Train Modeler i know im necroposting but i got my 9000 & i love it , it runs great compared to my MTH BIG BOY That is so funny, I just had to post it made me laugh big time. So, is it running light or heavy, ie in the mountain tops or valleys. Richard
i know im necroposting but i got my 9000 & i love it , it runs great compared to my MTH BIG BOY
That is so funny, I just had to post it made me laugh big time. So, is it running light or heavy, ie in the mountain tops or valleys.
Richard
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selector Hmmm.....doesnt' show up under News & Announcements on BLI's home page....methinks this might be bogus. And I wonder why BLI would be releasing essentially the same engine as MTH with 22" radius capability. Something does not compute. -Crandell Edit- others are discussing this, including on BLI's forum...so I guess it is legit. BLI either has cut a deal with MTH or the two of them are going toe-to-toe.
Hmmm.....doesnt' show up under News & Announcements on BLI's home page....methinks this might be bogus. And I wonder why BLI would be releasing essentially the same engine as MTH with 22" radius capability. Something does not compute.
-Crandell
Edit- others are discussing this, including on BLI's forum...so I guess it is legit. BLI either has cut a deal with MTH or the two of them are going toe-to-toe.
Those not really happy with the MTH model can (maybe) rejoice!
BLI announced the Brass-Hybrid UP 4-12-2 and here's a link to some more Info:
I got one last week. As stated before, I took mine down to a friend's HO layout and we tried it out on his 22" curves.
I'd say it does want to straighten the curve out. And it still has that quirky kinda look on a 22" curve--it works effortlessly and is pretty good in the sound department but--and I'll repeat--BUT--that 18" curve that is printed on the box? Have fun---that might be a 'misprint'
Any argument carried far enough will end up in Semantics--Hartz's law of rhetoric Emerald. Leemer and Southern The route of the Sceptre Express Barry
I just started my blog site...more stuff to come...
http://modeltrainswithmusic.blogspot.ca/
I got my #9503 early this week. While I haven't had the time to really get into the details yet ( I haven't even installed the couplers), I'm pleased so far. Sounds and appearance are good. I had no problem assigning the cab number to it with my Digitrax Zepher. I did note that it's very easy to fumble finger the function keys and turn the wrong thing off but going by the user manual gets it fixed. I think the front marker lights are too dim so I'm likely going to replace them with he more properly positioned dummy versions provided. I was a little disappointed to see that the boiler front sometimes won't snap back into straight alignment after a slight curve but I plan to test the locking key to see if it really makes the engine require a 42" minimum radius. I have a 36" radius loop that I would really like to run the 4-12-2 on.
Charles W.
The J Class will essentially be the BLI Paragon version, at least what you can see of it. I would bet the innards are also the same, and that only the harness and decoder/software are different. As long as they are "different" from DCC.........
So the MTH steamers are out, the J type and the UP 9000 series..........
Anyone got one yet?
Anyone seen a review yet?
Anyone want to give a review?
I own two of MTH's HO steamers and I am still a little skeptical. There are two 9000's at my LHS but he will need to come down from the 549.99 price tag. They are like German sports cars very nice and full of features but very tempermental.
Any one got this engine yet? I was wondering and have not heard much on the performance and sound quality. Jsut wanted someone to maybe give a review? I want to order the 611 but want to hear a bit more from some one who has one.
Thanks
Sean
rustycoupler A vent, c mon guys five pages and counting, either buy it or not. You guys in ho have it too good as far as engine selection,ive been asking them to do n scale now us guys we need the steam engines, so the next time a new one comes out,just remember us over here in n scale ,we are happy with bachmann spectrum ah they need to make a k4 but im not holding my breath thanks.
A vent, c mon guys five pages and counting, either buy it or not. You guys in ho have it too good as far as engine selection,ive been asking them to do n scale now us guys we need the steam engines, so the next time a new one comes out,just remember us over here in n scale ,we are happy with bachmann spectrum ah they need to make a k4 but im not holding my breath thanks.
We N scalers have to vent more I see? I'm getting the dang thing for the sheer static display OOMPH factor---get people talking about odd designs-----
Darth Santa Fe And what's with the blue interior light, anyway?
And what's with the blue interior light, anyway?
I love that blue light! I don't know why, its not prototypical, but I just do!
If the minimum radius is 42", there must not be much side-to-side play in the drive wheels. The middle articulation may have been a better idea (they do it on some large scale steam), but even that can be overdone.
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If I were MTH, I would've just made the chassis articulated in the middle. Might look a little odd, but it wouldn't look bad directly from the side, front, or back.
The changes do indicate MTH is listening to our comments and have made some changes. If the chassis is locked into place, some kind of sleeve could be fitted over the steam pipes to make them look like they are one piece. The added detail does help and the markers corrected makes a big difference at least to me.
