Need to purchase a couple DCC/Sound Late Steam and Early Diesels with DCC & Sound. Is any one manufacturer better than the other performance and programming wise?
Gary
Late Steam - BLI or Bachmann - Bachmann tend to be a bit more generic on detail but do run nicely. I prefer BLI because they have more prototype-specific locomotives - at least for my road name (NYC)
Early Diesel - Atlas or BLI - I would also add Stewart/Bowser to that list because they offer the VO-660 and VO-1000 switchers. Proto 2000 also has the S1-S4 and H10-44 switchers.
I am not a big fan of Athearn. While their detailing is nice I don't care much for their choice of decoders (Soundtraxx), or their insistent choice of incandescent lighting. (I prefer LED headlights) Neither of my two Athearn RTR RS3s ran very well and had poor pickup. So, needless to say - no Athearn locomotives grace my roster.
Atlas & BLI offer much more variety as far as early diesel goes so I stick with them. I recently picked up a BLI SW7 switcher and it's a real sweetheart. The Atlas HH600/660 is a verfy nice unit, as well.
For the SW1, Walthers is your choice. I picked up one of the new undecorated versions and it ran very well with the TCS decoder I installed in it.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
Look no further than BLI for steam.
Atlas is my choice for diesel.
I only choose Athearn when I need a road name that other manufacturers don't provide.
I am not a big fan of Bachman although I do own a few of their steamers.
Intermountain for diesels in a pinch.
Walthers Proto is a good choice for diesels, Bowser for switchers, older Proto Heritage line for steamers if you can still find them.
Rich
Alton Junction
gdelmoro Need to purchase a couple DCC/Sound Late Steam and Early Diesels with DCC & Sound. Is any one manufacturer better than the other performance and programming wise?
So your requirements seem rather generic? Does it matter what roadnames? Does it matter what size or type of steam? When you say late steam, keep in mind that much of the steam built in the late 20's and 30's ran until the end of steam, sometimes outlasting the big modern locos built in the 40's........
My preference for early diesels is Proto2000, but I have no opinion on the issue of who has the best sound since I don't like or use it.
As for steam locos, I have mostly Bachmann, mostly older ones from 5/10 years ago currently not in production, all have been good. I have a few BLI, some have been great, some not so much.
For me the selection from BLI does not fit into my interests as most of it is PRR or is big monster steam, not typical of the kind of day to day operations I am trying to capture. The few medium sized locos BLI does make, their 2-8-2's, 4-6-2's, and the non PRR 2-8-0 are very generic, more generic than Bachmann.......
As for Athearn, I don't have a lot, only diesels, mostly F units, again they are DC with no sound, but I am happy with them.
I also have a lot of Intermountain F units, very happy with them as well, again no sound.....
Not sure what you are really looking for, so I just gave you some general thoughts.
Sheldon
Steam: I like my Athearn 4-8-4, Challenger and Big Boy as much as my BLI Mikado and Mountain. I've had some problems with the BLI Mountain (trailing truck) and Mikado (chuff sensor). Also a problem with the Athearn Challenger (I think, or it was the Big Boy) where the running gear had an interference, I broke a part, and they sent me another part to resolve that. I would accept either brand.
On the Athearn steam, don't buy the older versions with older MRC decoders as they are reported here as problematic.
I'm not a fan of Bachmann steam, at least through the 2013 versions I acquired. They used to have less detail, but a lower price, which is ok. I have a 2-6-2 Prairle that runs ok. I have two 2-8-0s where I went back in forth with Bachmann and it took four locos to get two that ran ok. The drivers got out of quarter plus other problems.
My Bachmann 2-6-2 had a 2013 Tsunami Sound Value decoder. I disliked it greatly because the CV is disabled that allows preventing the sound coming on with layout power-up. It became annoying to always select it and turn it off, so i changed the decoder to a LokSound Select ($80).
Diesel: I have just one 2012 Athearn Genesis GP9. It's fine except these (not the latest) Tsunamis are not great, lousy horn sound, etc. I change it to a LokSound and a better speaker. I have two BLI Paragon 2 diesels (SD7 & SD40-2) and they have two issues. They tend to short at turnout areas where perhaps wider wheels can bridge (have to nail polish the rails). And the way the decoder controls slow speeds from stop makes it hard to consist with other decoders (at least for me). I'm happy with the one Atlas that I converted to LokSound, and very happy with the Katos.
On decoders, be aware that the prior (not latest) Tsunami is more troublesome to consist speed match with other locos because it does not support CV5 and CV6 to allow a simple CV2-CV6-CV5 three point speed curve for simple speed matching. It can be done by tweaking the forward and reverse "trim" CVs but it's more trouble.
If you think you might get into DC conversions to DCC sound that really opens your options. I've enjoyed doing this with new DC UP diesels that I can find, adding LokSound decoders (great motor control and sounds, and having fun optimizing speaker arrangements. The new TCS WowSound decoders are preferred as well. I can't speak to the new Tsunami2 decoders.
Paul
Modeling HO with a transition era UP bent
Yes the question was generic. Just looking to get forum opinions. I have BLI, Atharen and Atlas and like the BLI and Atlas best. Wanted to see what the opinion of everyone else is. I am looking for 2 SW-1000 or SW-1500 switchers and a GP20 or 35. BLI had a GP20 out for preorder in the spring with delivery December 4th. Suddenly it's not coming until summer 2017.
If your getting a BLI steam?..Dont use there smoke unit to much..Mine caused my decorder to take a dump..The fan whips out some for the smoke residue/oil and lays on the engine board,thatcan glitch out the decoder or fry it....when threw 3 PRR Q2 with that issues and that make me move to scale O gauge trains..But Im back into Ho, and gotten 2 PRR T1 portholes duplex's..and it happen to my first T1...But I think Id solved the problem..trying out this idea on my second T1..So far so good none of that residue on my engine board as of ..BLI needs to revamp there smoke units to be like lionels,k-lines,williams,and MTH...I'll keep you guys posted on my idea..
I've got an assortment of Proto, Bachmann and older Athern engines, plus one BLI steamer, one IHC steamer and a Bowser trolley. I'm pretty happy with all of them. I've bought some with factory decoders and the rest I've upgraded myself. Most of them have sound.
I find installing sound decoders, either into DC engines or as DCC upgrades, to be quite a pain. I'd recommend getting factory sound whenever possible.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.