my first mth steam engine

[vbkostur]

finally got my first mth steam engine with ps 2. i have never bought an mth engine before but here is my first impression...

1. although i do not use remote, i am impressed. the sound is excellent (as are my lionels with railsound/trainsounds)

2. this engine runs very well as it should for being brand new.

3. could use more detail but it is the basic 2-8-0 rtr set. 

4. the smoke is fantastic. it blows away my 2 modern lionel steam engines. why can't lionel make their steamers smoke like this?

i have always been a big die hard lionel fan in the past. now if i am buying a steam engine, i do not see myself buying anything other than mth. i will have to get something a little more detailed next time.

[Anonymous]

Because MTH would sue them... oh yeah they already have...

I have a Lionel 0-8-0 Switcher with fan driven smoke and it smokes just as well as my MTH Streamlined Hudson.  Also, there are modifications you can do to the Lionel steamers with the puffer units that make them smoke just as well as the fan driven smokers...

[Jumijo]

 

I'm very satisfied with my Lionel's smoke output. Same goes for my Williams. Not happy with my wife's Cuisinart coffee maker smoke output though!

[alexweiihman]

You know, MTH makes a ton of smoke but I prefer the Lionel and K-line engines with a little smoke.  Sometimes that MTH smoke can get annoying when you can't see 3 feet in front of you!

[Jumijo]

You know, MTH makes a ton of smoke but I prefer the Lionel and K-line engines with a little smoke.  Sometimes that MTH smoke can get annoying when you can't see 3 feet in front of you!

I agree. Besides, I can't see 3 feet in front of me without the smoke. I was warned to stop or I'd go blind. Finally quit when I needed glasses... 

[laz 57]

VB,

  Make sure you get a BCR, its a replacement for the battery.  If your battery is low or is dead it will screw up your PS2 boards.  These BCRs are about 25 bucks and last forever.  All you have to do is take out the battery replace it with the BCR put it on the track each time and let it power up for 1 minute then off you go.  No worry about the battery.  I have about 7 MTHs and like them but don't want the hastle of getting a replacement boaed.  Good luck.

laz57

[laz 57]

VB,

  Heres there site....

http://jandwelectronics.com/

laz57

[vbkostur]

thanks for the advice. i willget a BCR!

as for lionel trains with fan riven smoke units, i can't afford them. they are rarely, if at all offered in traditional size steamers. i got my an entire rtr mth set for under 300 out the door. i have two lionel puffers. one if fair and the other is poor. both produce average amount of smoke(after i took them aprt and worked on them) but one does not seem to "puff" with enough force.

[vbkostur]

laz, would you shy away from getting an older engine with ps1? i have only been back in the hobbie for about year and am still learning alot.

[laz 57]

VB,

  All of my MTHs are PS2 engines.  I've been told to stay away from the PS1 engines because of the board problems, unless you know that the engine has never been run then it would be safe to put a BCR in with no problems of a scrambled board.  Good luck.

laz57

[alexweiihman]

VB, I'd shy away from the PS1 locomotives because it seems that MTH is offering alot of the ld PS1 stuff with PS2 now.

[dbaker48]

VB - I picked up a PS1 at York in April, I didn't even leave the hall with it.  I took it over to TAS and had them upgrade with PS2.  Now for the most part this doesn't make sense, because by the time you get the PS1 and pay the upgrade costs, you could have had a new PS2.  The reason I did it was, we (my son) wanted a special engine, (NW J-Series).  At the show I found the whole train, and then with the upgrade cost, it was about $500 less than a new one.  But, couldn't find a newone in TMCC or PS2.  Even tried to buy the one that was running on the Lionel layout.  As it turned out we were lucky and got the whole train with 2 extra cars, and an Auxillary tender.   Also remember the  PS1 will essentially only run  in convential mode as compared to the full remote capability of  PS2.

So far, I am very happy with the PS2 engines I have, a MTH Mikado I picked up has turned out to be one of my favorites.  I actually like running it more than the Lionel Scale Cab Forward I have, which cost about 3x more.  Fortunately I have both TMCC and DCS and have a great time with both.  Its GREAT to be able to choose between manufacturers and not be stuck on a certain brand rather it be MTH or Lionel.  I want to expand into Williams (hopefully) and Atlas in the future.   Being a toy train enthusiast and not a company enthusiast had its rewards!

