I never paid much attention to the Atlas HH600/660, partly because I think I just have too many switchers compared to the bigger road units I need for my medium-large layout with 2% grades, but I finally made an exception for their Lehigh Valley unit in the original prewar paint. The first Atlas run of these locos in 2009 was without DCC or sound but with a DCC socket. A second run in 2010 included factory QSI/Quantum sound. The current version has ESU sound with a few added features like delaying the actual start of the loco to let the prime mover rev up first. (This can be disabled as a user option. I did this, as I'm simply used to having a model loco move when I move the throttle. Others may like the ESU prime mover delay features on their decoders.)
I had some difficulty finding information on the Lehigh Valley prototype. It was an HH660. HH600s and HH660s built in the later 1930s were identical. Lehigh Valley 116 was acquired in 1939 as former Alco demonstrator 4. The model is in as-delivered paint. The only prototype photo I've found has it in a later Cornell red with black stripes. A roster says it lasted until 1963.
I'm very pleased with the model's appearance and operation. The ESU controllability is extremely fine, and the sounds are especially clear. I replaced the factory Accumate couplers with Kadee 148s.
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