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Trainman440
United States
Приєднався 24 гру 2013
A channel dedicated to showcasing the work Ive done on my models, with the goal to inspire others and help guide those who want to copy my work. I specialize in DCC installs, remotoring, repowering, and general engine repair/restoration. I strive to inspire other modelers to become comfortable with working on their own models. I also include a few reviews and "just trains running" videos.
The goal of this channel is to share my work and improve my video filming and editing skills. Enjoy!
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My layout is based mostly around "The Virginian" 2012 Model Railroader Magazine layout.
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Find me on forums:
Instagram: trainman440
cs.trains(mrr): trainman440
tycoforums: trainman280
The goal of this channel is to share my work and improve my video filming and editing skills. Enjoy!
-----------------
My layout is based mostly around "The Virginian" 2012 Model Railroader Magazine layout.
-----------------
Find me on forums:
Instagram: trainman440
cs.trains(mrr): trainman440
tycoforums: trainman280
An UNDERRATED Budget Loco: Bachmann HO 2-6-0 Review
Recently got a Bachmann HO 2-6-0 w/ Soundvalue decoder. Was amazed at how much loco you can get for the price. Wanted to make a review for this well deserved underrated model.
Переглядів: 763
Відео
Why your Brass Model is WEAK from LAZY Engineering (and how to fix it)
Переглядів 1,2 тис.День тому
A video ramble about the low effort brass manufacturers put into adding an appropriate amount of weight to their brass steam locomotive models, leading to poor performance and lack of pulling power. I also show how to guide for adding weight to your brass steam engines. Enjoy!
MTH HO C&O Allegheny Review + Rivarossi Comparison
Переглядів 8942 місяці тому
Today we review the MTH HO Chesapeake and Ohio H8 2-6-6-6 Alleghany Steam Locomotive w/ Protosound 3.0. And we quickly compare it with the Rivarossi counterpart. Enjoy! Chapters: 0:00 - Pros 5:38 - Variations 7:02 - Drawbacks 12:51 - Rivarossi Comparison 17:31 - Conclusion
DOUBLEHEADER MTH C&O 2-6-6-6 Allegheny w/Freight Drag
Переглядів 3412 місяці тому
Running my pair of MTH Chesapeake and Ohio H8 2-6-6-6 Steam Locomotives. Enjoy! Review coming soon!
CUSTOM DISC Drivers! MTH Pennsylvania K4 Model Showcase
Переглядів 9302 місяці тому
Hey guys! Today I show a recent project I finished, making custom disc drivers for my MTH PRR K4 4-6-2 Steam Locos. Hope someone finds it inspirational :) Discs not for sale. FULL ARTICLE SHOWING BUILD PROCESS: cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/t/297757.aspx
When Newer ≠ Better. MTH HO PRR K4s 4-6-2 Comparison
Переглядів 6643 місяці тому
Hey guys! After finally getting a 2nd run MTH Pennsylvania K4, I figured it would be cool making a comparison video showing EVERYTHING different between the two runs of models. Enjoy! Chapters: 0:00 - Intro 1:27 - Boiler 8:42 - Chassis 15:54 - Electronics
WORST Foam Damage I've Seen! - Brass Restoration Guide
Переглядів 4,7 тис.6 місяців тому
Hello all! I was challenged recently to do a restoration on a brass engine with severe foam damage. In this How To video I show tips on how I go about doing this kind of repair, and what to expect along the way. In this video I restore an HO brass steam locomotive, specifically a Red Ball Brass PRR Pennsylvania B6sb 0-6-0 engine. I think it turned out great! Enjoy!
MTH New York Central L3b Mohawk w/ Fast Freight
Переглядів 5716 місяців тому
Running my recently completed customized MTH HO New York Central L3b Mohawk! This 4-8-2 has received some modifications, if you're curious I have pictures of the process posted on my instagram. Absolutely love the Protosound 3.0 NYC 5 chime whistle MTH uses on these mohawks. Enjoy!