[Bob Keller]

Speaking of the old PS1 era, don't forget that before PS2, MTH made quite a few models with whistle/horn only. These avoid the quirks of the PS1 electronics.

I bought quite a few of the old whistle-only steamers and a few horn-only diesels. I only bought two diesels with PS1 (an SD90Mac and a Centipede).

[jonadel]

Alex--
Have you tried to lessen the smoke output? Works very well if you deem it too much.
Jon

[alexweiihman]

Alex--
Have you tried to lessen the smoke output? Works very well if you deem it too much.
Jon

 

Thanks. I never thought of that

[Anonymous]

VB,
I have an MTH GP-7 and SW switcher that are both PS1 and both are very nice engines.  I bought them from very reputable sources and was able to see them in action before purchasing.  My MTH C&O Streamlined Hudson is a Whistle/Horn only model and I got it for an incredible price, which makes it a perfect candidate for PS2 upgrade (with the uprade I'm still under the $495.00 price tag on a new one).  Like Don I got 7 passenger cars to go with it and all for under $400.00... with the $300 upgrade I'm looking at $700 for the engine and seven passenger cars...

SO... I would look up what you are considering buying in PS1, find if it is made in PS2 and check the price difference... if it is greater than $300.00 get the PS1 (make sure it works first) and then have the upgrade done at a later time.

I think TAS charges about $300 for each PS2 upgrade, you should email them first for exact pricing, they are very quick to responde.

Welcome back to the WORLD'S greatest hobby!

[dwiemer]

I have a PS1 Hudson...I never even put her on the rails, but it may have been done before hand.  My intentions at this point is to change it over to TMCC/railsounds.  I may try to start it and see if the board is gone, but we shall see.  Haven't made up my mind yet.

Dennis

[Frank in Steam]

Laz, PS2 locos will not scramble their chips when subjected to a low or no battery power, but they will not function until the battery is charged.

 When installing a BCR or equivalent in a PS1 be sure to install a fully charged battery, then make the BCR install.

I have found PS1's (being a conventional operator) to be very cost effective.  The couple that I have bought have been new in the box and half the original preorder price.  A new fully charged NiMh and away I go.  I have just been fastidious of charging the battery after long storage.  I plan on going the BCR route shortly.

[laz 57]

THANKS FRANK, for the info.  I still put the BCR in all engines just to be sure.

laz57

[Frank in Steam]

As I understand it even Mike Wolf says that the BCR's are OK.  You can't go wrong on a Proto 2, it keeps you from not being able to run a loco because the battery is not charged.

[daan]

I don't know why that mith of PS1 is so very hard to beat. Protosound 1 is not that tricky or bad as is stated here. Before the board scrambles the train act's so weird that you WANT to put new batteries is, because they can't run normally anymore.

The board scrambles after you try to keep running with a train that already gives a lot of notice that it needs a new battery or a solid charge. Even if, a resetkit is $25 dollars and afterwards it's as good as new. But do you also keep running your train when is squeeks and when the motor starts to smoke? No you don't, if they squeek or even before the squeek, you take them out for service. The PS1 battery is also requiering service. Keep that in mind, and a PS1 engine will be a very good alternative (if you run conventional). The price gap between old stock PS1 (also new in the box!) and new stock PS2 is such a gap that, certainly for a diesel, the choice is made easily (for me that is!).

A steamer is a bit different, because PS1 doens't have puff's or sound in tact with the drivers, it's a bit more like trainsounds.

But the mith of a scrambled board is something that only happens when you seriously neglect the engines signals or absolutely don't have any clue that it has a battery in it. As soon as you know and take care of it, there is nothing to be afraid of. Emagine a new in the box premier gp20 with protosound 1, high detail and fully lit for $140 dollars and then look if it makes sense to pay a near $400 for the PS2 version..

 

[vbkostur]

thanks, i'll keep that in mind for when i buy diesel. although i am more of a steam guy.

[dougdagrump]

My first PS1 steamer, an older 2-6-0, is as I call it "My Problem Child". At home with a Z-1000 all of the sounds would function properly. If I took it to the museum with the Z-4000 power all sounds except the chuff would work, resets did not help. The last time I ran it at the museum and nothing helped someone suggessted just for the heck of it since we had been using TPC's w/cab1's to try that. Lo and behold it worked ! However my newest PS2 will operate via a TPC but you will lose some of the functions.