Presidenst Choice Christmas 2006 HO train now out BUT I Can't Get One :(

[Pathfinder]

From the PC web site:

"Train collectors will be overjoyed to hear this incredible gift has been called our best-ever HO scale electric collectors train. With a nickel silver track (a first for us!), a more authentic locomotive and a die-cast chassis to improve pulling power. This limited edition is sure to go fast, so shop early for a classic holiday gift that will be enjoyed in the family for years to come."


The flyer says it has RP-25 wheels as well.  Can not tell the road name though but does not look very Canadain

Photo

 

EDIT Dec 9, 2006: 

Well, tried to buy one at our local Extra Foods.  They are not going to carry it this year so the closest is Kamloops, at 90 km drive one way.  But they also noted a high demand locally for it as well, maybe they will bring it in.

 

[SteamFreak]

I think I'd like to see a few more pictures and some technical info before plunking down $100. What's next, the Martha Stewart Living Challenger?

Country of Manufacture
Slovenia

Could it have been made by Mehano?

Nelson

[Pathfinder]

They do this every year, and cudos to them for doing it as it helps to promote the hobby here in Canada.  I am waiting for them to do a CP Hudson, oh well maybe next year.

Last years CN loco looked very nice.

Oh its $100 CDN, thats what like $30 USD? 

[ARTHILL]

When you click "more info" you don't get any. It is a nice looking pic. I wonder what it really is.

[SteamFreak]

Didn't realize they were in the Great White North.

What they show of it looks great. Do you own any of the others? How's the performance?

[Pathfinder]

Didn't realize they were in the Great White North.

What they show of it looks great. Do you own any of the others? How's the performance?

Sorry, I do not have one.  They have not done a CP unit for awhile but the CN unit from last year was a good looker for sure.  I have only heard third hand that they run ok for what they are.

With a shortage of Canadian painted steam locos, these generaly are sought after.

[Railphotog]

It's an IHC 2-10-2, with a few items to "Canadianise" it.   Plastic shell over a heavy weight, can motor, flywheel, RP-25 wheels, really too long Vanderbilt tender.  This is a new engine by IHC

Comes with five ore cars lettered for CN, all different numbers and a caboose.  Oval of NS track, rerailer, small power pack.  Same engine (US version)  was reviewed in the December RMC with good marks.  IHC retails the engine alone for around US $129.95 on sale.  So getting the whole set for $99.95CAN is a decent price as the engine alone is worth much more than that.   I'll probably be getting one, selling off the rest of the set as I have done in the past.

Set will be sold through Loblaw grocery stores and their affiliates across Canada.  It's the Atlantic Superstore in our area.  They are supposed to be on the shelves this weekend, probably Sunday because Saturday is a national holiday (November 11, Remembrance Day).

[ProtoWeathering]

"Presidenst Choice Chrsitams"

Is that Canadian for President's Choice Christmas?

[mgutwein]

My guess is that it's the IHC 2-10-2; historically, the President's Choice train sets have the latest loco model introduced by IHC - IIRC, last year's was the Hudson, the year before was the 0-8-0 "Yard Bull".  Given that IHC's locos are at best "generic", this one will likely bear little resemblance to anything specific, let alone anything Canadian - however, it looks like they have added a feed-water heater to the front.

[mgutwein]

Sorry - Bob B. beat me to the punch.  I have the CN 4-8-2, the ersatz "Bullet-nose Betty" 4-8-2 and the Hudson from last year.  They are all reasonably good runners, relatively easy to convert to DCC, and not too expensive.  The track that came with the previous sets was brass, the power packs pretty useless, and the cars (other than the ore cars that came with the 4-8-2) useless except for practicing your air brushing and weathering skills.  I added a vestibule cab to the 4-8-2 and lettered it for my home road (Manitoba and Pacific).  The 4-8-2 Bullet-nose is on display in a cabinet with the Hudson (I removed the side fairings and will be re-painting it).  Incidentally, Bob Boudreau wrote an article appearing in the May/June 2002 Canadian Railway Modeller on improving the Bullet-nose to make it more representative of the prototype.  For $100 Canadian, I expect I will be getting this year's set.

[SteamFreak]

 IHC retails the engine alone for around US $129.95 on sale.  So getting the whole set for $99.95CAN is a decent price as the engine alone is worth much more than that.

Currently that converts to about $88 USD.

Nelson

[empty net]

I purchased my President's Choice 2-10-2 Santa Fe tonight (Friday) at my local Zehr's Store in St. Catharines.   This by far is tha best looking localing IHC Pres. Choice local to date. 

The locomotive is numbered 4100 -  it is generic - nevertheless it looks great !!  The box photo or advertisment photo does not do it justice.  The engine has many free standing boiler parts, including the sand liines and the elesco feedwater and its associated piping.   The engine is painted a uniform flat black with a white strip along the lateral walkways.  Uncoupling levers and the railing along the boiler side are black wire.  The drive rods, valve gear and spoked drive wheels are blackened.  The elesco pump, cooling pipes, etc are also freestanding.  The elesco feed water heater is well proportioned and finely molded.

