B737-200 CREW HAD TRACK DEV AT ATL BECAUSE OF DIFFERENCES IN THE ACFT IN THE ACR B737 FLEET.

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ON MAY/XA/01; WHILE ON A SW VECTOR TO INTERCEPT THE ATL RWY 26R LOC; APCH CAME ON THE RADIO AND ADVISED US THAT WE WERE S OF THE LOC. I RESPONDED THAT WE WERE ON AN ASSIGNED HDG TO INTERCEPT THE LOC. I WAS THE PNF AND IMMEDIATELY CHKED THE LOC FREQ AND SAW THAT IT WAS INCORRECTLY SET IN BOTH THE CAPT'S AND FO'S NAV RADIOS. I IMMEDIATELY SET IN THE CORRECT FREQ IN BOTH NAV RADIOS AND ADVISED THE CAPT HE NEEDED TO IMMEDIATELY TURN NW TO INTERCEPT THE ATL RWY 26R LOC AS WE HAD OBVIOUSLY FLOWN THROUGH IT. HE TURNED IMMEDIATELY TO THE NW AND I ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE FLYING BACK TO THE RWY 26R LOC. WE INTERCEPTED THE LOC AND GS AND CONTINUED WITH THE APCH. THIS EVENT HAPPENED BTWN 15-18 DME OUT. WHY IS IT THAT 2 PLTS WITH MANY YRS OF EXPERIENCE SET IN THE INCORRECT FREQ? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE. I AM RATED ON AND FLY BOTH THE B737-200 AND B737-300 WHICH IS NO BIG DEAL. HOWEVER; SOME OF THE B737-200 ACFT ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHER B737-200 ACFT IN THE ACR'S FLEET. SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES ARE: NO REJECTED TKOF ON THE AUTOBRAKES; NO AUTOTHROTTLES; NO ALT CAPTURE; ONLY ALLOWED CAT I; AUTOFLT PANEL IS COMPLETELY FOREIGN; AUDIO AND NAV SELECTOR PANELS ARE DIFFERENT; OXYGEN MASKS; NO PDC COMPUTER; MANUAL SPD AND EPR BUGS; JUST TO NAME A FEW. THE LACK OF SYS; MAINLY NO AUTOTHROTTLES AND NO ALT CAPTURE; ARE NO BIG DEAL EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT USED TO THEM. THEREFORE; WHEN WE DO FLY THESE 2 ACFT; WE ARE REACHING FOR KNOBS THAT ARE NOT THERE AT TIME CRITICAL PERIODS; TRYING TO REMEMBER ALL THE EXCEPTIONS; AND MAKING CALLOUTS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT. THE RESULT OF FLYING THESE 2 ACFT: MAKING MISTAKES ON ROUTINE OPERATIONAL PROCS WHILE TRYING TO COMPENSATE FOR ALL THE DIFFERENCES OF THE ACFT. THE DIFFERENCES ARE A BIG DISTR! ADDITIONALLY; IT PUTS A GREATER WORKLOAD ON THE PNF BECAUSE YOU GET TUNNEL-VISION ON MAKING SURE THE PF LEVELS OFF AT HIS ALT; IS STAYING ON SPD; ETC. AGAIN; FLYING THE PLANE MANUALLY IS NOT A BIG DEAL; IT IS SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME CONCENTRATING ON OPERATING NONSTANDARD CTLS. CONSEQUENTLY TO FLYING THIS DIFFERENT ACFT; PART OF THE REASON FOR OUR MISHAP WAS THE PF AND PNF BEING TOO BUSY TO DO THE NORMAL CHKS WE WOULD ROUTINELY DO OUT OF GOOD AIRMANSHIP -- LIKE MAKING SURE THE CORRECT LOC FREQ IS SET IN; ETC. THIS MISHAP ALSO CAME AFTER A 2.5 HR FLT BECAME A 3.5 HR FLT WITH HOLDING; MULTIPLE VECTORS; AND WATCHING FUEL GAUGES DUE TO WX DELAYS. ALSO; ON THIS SAME FLT WE EXCEEDED A SPD RESTR ON THE MACEY ARR. IT WAS SUCH AN ENJOYABLE FLT!