Proto 2000 2-8-8-2 Mallet DOUBLEHEADER w/ Freight Drag
Переглядів 5227 місяців тому
Recently got a second Proto 2000 HO Life Like 2-8-8-2, this time a USRA steam locomotive lettered for Clinchfield with QSI sound. Doubleheaded it with my PRR Pennsylvania HH1 which has custom ESU Loksound V5. Enjoy!
2023 Roster Collection Showcase
Переглядів 1,4 тис.7 місяців тому
Annual roster collection showcase for 2023 is out! 2023 Stats: 79 locos total, 37 brass locos, of which 14 are painted and of those, 11 have sound. In the 2022 showcase I had 74 locos total, 33 brass locos, of which 11 are painted and the same 9 that have sound. Throughout the past year and a half I had sold off 51 locos, which means in total I had bought 56 locos, many of which were resold to ...
Rapido Super Continental Line Passenger Car Review
Переглядів 4987 місяців тому
Today we review a Rapido HO passenger car from their Super Continental Line! This one is a 10-5 sleeper painted in two tone grey for the ATSF or Santa Fe Railroad. This might be the most detailed car on the market, but there definitely are areas which could be improved. Enjoy!
HO Santa Fe 4-8-4 w/ California Limited Passenger Train
Переглядів 5307 місяців тому
HO Santa Fe 4-8-4 w/ California Limited Passenger Train
CUSTOM Proto 2000 NYC 0-8-0 U3b Showcase
Переглядів 5818 місяців тому
CUSTOM Proto 2000 NYC 0-8-0 U3b Showcase
INSANE Deals! Train Show Edison NJ 2023
Переглядів 7348 місяців тому
INSANE Deals! Train Show Edison NJ 2023
UPGRADE Athearn Light Bulbs to LEDs: CUSTOM Santa Fe F7 Showcase
Переглядів 8609 місяців тому
UPGRADE Athearn Light Bulbs to LEDs: CUSTOM Santa Fe F7 Showcase
Sunset PRR 0-4-0 A5 Local Train w/ WOWsound
Переглядів 7119 місяців тому
Sunset PRR 0-4-0 A5 Local Train w/ WOWsound
BLI Santa Fe 2-10-2 Doubleheader w/ Reefer Train
Переглядів 4429 місяців тому
BLI Santa Fe 2-10-2 Doubleheader w/ Reefer Train
Westside NYC Destreamlined J3a w/ Express Mail Train (ESU Loksound)
Переглядів 5579 місяців тому
Westside NYC Destreamlined J3a w/ Express Mail Train (ESU Loksound)
How to Install DCC Sound into Brass Steam Engines for CHEAP
Переглядів 4,4 тис.10 місяців тому
How to Install DCC Sound into Brass Steam Engines for CHEAP
riding the nyc subway past its final stop
Переглядів 26910 місяців тому
riding the nyc subway past its final stop
NYC & PRR Steam Action at Rockledge Model Railroad Club
Переглядів 66810 місяців тому
NYC & PRR Steam Action at Rockledge Model Railroad Club
Bachmann Amtrak ACS64 w/ Northeast Regional Passenger Train
Переглядів 47411 місяців тому
Bachmann Amtrak ACS64 w/ Northeast Regional Passenger Train
Bachmann Amtrak SC44 Charger: Optimized Perfection
Переглядів 91911 місяців тому
Bachmann Amtrak SC44 Charger: Optimized Perfection
Railfanning a Day on the New York Central (NYC Steam!)
Переглядів 482Рік тому
Railfanning a Day on the New York Central (NYC Steam!)
Workshop: Atlas HO AEM7 DCC Sound Install (FULL Light Package)
Переглядів 487Рік тому
Workshop: Atlas HO AEM7 DCC Sound Install (FULL Light Package)
Atlas Amtrak AEM7 Goes into EMERGENCY w/ Passenger Train
Переглядів 492Рік тому
Atlas Amtrak AEM7 Goes into EMERGENCY w/ Passenger Train
Trix New York Central H6a 2-8-2 w/ESU Loksound (custom 5 chime whistle!)
Переглядів 871Рік тому
Trix New York Central H6a 2-8-2 w/ESU Loksound (custom 5 chime whistle!)