Over the last month, I have managed to pick up two 4-12-2's in addition to the Key model I already had so as the game show should be renamed:::::::::::: "The price will have to right"
CZ
Hi all,
I too am reconsidering buying this engine given the changes. I don't like the split exhaust pipes either, but at least it would look right when I get a chance to run on wide radius curves.
BigBoy - FYI, the "cab chatter" on any MTH engine can be turned on and off as a separate feature with DCS or with a DCC stsyem that has enough functions. If you run on DC you can ask your dealer or someone else with DCS or DCC to turn the feature off for you before taking an engine home. The setting will be retained in conventional DC operation.
I think this development speaks well of MTH. Quite a turn around from what I felt was a fairly rigid stance over their decisions about this model when I emailed them several weeks back. It is still a no-go for me because of the DCS problem, and the severed blast pipes just....mmm, nope.....not going to happen.
I feel they should get a lot of credit, original engineering choices asid WRT the aritculation, for attempting to ameliorate the defects, particularly so late in the product's development! Very good show with the nifty locking key!
But I really do feel better about the obvious fact that they are paying attention and wanting to please some of their critics.
I am "hoping" that I can remove the flange from one driver set and get it to 36" while "locked in" like the latest Key 4-12-2 does with it's one blind set. I am also pleased that they allow an alternate boiler front with marker lights (non-working) and air pumps in the correct position. I just placed an order for one since they resolved almost all the issues I had with the original design. At least MTH does listen to us. And if they are listening, how about a second set of main drivers so we can choose between regular spoked and boxpok type?
Charles
Oh my god,
just saw the 4-12-2 video and like all of you I was surprised by the ugly articulation of a non-articulated engine. I really don´t understand what they did to that engine! They only had to articulate the drivers but not the whole underbody! That is ruining the look of the engine so much. I bet that Märklin would have made the perfect "non-articulated" HO 4-12-2, since MTH´s technique obviously is still far away from getting such a big rigid frame loco to handle he curves "in one piece"! I´m not a fan of the 4-12-2 but a big fan of the SP and UP 4-10-2´s. If MTH will ever release these locos also in that articulated way, there´s no chance I would ever buy it!
But I really don´t think that MTH will have to worry about the selling of it, there are a lot modelers out there that don´t take things too serious and exact, and maybe they even don´t know that it was not articulated.
Daniel
I'd STILL like to know what brainspasm made them come up with the front articulation in the first place. If there was to be any articulation what happened to the tried middle of the chassis or wheels? Even going with an unflanged set of wheels( or 2 sets?) would've made it not so brutal. Then again, maybe the designers in this case were/are brutalists?
MTH makes quality locomotives, but this baby is not for me, they never ran on New England railroads. I am still trying to get MTH to make the sports model Berkshire, the 4-6-6T tank engine, and the 4-6-2 Pacific that ran on the B&M lines. Now those I would buy in a heartbeat!! I have their Niagara, it is a thing of beauty, runs unbelievably well.
Dick
No one is saying they do not make quality locomotives, but I was not aware that they made a Niagara in HO. Did they sell you a Mohawk and call it a Niagara, or are you in O scale?
Whenever anyone makes a model and calls it the best and most accurate, I would expect it to be the best for sure. I certainly would purchase a B&M Pacific also since I have been on the one at steamtown and liked it. You might not like that Pacific you are asking for it it turns out to run on 12" radius curves and is an articulated model like the 4-12-2. I think that is the point many of us are thinking. They made a model that many out here really wanted and then short changed the detail instead of working to make it run on a normal radius curve.
They will probably sell a lot of them since many modelers just want that locomotive and will buy it no matter what. Just look at their past offerings. MTH made the Triplex for the Erie locomotive and labled it Virginian also. The Viginian locomotive was completely different including the wheel arangement. It was a 2-8-8-8-4 and the drivers were different size, the boiler was much larger, the tender and cab were completely different, but the MTH model was the same.
The latest GS4 Daylight would have been a great model except the drivers are 77" in scale size and the drawbar is really long. The GS6 model would have been the hit of the Southern Pacific modelers, except it uses the same 77" drivers in scale, but the real one had the 73" drivers. They have a habit of using whatever works and trying to sell it off to us the HO modelers. It has been the normal business practice for the Lionel / MTH O scale tinplate for a long time to use parts and drive assemblies that are close or handy, but we have tried to keep our models as scale as possible.
With that type of marketing practice, the articulated 4-12-2 will be easy for them to sell a lot of them. I just don't agree that this is what I want.
They need a big radius to run. And a matching turnout to keep them happy. I tell you what, tonight I'll replace the 2 middle drivers with the flangless ones (The Sunset's came with (2) sets of flangless drivers) to see what they will run. I have a feeling that they will turn through a 22" radius with the middle drivers blind.
Mike
Let us know how they handle the tight curve with the two blind drivers. I would think they are still very tight on a 22" since the long wheelbase is still a major factor. It will be interesting to know. My best guess is with the two blind drivers installed, 26" to 28" is reasonable.