Hi,
I'm thinking of replacing the power chassis in the B units of my Stewart FT and F3 ABBA consists with the Bowser power / sound / DCC chassis. They run about $180, but are supposed to be a direct replacement and top quality.
My question is, has anyone tried these? And, what are your views on them?
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Contact Bowser. They now handle the Stewart line.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Getting the units is not a problem, and I'm sure Bowser will tell me they are just great - and they may well be that. But I'm looking for comments from those that have had actual experience with them, and what their opinions are.
In other words, I have found that the folks on this Forum typically will "tell you like it is", and as a whole, I value their opinions highly.
The Bowser B units you want are available right now for $159.00 with LokSound.
Bowser is sending them out with the Tsunami as they recently dropped LokSound, I suspect becasue of price.
I use both decoders and like them a lot. They work just fine in a F3/F7 ABBA consist.
Rich,
From a user point of view, which is better - the LokSound or the Tsunami?
All of my current sound equipped locos are QSI, so that's all I'm really familiar with.
Ha, I confess that "sound" has me totally hooked, and even though I turn it off once in awhile, that roar of the diesels and sounds of the horns/whistles brings a big smile to my face every time!
mobilman,
You can go the SoundTraxx web site from the Bowser-Stewart Sound Chassis web page and listen to the individual sounds. Click on the New! Tsunami for Bowser-Stewart Models! link then the Sound Samples link under the Digital Sound Decoders heading, located on the left side of the page. Next scroll down the page till you see the Diesel Prime Mover Sound Demos heading then click on EMD 567 EMD 1st Generation.
Hope that helps...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
mobilman44 Rich, From a user point of view, which is better - the LokSound or the Tsunami? All of my current sound equipped locos are QSI, so that's all I'm really familiar with. Ha, I confess that "sound" has me totally hooked, and even though I turn it off once in awhile, that roar of the diesels and sounds of the horns/whistles brings a big smile to my face every time!
Both seem to run very well but the Tsunami cost less and there are more options for adjusting sound, though I am running LokSound Micro decoders in the Spectrum 44 ton and 70 ton. Those were suggested by Litchfield.
BLI F7, A/B, I installed the EMD Tsunami.
I have one PCM F3 A/B lashed-up set with LokSound v3.5. Great runner but it was factory configured.
Either decoders, my diesels start at about 1 to 1.5 mph at speed step one using the 128 mode.
I order my DCC stuff from Litchfield Station who ship free for over $75 order and have very good service. They have advised me on decoder installations also.
Bowser does answer email also. I inquired from them back in Dec 2009 about the VO-1000 sounds. I have three Stewart VO-1000's. Two with Tsunami, one with LokSound.
richg1998Bowser does answer email also. I inquired from them back in Dec 2009 about the VO-1000 sounds.
I can vouche for that. I just inquired into Bowser about a sound chassis for a VO-1000. I had a response within a few hours.
I've got a couple of Tsunamis, which I like a lot.
I have one LokSound, which is in an S1 Alco switcher. I love the sound and slow motion performance. But, they did put in one feature that may be a problem for you. When the engine is idling, the decoder first spins up the "diesel" before it starts the locomotive moving. So, there is a very noticeable delay of several seconds between pressing the buttons on the throttle and seeing the locomotive start to move. This, I am assured, is actually more realistic than instant response. However, this is a switcher. If you have the same feature in a road engine, you need to make sure that all engines in the consist have the same feature, or you will never be able to get them to work together smoothly at low speeds. To my knowledge, you can't shut this feature off, either.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Tom, thanks for the link. That Tsunami 567 sounds nice, and made me recall the deep sound of the horns of my youth on the Fs, GPs, and E units.
Thanks guys for your opinions - which I value highly.
MisterBeasley I've got a couple of Tsunamis, which I like a lot. I have one LokSound, which is in an S1 Alco switcher. I love the sound and slow motion performance. But, they did put in one feature that may be a problem for you. When the engine is idling, the decoder first spins up the "diesel" before it starts the locomotive moving. So, there is a very noticeable delay of several seconds between pressing the buttons on the throttle and seeing the locomotive start to move. This, I am assured, is actually more realistic than instant response. However, this is a switcher. If you have the same feature in a road engine, you need to make sure that all engines in the consist have the same feature, or you will never be able to get them to work together smoothly at low speeds. To my knowledge, you can't shut this feature off, either.
However you can enable, or perhaps rather emulate it, at least with QSI decoders, by adding a little momentum. I don't have nor plan to have any Tsunamis so I don't know if they do the same thing, but putting a slight bit of momentum in a QSI decoders gets the sounds to rev before the loco moves, like the Loksound ones. Putting LOTS of momentum in an Atlas Trainmaster got it to act like it was really straining to get a 100 car train rolling. Had it been an Alco I would have expected masses of black smoke to be pouring out.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.