Demo a DCC Decoder Made 20 YEARS Ago! ESU Loksound 2
Переглядів 475Рік тому
Demo a DCC Decoder Made 20 YEARS Ago! ESU Loksound 2
One thing: Regarding the proportionality of the headlight in relation to the smokebox number plate, it is the number plate that is too big not that the headlight being too small. Notice that the numberplate edge are very close to the smoke box door lugs on the model while in the prototype pictures the plate edge are quite far from the lugs.
Athearn/roundhouse makes a mogul (as well as a 4-4-0 and 2-8-0 with the same boiler) that is pretty nice. Maybe a little more space on the detail and sound needs to be installed, but it is diecast.
I am upgrading dcc to this engine too do i need to replace the motor I know its noisy but is the motor ok to run on dcc like amperage wise so I don't break a decoder.
Small locomotives in general are scarce or really expensive
I've a Mogul but it's from the eighties by Mainline and British Rail!
where are you finding this for 80$? i cant find it anywhere under 230$
I had the chance to find one at that price last Monday, and I ended up grabbing a Broadway limited NW2 SWITCHER for the same price. Guy was selling his stepfather's collection and after telling him it was worth 200 usd he asked for 80$ cad. You just need to find the rare seller that wants to get rid of stuff.
I paid $59 for mine, with DCC sound. Found it on ebay. I remember not long ago, these sold fairly regularly for normally around $40-80 DCC ready on ebay
It's basically an underrated version of Bachman's USRA 0-6-0 which this loco is Amazing I have 2 of these, It's cheap and affordable And it's a medium size locomotive
Yes!
the reason why the locomotive is missing boiler bands is because the prototype doesn't have boiler bands. Some did but they're not really visible.
Im not sure what you mean. The prototype did have boiler bands. Any photo of a GB&W up close the boiler bands are visible.
@@trainman440 I couldn’t see em sorry
@@mr.oliver_11 please fact check before correcting someone else
I literally took mine to the train club a day ago and they were all talking about it.
I have several, great value and I'm in the UK!
Glad to see fellow modelers across the pond are also enjoying them :)
one of the best models i have. Bachmann should really make a second backdated version. Also, Athearn is making a 2-6-0.
I’d be all for Bachmann re-releasing the DCC ready ready version. The current sound version is just too expensive…
That would be pretty cool lol
Ah, yes. The locomotive that's as underrated as it is underpowered, at least when it comes to the grades on the C&A
To clarify, my model could pull 3 or 4 cars up the grade below Coalton at most.
as they say, YMMV. If your track has steep grades and you use clipper oil as a track cleaning solution, then yes you will get less performance.
Hi i was wondering if you have the link on where to get the speakers on eBay and how to make the keep alive circuit in different arrangements thanks.Russ
Hey! I cant share links here without youtube auto removing it. For speakers simply look up "28mm 2w speaker" on ebay. For the stay alive circuit look up "The DCC guy stay alive diy" on YT.
I'm glad that Division Point put alot of extra weight in the Soo Line Mikado 1003. I don't have to add anything as its way more powerful than my 4-8-4 even is.
@@modelrailwaybackshop seems like some manufacturers care more about performance than others 🤷🏻♂️
The Pennsy had 425 K4's...
oops, what did I say? 450? my b
Please do a clip of the engines running and pulling after you added the weight.
I currently dont have a layout big enough (4x8) that could fit the length of cars this loco can currently pull.
I have a Rivarossi one it is amazing but it is a dust magnet and it has no good pick ups for electric
@@Neb_fallout that particular loco is a dust magnet? cause i dont see why the rivarossi loco is any different from other models that would make it attract an unusual amount of dust.
@@trainman440 it seems like that because it has less pick up points
@@Neb_fallout how so? i thot it picked up on all drivers (minus traction tires) and each half of the tender truck. have you cleaned your track? or the copper wipers?
@@trainman440 yes but it just doesn’t stay clean as long as all my other locomotives
The reason they didn’t add the weight is because of cost. It’s cheaper to ship and has less risk of damage.
