In the mid 2000s, Precision Craft Models made an HO scale FA1/FA1 model with ESU LokSound DCC.
1) Reviews at the time (such as Model Railroader April 2007 http://tinyurl.com/y8jbbl9z) said the pair of models only had one decoder which controlled both units via jumper wires, thus the two units needed to be operated as a pair.
As manufactured by Precision Craft, were these FA1/FA1 pairs wired to run back-to-back, or elephant style? I'm guessing back-to-back since that was probably where the jumper wires were.
2) Was one of the locos (i.e. the one with the decoder) capable of operating single without the second? OR did it need the second locomotive connected to complete the power circuit? Was there a speaker in each unit?
Well, I'm NOT the resident expert here, but going by the review in MR, it looks like they were connected back to back. I'm guessing MR ran them the way they are pictured in the review.
Looking at the pictures you can see the draw bar on the back of the loco with the decoder. and the review mentions that if you bought an FA/FB set, the B unit would have 2 speakers.
Also, looking at the pictures in the MR review, the picture with the hood off, I don't see why that loco (with decoder and speaker) wouldn't run independent of the other. The other loco won't run unless it's connected to the loco with the decoder. Too bad they don't show a picture of both locos with the hoods off.
In order to pull cars, with the one loco, you'd have to work something out with the draw bar, maybe seeing if you could replace it with a coupler? I dunno!
But then again, if you read the second paragraph of the review, it says that both must be run together?
I still think the loco with the decoder would run by itself.
More enlightend and DCC intelligent folks will chime in. I guess I'm just kind of kicking things off with some random thoughts.
Mike.
My You Tube
The Original Poster might receive more helpful replies if he let folks know what it is he is trying to do that prompts the question.
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I am considering buying a Precision Craft FA1/FA1, and am trying to understand the limitations in how the tether system they use is configured, and try to understand what the possibilities/difficulties would be to modify it.
I read it as a third speaker over the rear trucks in the A unit.
It says "Eight-wheel drive and power pickup, jumpered in parallel" so in theory you could replace the drawbar with a coupler and it would run the A unit solo. I guess what you really need to know is how easy is it to install a coupler. It is not listed in Kadee's conversion list.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
BigDaddy...I guess what you really need to know is how easy is it to install a coupler....
I can't imagine that it would be all that difficult to put Kadees on any HO locomotive. A quick search yielded this photo which shows truck-mounted drawbars.The old Model Power FAs had truck-mounted couplers, too, so I'd guess that a bit of modification to the trucks would allow one of Kadee's many offerings to be installed. It's difficult to tell without having the actual model in-hand, but it may also be possible to remove the drawbar mounting points from the trucks and add body-mounted couplers.Were I a DCC operator, I'd also redo the wires between the units with mini plugs modified to look like mu cables - should be do-able on both ends of both units.
Wayne
mmathu I am considering buying a Precision Craft FA1/FA1, and am trying to understand the limitations in how the tether system they use is configured, and try to understand what the possibilities/difficulties would be to modify it.
I am curious as to why the OP would want to buy an older model with such a limitation as drawbar connected units. For me at least this is a major issue as the real locos were not permanently connected and rutinely changes power lashups.
I do know that Proto 2000 (and maybe P1K too) did some FA/FB locos at one point, which are likely still around (my grandfather has two that he got relitively recently), and they run okay (no the best though...). If you can aford it Rapido did FA/B2s recently that look very nice.
I guess if the OP really needs an FA1 the way Precision Craft made it but they are no longer around and a very rare manufacturer so they may be a bit hard to get parts for and such, just saying...
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
That's understandable! I have noticed that there are P2K and Rapido FA2s but no good quality FA1s. As I like the SP&S, who had alot of FA1, but very few FA2s, that is very disappointing. I wonder what the detail deifferences are between FA1s and 2s...
My $.02 :D Prototype FT locos had drawbars between units & were sold in pairs;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EMD_FT
I have a set of PC FA1s, the drawbar is body mounted. They look great, sound great, pull great and run smooth. I paid $125 for the set 2 weeks ago including shipping! Used but cherry! The boxes are cherry as well! I run all my wagons MU anyway, so what's not to like? Cheers!
SPSOT fan That's understandable! I have noticed that there are P2K and Rapido FA2s but no good quality FA1s.
That's understandable! I have noticed that there are P2K and Rapido FA2s but no good quality FA1s.
What do you find wrong with the P2K FA/FB-1's? I've got a bunch of them, and they look pretty good to me.
Ed
The first thing you need to overcome is can the connector be moved to the front of the engine if you want to run them elephant style. The second problem will be reversing the wires to the motor on the non decoder engine since it is set up to connect both back ends. In essence the non decoder engine is set up to run backward when the decoder engine runs forward. The most important issue is are you capable of making the changes? Best bet may be putting the shells on different manufacturers chassis giving you the best of both worlds.