We have received the first release of Atlas' new HO Fairbanks-Morse H24-66 Train Master equipped with QSI Sound & Power. Advertised as "The Most Powerful Locomotive Ever Built" in the 1950s, this unit will be a great addition to many pikes.

Atlas is the third manufacturer to include QSI onboard sound & power with their locomotives, the others being Broadway Limited and Lionel. Soon to follow are Life-Like Proto 2000 and Athearn Genesis. The QSI board can be operated on both DC & DCC.

As for this new offering, it is as great looking as it is sounding. Atlas has done a good job designing a popular prototype from the ground up to accommodate the QSI electronics and dual speakers. QSI has streamlined their board to accommodate narrow-hood diesels. This loco can pull a long train, the lower frame section is beefed up making the Train Master much heavier than most HO diesels.

atl-tmaster-01 atl-tmaster-02

 

The speakers are located underneath the open, detailed fan grills in the rear of the loco so you get plenty of sound. Also the unit is quite heavy so it should be able to pull plenty of cars just like the prototype. Speaking of which, where's the information on the real ones? Even the manufacturer's alphanumeric designation is nowhere to be found in the extensive owners manual. It would be interesting to know a little of the Train Master's history as well as specifics on the actual unit that was sampled to get the authentic (?) sound.

This new, unique diesel is available now from Tony's.

As with all QSI-equipped locomotives, unless you have the NCE PowerPro, you will probably need an assist on the programming track by using the DCC Specialties PowerPax programming booster.

Also, if this will be your second or third (or more) QSI loco you may find trouble restarting your system after a short without removing one or more locos from the track. If that's the case, try one of DCC Specialties PSX Circuit Breakers to help the system restart.