@@barkonious Unlikely. These models are expensive and made in very limited runs. Impact on shipping cost is negligible. And with two screws bolting it down I find it unlikely it being damaged. But who knows I guess.
@@trainman440 Samhongsa was known for cutting corners. Friends who were dealers had problems with their engines brand new. Also because these locos came with the weight installed they had to keep the weight down to avoid damage. The reason the micro cast engines had a bigger weight is because they were no installed from the factory they didn't have to worry about the weight shifting and causing damage to the models.
@@barkonious I know of many other brass models that had preinstalled weights inside boilers with MUCH bigger weights. I dont accept that as the primary "reason" for why they included such a small weight.
If you can't increase weight you can increase adhesion with bullfrog snot or traction tires. Considering you would only lose the driven axles electrical pickup I think they are a good trade off.
@@Bdmrr I absolutely despise bullfrog snot. Have you actually used it before? it makes your driver ever so slightly bigger than all the others, and literally LIFTS your engine up so your engine either see saws back and forth or it lifts other drivers off so they barely touch the track. If you havent used bullfrog snot before please dont promote it.
@@trainman440 I have used it. Did not notice the side effect. Did u apply it too thick?
I think it’s supposed to be a very light application
@@Bdmrr perhaps. Maybe I'll have to try again. In general though I dont prefer using snot. If I cant add more weight, I'll simply doublehead the train!
@@trainman440 I agree but sometimes I want a boiler barker
I have followed your videos for a long time, and agree with almost all of your comments on them, including this one. I`m an older retired gentleman, living in Pittsburgh, Pa., and would enjoy an opportunity to meet or talk with you some time, but I don`t know how that could be arranged in privacy. I have worked on many locomotive projects over the years, that I`m sure you would find very interesting.
@@DavidSchubert-h5y hey! Glad to hear my fanbase is of all ages. Pittsburgh is far from where I live though so I dont find it likely for us to meet. sorry :/
How powerful are the 2-10-2s I’m struggling to find any videos of them in action
Theyre plastic, but decently powerful! especially with the provided traction tires lol. I have a doubleheader of the Paragon2 2-10-2s video on my channel somewhere. It was relatively recent. Feel free to look around!
The amount of weight over the drivers is important. But how it's balanced over the drivers is equally important. Commenting before watching the entire video, so you may have covered that later on. When weighting your locomotives, pay attention to the balance point of it after adding weight. Also, measure current draw before and after. For the most effective weighting of steam locomotives, melt bismuth alloy into the boiler after sealing up any and all holes. This fills every nook and cranny of the boiler. Other materials are heavier than bismuth (lead and tungsten), but you're not going to be able to completely fill the spaces in the boiler.
yes I covered balancing in the video lol. i dont understand why ppl feel the need to comment before listening to the point in its entirety...youd think it would save the effort it takes to write something up. but hey i dont judge. While melting bismuth (or lead, or etc) is the most effective way of packing as much weight to a boiler as possible, it often isnt practical for most of us. Gotta work with what you got.
@@trainman440 Yeah, LOL... You're right of course. I guess it's a matter of attention span. Aside from that... Yes, you have to work with what you've got. I model narrow gauge and the locomotives are small, so space is very limited. Trying to balance between adding enough weight and balancing that weight over the drivers is always a compromise. I equalize the driving wheels using a rigid beam suspension (the scale I model in is too small for springs over the axle bearings), so that just adds another layer of complexity. Good to see someone dissecting and improving brass locomotives. Most guys are too chicken to do such a thing to an expensive brass locomotive. I do it all the time, most don't run worth a darn out of the box (I'm speaking of vintage brass here, modern stuff might be a lot better).
@@WHJeffB agreed! every engine i get will absolutely be run. I have tons of both cheap and more "premium" models. I dont pay much for any of it. And I like getting my hands dirty to get the very most out of each :) cheers!
