I'm planning on buying a HO bigboy , most likely 4014 but have a few questions.
Who has the best sound, best detail. These are very important to me.
Please no brass or fan boys of one mfg. I want honest opinions on the different mfgs model's.
Dave
I have 2 Trix, 2 Rivarossi, and one Athearn. The Trix are definitely my favorite as far as smooth running and strong pulling. I would like to try the BLI if I had a spare gajillion dollars. :)
Modeling an HO gauge freelance version of the Union Pacific Oregon Short Line and the Utah Railway around 1957 in a world where Pirates from the Great Salt Lake founded Ogden, UT.
- Photo album of layout construction -
I bought a Rivarossi about 2 years ago for fun at the club - it's always a hit during open door events. It's way too big for my home layout although it does handle 22" radius.... Details are OK, sound is good to my ears. For $300 on Ebay, it met my needs.
Simon
BLI or Trix, but I saw a review of the newest issue of the MTH BB, and it looks pretty darned good.
I had the Rivarossi and to me it lacked in sound, detail and many other things. I sold it because I could not stand to look at it.
I have seen the new MTH big boy and seen a video review and it looks and sounds outstanding.
Saw the BLI and it looks great but the smoke and sound could use improvement.
Trix looks very nice in pictures but I have never seen one in person or seen one run in person.
I'll keep looking, so far the MTH is the front runner.
David
DAVID FORTNEY I had the Rivarossi and to me it lacked in sound, detail and many other things. I sold it because I could not stand to look at it. I have seen the new MTH big boy and seen a video review and it looks and sounds outstanding. Saw the BLI and it looks great but the smoke and sound could use improvement. Trix looks very nice in pictures but I have never seen one in person or seen one run in person. I'll keep looking, so far the MTH is the front runner. David
I can't comment much on this topic since I don't use DCC/sound, and don't have any interest in a BigBoy.
But based on the reported problems with MTH DCS/DCC decoders, I would not be buying any locomotive from them.
Sheldon
OnewolfI would like to try the BLI if I had a spare gajillion dollars. :)
Yea, and any extra cash left over can go towards sending the loco back a million times for repairs or problems. Every extra penny will help.
I'm not in the market for a BB, never have been, my layout is not condusive to BB's (except BB Athearns ).
What impresses me about the UP BB is standing next to it, and hearing it on the rails. Not enough to want and have a model of one.
It is a free forum, so I just had to chime in.....aren't you glad?
Wait a minute! Now Marc's BB's were fantastic!
Mike.
My You Tube
I would wait until Bachmann makes one. I'll take my Spectrum EM-1 2-8-8-4 over any Big Boy I have seen in person.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I wouldn't mind seeing the restored real one running, but Big Boys have otherwise not ever been on my list for must-have locomotives.
While my layout could probably accommodate one, it would look silly, and not just because the prototypes had not yet been built in my layout's operating era.
Wayne
My Big Boys are all a few years old,but if you're considering used loco's:
My first choice would be BLI(Loksound decoders). I have 3,love 'em.
2nd choice would be Athearn Genesis(if your looking to pick one up used,make sure you don't get an early one with the MRC decoder!). I have 2 of these with Tsunamis. Newer ones with Tsunami 2's are better.
3rd: MTH. Good sound,poor low speed running. I have 3 of these,and they're all jerky at low speed.
Mike
ATLANTIC CENTRAL DAVID FORTNEY I had the Rivarossi and to me it lacked in sound, detail and many other things. I sold it because I could not stand to look at it. I have seen the new MTH big boy and seen a video review and it looks and sounds outstanding. Saw the BLI and it looks great but the smoke and sound could use improvement. Trix looks very nice in pictures but I have never seen one in person or seen one run in person. I'll keep looking, so far the MTH is the front runner. David I can't comment much on this topic since I don't use DCC/sound, and don't have any interest in a BigBoy. But based on the reported problems with MTH DCS/DCC decoders, I would not be buying any locomotive from them. Sheldon
Understand your issues with MTH but I have no issues running MTH and my other mfgs products.
