not I will have one of my Gilbert Hudson's converted to TMCC, Railsounds and fan driven smoke. Ed Goldin does all these conversions for me and yes, it costs $350 to $400 to have them professionally done.
Mike, you are so right, the low speed operation under Legacy and sounds with the four chuffs are great. The MTH smoke unit also makes clouds of smoke on speed step 1.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Here is one of the Northerns on the layout after the conversion.


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

AmFlyer said:


> In my opinion he is doing this the hard way. I have two AM Northerns that were converted to run with the Legacy system. First thing was strip everything out of the engine and put in an MTH fan driven smoke unit. To drive the synchronized chuffs and smoke puffs a magnet on an axle was used to trip a micro switch. The mechanical cam he is using is unnecessary. I did not add the firebox glow but did include an electrocoupler. A Railsounds board, TMCC board, a cruise commander board and a speaker are needed. Some of this can go in the tender. I had an AM Pacific converted the same except we left in the piston type smoke unit. The baffle was removed so it made no sound. I really wish I had put the fan driven smoke unit in that one as well, just no comparison.
> I am waiting to see the next years catalog for American Flyer by Lionel. I am hoping a new S gauge steam engine will be announced, specifically a Hudson. If not I will have one of my Gilbert Hudson's converted to TMCC, Railsounds and fan driven smoke. Ed Goldin does all these conversions for me and yes, it costs $350 to $400 to have them professionally done.
> Mike, you are so right, the low speed operation under Legacy and sounds with the four chuffs are great. The MTH smoke unit also makes clouds of smoke on speed step 1.


Tom I knew you could explain that concept. I have checked the Goldin Hands site for TMCC conversions. I haven't taken the leap yet. To be honest, the price for conversion has stopped me. The $350 to $400 charge is money I could be spending on something else. I don't need the TMCC conversion but I want it.
That's a lot of smoke from the Northern. Nice! 

Kenny


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## Mikeh49 (Sep 20, 2015)

Tom, I agree with you on the cam for the chuff. That micro-switch is going to get a work out. A non-contact optical or magnet sensor would be much better, in my opinion. Does anyone know if the smoke gear turns at driver RPM?


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

There is really no reason to do the conversion unless you plan to run Legacy on your layout and plan to buy a fleet of the Legacy engines from Lionel. I do this as infill for engines AM makes but Lionel has not made. That investment will make paying for one or two conversions seem like rounding error!


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

For Gilbert engines the chuffs are synchronized by the ratio of the number of teeth on the smoke cylinder gear vs the driver gear. The smoke unit makes 2 chuffs for every rotation of the drivers.


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## 65446 (Sep 22, 2018)

Mikeh49 said:


> Encountered this youtube on Facebook of an Atlantic project. How to turn your $65 loco into a $365 loco. With this, Tom, you can run your AF engines on Legacy maybe. Gunrunnerjohn our electronics guru can explain what is going on. Nice low speed operation though, and 4 chuffs per driver revolution.
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Mikeh49 said:


> Encountered this youtube on Facebook of an Atlantic project. How to turn your $65 loco into a $365 loco. With this, Tom, you can run your AF engines on Legacy maybe. Gunrunnerjohn our electronics guru can explain what is going on. Nice low speed operation though, and 4 chuffs per driver revolution.
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> 
> 
> ...


Though I only had Flyer as a kid in the 1950s, I just felt like taking a look at what's been done to modify them and so ran this vid....
Like, WOW !! I had no idea how much electronics is being put in them today !! I really liked watching these 2 videos. Quite fascinating ! I'm wondering, does all this modification now even include independence of locos as DCC does ? 
Or, does the Flyer world still need blocks in the track, for independence of trains ? I did kick into HO in late 50s, and was into N for 15 grueling years, then went back to HO about 10-12 yrs ago, then to DCC... But I do respect what makes this S hi rail attractive to you...Something like being more folklorico, or more attached to your childhood exposure to it, not concerned with scale this and that, but shere blunt heavy power and weight...Sumpin like dat !! M


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Legacy/TMCC works the same as DCC but can use AC track power at much higher amperage. My Legacy layout has a total of 80A to the track spread over 8 Power Districts. I have the Power Districts subdivided into blocks but those are not used to control the trains. A double headed engine set with two smoke units and 9 passenger cars will draw 7A. I still have incandescent lights in my passenger cars.
Most American Flyer operators still run conventional like it was in the 1950's. Some S scalers have converted to DCC.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I couldn't watch the videos, the wildly swing camera drives me crazy! I couldn't actually see what he was doing, but it appears it's a TMCC upgrade and not a true Legacy upgrade. In any case, I do a ton of these in O-gauge, and I've even done several AF upgrades. I don't fool with the cam and switch which looked like it was giving him a lot of problems, I use an electronic board with a optical reader on the flywheel.


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