Yes! Someone agrees with me on this, though what I will add is RTR locomotives aren't super great either. I mean look at the crappy Bachmann Russian Decapod, that's an utter joke in it barely being able to its own weight. In addition, ANY BLI loco can't haul crap without traction tires and I hate having to use them. They're just so much of a dirt magnet. I just found "Liquid Leadshot" from DCC Concepts (I had to have it shipped from Britain) the other week which literally is just leadshot and I plan to put that in my various locomotives to weigh them down. What you do is just fill a little bag with them, then stuff it in the boiler and because its essentially a ton of little lead ball bearing looking things, it easily conforms to the shape. I see that you also got wheels weights for auto wheels. Yeah I got those too but didn't think to hammer them like you did. I was just going insane trying to find something that works well as is more or less fluid or easily. Because without getting a flipping mini furnace/forge to be able to melt down metals and actually cast a weight, I was thinking it was impossible to make my locomotives weigh enough to pull, and yes I am using THE word, *prototypical* length consists on their own with NO traction tires. Its like...my PRR L1 should be able to pull a 40 car train on its own. It did it in real life and what it was designed for, the model should do the same. Its just a scaled down version of the full sized thing. But apparently without a traction tire set on, it can barely pull 20 cars *on* *the* *flat.* Imagine trying to go up a grade. Now with the leadshot, I'll be able to actually do this. I also agree with the smoke units in HO scale. They suck majorly anyway and cause a HUGE weight reduction in the model. They just make no sense for HO as you need all the weight you can get when rolling stock weighs so much in comparison. HO Scale I found has THE WORST size to weight and tractive effort ratio of any scale. Power is utterly fine with us having motors that #1. Don't burn out like the old ones can, and #2. Have loads of overall power plus torque to provide. Flywheel and Can motors are just 100x better. Wheelslip also needs to be allowed to exist and yeah, if you have no traction tires equipped, you'll always get it at some point.
I think you're over generalizing. CERTAIN BLI models cant pull. But not all. Case in point, their paragon2+ I1sa is a plastic loco and a giant smoke unit taking up most of the space inside the boiler. it barely pulls anything. But if youve ever held one of their paragon1/qsi K4s, I think you would have your mind changed. Its got 100% diecast construction, tender shell and all, AND it has a giant lead weight taking up most of the boiler space. Gosh, that thing can PULL. I dont use traction tires, and i reserve the use of "tungsten putty" or "liquid weight" products for only the hardest to add weight areas of steam locos. Most of the time the cheap 1/4oz lead weights hammered into shape has been sufficient. Making my engines TOO heavy only causes them to potentially be damaged during transport. I also like to doublehead locos frequently, so a loco thats not too heavy isnt a big problem, and not being too heavy only helps prevent wheel wear when the two locos arent perfectly speed matched. Gotta make do with what you got lol. I plan to eventually rip out all the smoke units out of my BLI locos and replace them all with a chunky lead weight, for improved pulling power. Cheers!
@@trainman440 Oh yeah. I actually own 2 BLI QSI era K4s I bought from a guy...that both came dead on arrival due to the decoders. I was rather impressed with the weight of them, but that's also because they don't have smoke units. I have a PCM T-1 too which can pull about 40 cars on the flat without traction tires. But unfortunately I still find that rather lackluster knowing how much the real things could pull. I was primarily talking about their more modern iterations where people sacrifice weight for "ooo look smoke" when in reality that smoke also just gets oil vapor everywhere inside the model. (Rather sticky and goopy mess on the inside) And heck, my PRR L1 is die cast, yet only weighs about 14 ounces at most. I bought a scale to see how much all my stuff weighs, and man that is incredibly low because of the smoke unit. The T-1 still outpulls it by about double.
@@nickb.1095 i think the fact that smoke units in lieu of lead weight means youre giving up performance for a feature has already beaten to death. but yes. smoke units are sacrifices. Its not as simple as some people say "if you dont like it turn it off". They dont account for the lost weight that having an unused smoke unit inside their locos is hurting their performance.
@@trainman440 Exactly, then really don't seem to understand why their locomotive can't pull that much. In fact one guy I watch is British and Bachmann didn't even bother to put a weight in their Black 5. The boiler was completely empty! I was honestly shocked.