I will admit that early MTH had allot of issues but their later reissues are much better, not perfect but they work well for me.
I suppose it also depends on if you want new or used. I run DC, so I can't comment on anything like sound or decoders, but I do have an AHM/Rivarossi Big Boy that was made in 1967 and it's one of my favorite locos in my fleet. I upgraded mine with a Kato can motor about a year ago, and it runs smooth, pulls a good amount of cars, is easy to maintain, and can even handle 18" radious curves! It also has good detail for the era it was made, in my opinion.
Found a sale at Trainworld several years ago for 4014 in excursion service. Paid $299 for an Athearn Genesis DC version. Runs and looks great....very satisfied. Also have AHM version circa 1975. Pulled it out of my case and gave it a lube job.....ran fine!! Haven't run that engine in many years and I was pleasantly suprised.
BLI is having seemingly a lot of problems with Paragon 3 (current sound version) decoders and with inferior motors that draw way too much current, which destroy the motor control portion of the decoder. They have a newly "upgraded" decoder that handles the high current draw of the motor, but some motors are so bad (mine drew 3 amps before new decoder, and 2 amps with new decoder installed) that a third party repair service recommends replacing BOTH the motor and the decoder (for $119 plus your shipping to them, which for me was $41. Shipping back to the owner is included in the repair fee.) Having just personally purchased a new BLI 4-6-6-4, and having spent $160 for repairs of said engine by third party professional, I would likely choose something else, though theoretically my newly repaired engine (which should arrive as soon as tomorrow) will be fine from now on.
I've owned an MTH Challenger in the past, and it was awesome and did everything MTH claimed it would do.
I've owned the Athearn Genesis Big Boy in the past, the weathered version they did some years ago. It was awesome! The sound on the new Athearn Challengers appears to be pretty good, too.
Never owned a Trix version, but people seem to like them.
At the present time, if it were me personally, I would go with either the Athearn Genesis or, perhaps (my second choice currently) the MTH.
I would avoid buying Paragon 3 BLI engines till the problems are fully sorted out.
John
P.S. My son has or is about to own an Athearn Genesis SP&S 4-6-6-4, the BLI UP 4-6-6-4 discussed above, two Genesis 2.0 UP SD90MAC-H diesels, and all the rest of our motive power is brass (excepting one old Stewart F3A), so my comments are slightly colored or jaded because I prefer brass. Your mileage may vary, and it's your railroad.
If you are looking for the older ones, the ones mike (middleman) mentioned were sold under the PCM (Precision Craft Models) name, and used Loksound decoders like my pair of Rading T1's. Not the troublesome BLI decoders used in Paragon 2 and 3 models.
These, I like very much. I would buy more, can usually find them on that auction site for very reasonable prices considering what they sold for new, but I'm already stretching it to have them run on my layout based on the year I am setting things in.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Randy--
It's your railroad. My son has both SD90MAC-H's and challengers, modern 100T hoppers and a few steam era box cars for behind the steam power.
In my little world, I don't even think I could identify a SD90MAC, but the ATLANTIC CENTRAL liked the Reading T-1 so much we paid Reading to let us use the design, our shops built a few.......
They are our only excursion into that wheel arrangement, otherwise we are like the B&O, very happy with our Mikes and Mountains, and a few Santa Fe types.
If I wanted a BigBoy, I would still likely go Athearn. They keep making them, so someone is buying them, and you hardly ever hear any complaints.........
PRR8259 Randy-- It's your railroad. My son has both SD90MAC-H's and challengers, modern 100T hoppers and a few steam era box cars for behind the steam power. John
I like first gen diesels too much to shift back much and run more steam, plus there aren't many others readily available, not enough to populate an entire layout without resorting to brass and that's not going to happen. But I'll alway have steam - the shop switcher was an 0-6-0T that ran into the 60's. The Mantua model plus some detail parts makes a fairly credible model. And the real thing is on display a hop skip and a jump from me so I can get more pictures if needed. Might be a little tight to get sound in, but definitely doable.