Con-Cor N scale GM Aerotrain

[rrinker]

 I don't think you can get one function to be on in forward, off in reverse, and blinking when stopped. I could be wrong, but that may be too many simultaneous options, so you'd need to find an extra unused function wire to add the blinking when stopped.

                                       --Randy

 

[tstage]

Randy,

It's been several months now but I did play around with the Select CVs to try and get the rear tail light to flash but to no avail.  There's some particular reason why it can't be configured to do that but I don't recollect what it is at the moment.

I'll try looking at it again this weekend and see if I can't give you a better explanation either way.

Tom

[rrinker]

 They didn;t need a lot of pulling power though, the trainset was super leightweight - that added to the rough and noisy ride. Like being inside a drum.

 If the existing decoder is already connected to the rear lights - you could eithr disconnect it and run the red lights completely from a second decoder, or, if there are any extra functions available on the Select decoder, set one of those up for the flashing. In fact, Loksound definitely has the qualifiers in the function effect for stopped vs moving.

                              --Randy

 

[tstage]

Jason,

I also appreciated all the historical information about the Aerotrain provided by Con-Cor with their set(s).  Thanks for bringing up a few more of those examples here.

Another issue (and one you somewhat alluded to) was that the train had to be turned after each trip and, IIRC, as a whole unit.  And that could be challenging if you didn't have a y-track or balloon track that was long enough.

Even so, it's a very unique-looking and intriguing train.  I confess I didn't care much for the Aerotrain the first time I saw a picture of it.  However, it's grown on me over time and I found a very good deal for the NYC-version base set and additional 3-car set from Australia, of all places.   Can't wait to try the entire train out on a large layout sometime.

Tom

[Jonas Grumby]

tstage

IIRC, the suspension for the light "bus" cars were large inflated bags that didn't yield as smooth a ride for passengers that the larger and heavier passanger cars offered.

That's correct. The two-wheel trucks also inherently provide a rougher ride than 4 (or 6) wheel trucks do. These trains cars were known to be rough riding and loud, which made them no good for long distance travel. The Rock Island RR used them as commuter trains.

They also lacked pulling power, with only three powered axles on the locomotive.

Another problem was that the cars could not be pulled by any other type of locomotive, or coupled with other kinds of cars. If your locomotive went down, the whole train was probably down.

Some of these problemmatic features have been lovingly included in the scale models ;)

[tstage]

Jonas Grumby

Thanks! It's a bit finicky because of the truck design, especially on segmented track. You have to really have clean track joints for it to run smoothly. The real trains had that problem too. It's one of the reasons why the train was a flop.

IIRC, the suspension for the light "bus" cars were large inflated bags that didn't yield as smooth a ride for passengers that the larger and heavier passanger cars offered.  I believe maintenance on the locomotive unit itself was not particularly enjoyable either.  This all lead to the PRR and the NYC dropping them after their trial runs.  It then went to the UP before going to Rock Island, who kept it the longest: 10 years.

Jonas Grumby

One of the lights on the rear panel is a headlight that comes on when the train is in reverse. They are not meant to be two taillights.

Correct.  The white one comes on in reverse and the red going when going forward.  What I was desiring it to do was for the red tail light to flash while the train is stopped or moving forward.  That's what it did on the prototype.

rrinker

  Put a function decoder in the rear car, with the same address as the loco? You can hook more than one function wire to the same set of LEDs, so you cna have oen function configured as "on, direction independent" and the other set to "flash, on stop"

                                                  --Randy

Randy, wouldn't that require turning off the red tail light function of the Select decoder so that the function decoder could send it's signal to the same tail light?  But how could that be accomplished if both decoders have the same address?  If you change one function, wouldn't that change the function of both decoders?

Jonas Grumby

I'm on the fence about getting the additional cars because I would want to have my track very finely tuned before I would want to add more cars to the consist. It's a rough riding train compared to my Kato trains.

I have the entire HO set but I've only operated the train with the locomotive and three attached cars and it's smooth.  I'm guessing that the N-scale version is lighter (by ratio) in weight in comparision to the HO-scale version.  Perhaps you could add weight to the underside of the locomotive and cars to help stabilize the ride more?  Just a thought...

Tom

[Jonas Grumby]

You might be able to do that, but as they point out on the Con-Cor website, the rear lights work the way they do because that's how they were on the real trains.

[rrinker]

tstage

Nice!  I have the HO version of that with a Loksound Select decoder installed in the locomotive and the speaker installed in the car behind.  I like being able to apply the mars lighting to the front headlights.  Wish there was a way to also have the tail lights flash for the rear car.

Tom

 

 Put a function decoder in the rear car, with the same address as the loco? You can hook more than one function wire to the same set of LEDs, so you cna have oen function configured as "on, direction independent" and the other set to "flash, on stop"

                                                  --Randy

 

[Jonas Grumby]

Thanks! It's a bit finicky because of the truck design, especially on segmented track. You have to really have clean track joints for it to run smoothly. The real trains had that problem too. It's one of the reasons why the train was a flop.

One of the lights on the rear panel is a headlight that comes on when the train is in reverse. They are not meant to be two taillights.

I wish I could make the Mars light move the way it's supposed to, but I can live with it the way it is. I like the way the headlights come on in sequence. Nice effect.

I'm on the fence about getting the additional cars because I would want to have my track very finely tuned before I would want to add more cars to the consist. It's a rough riding train compared to my Kato trains.

[tstage]

Nice!  I have the HO version of that with a Loksound Select decoder installed in the locomotive and the speaker installed in the car behind.  I like being able to apply the mars lighting to the front headlights.  Wish there was a way to also have the tail lights flash for the rear car.

Tom

[Jonas Grumby]

My new Con-Cor N scale GM Aerotrain on the UP test track with Kato 2nd Gen Diesel sound card.