@@trainman440 I have a BLI Northern Pacific A-3, and it's fairly heavy and very powerful. I haven't really had any major problems with it. It's also THE most expensive locomotive in my entire collection.
Ive been having the same problem with my bachmann k4 its so light
yea, and unfortunately there isnt much free space in the boiler. So its hard to add more weight. Although my experience with my Bachmann K4 actually indicates a weak motor/low gear ratio, and not the lack of weight thats causing poor pulling power. The motor itself stalls when pulling a "realistic" size train.
@@trainman440 yeah then thats the probably the problem with mine may club is mostly flat so even most weak locomotives are fine but the moment i try to pull a realistic train 1361 just cant do it so thats probably the problem
more weight
more or less yea
I’m just curious how you qualify/quantify ‘enough’ pulling power- certain # of cars, just raw drawbar pull in oz., etc. It seems even just among bli there can be massive variation in pulling power (reading t1s are particularly anemic ime), while others can do 2-3x what the t1s can do. Another great video 👍
Look at what the full scale thing did, if it can pull what it did in full scale, then that's the right weight to me. To me it being "too heavy" isn't a problem. Why? You want to the thing to be as heavy as realistically possible, but that's REALLY hard to do with steam. Its easy for electrics or diesels and you can create real bricks with them. A PRR L1 should theoretically be able to pull 40 cars without struggling. A PRR H10 anywhere between 35 to 40. Each locomotive was designed to haul a specific amounts of cars and perform specific tasks. The PRR used 2-8-0s and 2-8-2s primarily for locals, so your talking 50 cars max or less in most cases. Double heading sure was a thing, but you didn't tend to see the Connies or Mikes on ore or coal drags, you saw their I1sas and N1s on those more often then not.
"enough" is simply when the engine is capable of pulling a realistic number of train cars. For example a single BLI paragon1 PRR K4 can pull 20 passenger cars. that is "enough". A BLI Paragon2 I1sa (plastic shell, smoke unit) struggles to pull 15 40' boxcars. That is insufficient in my book.
@@trainman440 Agreed...I'll be weighing mine down more. That was one of the 1st things I also noticed, the weight isn't balanced over the back driver to give it traction.
@@nickb.1095 balancing is especially difficult/critical for engines such as 4-4-0s. really hard to find spaces to put weight on the back side.
1:07
0:12
Make a video of them running. I’d love to see the wheels turn.
@@jaymz5267 hoping to get a vid out soon!
Do you know how to put Thomas faces on Thomas trains like bachmann or Hornby?
I’ve never understood the appeal of buying a locomotive and not running it.
yea, i find it pretty insane. but I understand some people are in the hobby more to collect and less to operate. I personally dont understand the draw but I can respect it.
"Shelf Queens" as some call them. My friend has quite a few of those now...primarily because he also bought expensive brass models "just to have", then after receiving them, realized they don't even operate after paying over $1,000 for the model.
My late Grandfather acquired a few locomotives to put on display inside cases. More specifically, he got an HO scale brass Overland Models Inc. Northern Pacific A-2 (which, sadly, doesn't run at all), an O scale MTH Premier New York Central J1e Hudson (which actually runs, and the sounds and lights are really amazing), a brass 2-rail O scale Overland Models Inc. Northern Pacific A-5 (which I have no idea if it runs or not due to the fact that I don't have any 2-rail O scale track), and an O scale MTH Premier DM&IR M-3 Yellowstone (which also runs, has awesome sounds and lights, and it's also the largest and heaviest model railroad locomotive I have ever held, period). All four of those models are really amazing.
Best of all this trick works on RTR MODELS TOO!!
Its harder to do in RTR models but yes. RTR models are generally better designed to utilize all the space inside the boiler. They tend to be light simply due to inefficient design and overuse of plastics or other lighter weight materials. For example, the addition of many plastic brackets, large gearboxes, smoke units, excessive PCBs or electronics, etc. Therefore it is generally more difficult to add weight to RTR engines, but certainly not impossible.
THE POLAR EXPRESS. HOT HOT OOHHH WE GOT IT HOT CHOCOLATE
Buizznessvards...mrbatmane
Make moon
Awesome
Question how do you put the face on a model?
@@Nathanplayz.shorts putty! to make them interchangeable
That looks cool!
ngl even in person its trippy asf
I had a concussion a year ago and I want to say thank you some core memories have come back
youre welcome :)
Just got some time to rewatch this video and the running board mod is absolutely amazingly impressive! Well done as usual!!!
hehe thanks! I was afraid the running boards were diecast and part of the boiler. thats why i was hesitant in buying one. cause no way i was gonna leave the boards stock. as soon as i learned they were plastic (implying they were a separate detachable piece from the diecast boiler) AND BLI was selling them for $299 refurbished, i knew i had to get one :)
@@trainman440 heheh now it’s perfect 🤩
Very impressive and enjoyable to see a C&O Allegheny doubleheader on a freight train, the Allegheny types were incredible articulated locomotives and must have been wonderful to see in action back during the late steam era.
Very impressive review of C&O Allegheny locomotive models from both MTH and Rivarossi, the Alleghenies are incredible examples of steam power and are among some of my personal favorite types of articulated locomotives. The mth model I assume has more weight but the Rivarossi model has a more accurate appearance, I heard that Rivarossi is releasing a new run of the C&O Alleghenies either later this year or early next year. I would really like to see a new release of the Rivarossi Allegheny type locomotives as the last time they produced this locomotive model was back in late 2014, this was an interesting and enjoyable locomotive comparison- Tom.
Thanks! actually both models have similar weight, despite MTH's being fully diecast. That's because MTH's has an empty boiler, whereas Rivarossi's plastic shell is filled with lead inside. Both have traction tires so I believe they are fairly similar in pulling power. Yes Rivarossi is doing a rerelease, I believe theyre $450 on trainworld, and after a 10% discount that brings it down to around $400. A VERY reasonable price if you ask me, in 2024. Cheers!
Had this one in a Tyco train set back in the late 60's.
The Spectrum car has more details because 'Spectrum' was the higher end line than the 'Silver' series cars. The wider coupler swing on the 'Silver' series car is to allow it to negotiate curves found on commonly found 4' x 8' layouts.
I love these cars. Its actually my favorite livery for ATSF. The body side color is kind of a greenish/gray.
I'll admit its not for me, but I do agree its a rather unique scheme for a rather unique period on the santa fe, during a time full of intense cost cutting measures (1953-1965). Cheers!
Would it be possible to take an air compressor wheth an nozzle on the end of the are hose do any good for it....
spraying it with compressed air doesnt do anything. It is completely stuck to the brass.
On brass upgrades: you may have covered this in a different video but do you generally replace gearboxes on your locomotives or just use the stock gearbox? I know this depends on the model too.
Good question! Most stock gearboxes are perfectly fine. It is totally un-necessary to replace the gearbox unless its performance is not up to par to what you desire. I often will tune and modify gearboxes to run smoother and quieter, enough to be satisfied with the gearbox. That being said the only times Ive replaced gearboxes were either broken/cracked gearboxes (from select/certain ALCO brass), or ones which Im not able to make quiet, notably some PFM/United gearboxes.
Hey, did you ever add sound to that 2-8-4 that came DCC ready? I just bought the Walthers release C&O (2746) that also came DCC ready, and was curious what sound decoder to buy for it. Thanks!
I did! ended up adding TCS wowsound, although i might switch it out with Loksound, since wowsound doesnt have a great NKP whistle. But buy whatever sound decoder you enjoy the sounds of! all of them are equally easy to install, i believe these have an 8 pin dcc ready plug.
Very nice review. Surprised the Rivarossi stacked up so favorably in detail compared to the MTH model. In my head the MTH would have been far superior.
thanks! rivarossis engine is quite good looking, I dont like the false mentality of "more expensive = better". Its not always true!
So I’m planing to buy a BLI NW Class A and Y6A/Y6b….but every time I do some research I hear so many bad and good things about BLI. As I am European, I can’t just send them back in case there is a problem. Costums etc are a big problem. So is it safe to buy these models? They had been released before already