The vanderbilt tender is the same as what came with 5700 and 6060 - as you know it is oversized and not very prototypical -  however, the overall flat black paint of the tender makes it much more palatable than the gaudy green beast than came with 5700 and 6060.  The tender has "Canadian National" spelt out is white letters across the aft round body of the tender. A photo, circa 1925,  (source CN Lines   V. 11, N.3) of 4101 shows a similar tender display.  Photos, between 1937 and 1957,  of sister locomotives show a more typical red tilted herald .  For the fun of it, I placed a tender from my Athearn Genesis Mikado (though it is not a Vanderbilt) behind the 2-10-2, and I thought that it looked very confincing for a generic locomotive. 

There is a favorable review of IHC 2-10-2 in the November 2006 issue of Railroad Model Crafstman.  This review states that the IHC model comes with a 6 page instruction sheet with a parts list, exploded drawing of the assembly, together with instructions with how to add a DCC decoder.  Unfortunately, these instruction sheets are not included in the President's Choice version.    

 I have not run the locomotive yet, or have I opened up the tender to see if there is a DCC plug or speaker opening - supposedly they are included in the IHC versions.

Regards,

Badger.    

 

[ereimer]

there's already one on ebay ... with a 'buy-it-now' price of $189 canadian

i think they're generally considered a pretty good value despite the brass track in previous years , and the poor quality dc power pack . this year's edition , a 2-10-2 , 5 ore cars , and a caboose plus the new NS track and the cummy power pack seems like a pretty good deal . if it wasn't completely inappropriate for what i'm planning , i'd rush out and buy a couple

i often see older editions at train shows , unopened box , mint condition , with much larger price tags on them

[Pathfinder]

"Presidenst Choice Chrsitams"

Is that Canadian for President's Choice Christmas?

Opps, missed that.      

Now fixed on the lead post, thanks.

[Pathfinder]

Thanks to all who have posted, will have to get one for myself this year I think, can not beat the price.

[1train1]

I bought a set every year (which are all still sealed )- I'm an N Scaler as you know.   The locos are the real prize in any of the sets; and old (even open) sets fetch a good price at Train shows. I know of some guys who have DCC'd them and use them at their respective clubs. Last years set was visually disappointing rolling stock wise so that's why you can find them in stores for 50.00 CDN right now.

[GUB]

I purchased last year's Hudson for $49. I have yet to run it though. I was told by someone at a Train Show that the engines included with the set was well worth the price. In fact he told me that these engines were great starters for someone getting into the hobby.

GUB

[Pathfinder]

I purchased last year's Hudson for $49. I have yet to run it though. I was told by someone at a Train Show that the engines included with the set was well worth the price. In fact he told me that these engines were great starters for someone getting into the hobby.

GUB

This years may be the best yet for value.  My son is looking into buying it or asking for it at Christmas from Santa.

[SteamFreak]

This years may be the best yet for value.  My son is looking into buying it or asking for it at Christmas from Santa.

I like the look of that loco with a feedwater heater. Hmmmm..... it's CN, but it's still tempting.

[Pathfinder]

This years may be the best yet for value.  My son is looking into buying it or asking for it at Christmas from Santa.

I like the look of that loco with a feedwater heater. Hmmmm..... it's CN, but it's still tempting.

I think I am going to get one and "justify" it as something running to something like SteamExpo (Expo86).  I do not care if it is CN.  I can always change the lettering to something prototypical (but I do not know what that is, ATSF maybe?)

[Anonymous]

Hmmmm, for $88 USD, that doesn't look like a bad price! I've been eyeing the IHC 2-10-2 for a while now. If I happen across one perhaps I'll letter it for my fictional shortline or some other road that ran in Michigan......

[SteamFreak]

I think I am going to get one and "justify" it as something running to something like SteamExpo (Expo86).  I do not care if it is CN.  I can always change the lettering to something prototypical (but I do not know what that is, ATSF maybe?)

You're wearing me down here...  Steamtown does have two CP locomotives, a Pacific and Mikado, and both have the feedwater heater, but that would be a stretch.

Still, it's my dang railroad! Sue me!

Nelson

[msowsun]

I just picked up mine today.  It comes with a dummy front coupler and NMRA rear coupler which I have changed already. It runs really well, but my first impression is that it doesn't seem to pull as well I expected for a 2-10-2.

Here are some photos of a brass CNR 4100 to compare.

 I plan to change the tender and add an all-weather cab. The rear sand dome is removable so I will be moving it farther back as per the prototype. The tender does not have a DCC plug.

 

[Railphotog]

Hey, they didn't do too bad with the IHC model!  Thanks for the shots of the brass one, can be used as a reference.  I'm going to see if they are available locally today and pick up one. 

What vestibule cab will you use?  I added one to a previous PC engine, although it was quite a bit different that the protptype.  I think it was originally offered by Kemtron, may be by someone else now, I forget.

As a reference, how much did the brass one cost?   Probably 10-15 times the plastic version!

[msowsun]

The Precision Scale (Kemtron) cab won't work for this loco as it has a sloped front wall.

I am thinking of using the Miniatures by Eric "Early CN Steam"  

http://www.miniaturesbyeric.com/itm00043.htm

The brass one isn't mine so I don't know how much it is worth. Probably close to $1000.

[Railphotog]

Right about the Precision Scale cab, I used it because the Miniatures by Eric one wasn't available at the time.  I think the local shop has one, must check it out.

BTW last year's President's Choice train set with the CN 4-8-4 didn't seem to sell all that well last year, with the dumb "Mini Chef" decorated cars.  I got mine for $50.00 several months ago.  Had a call from a freind who picked up three sets for $25.00 each yestderday.  Will probably flog them at our local show next spring.

[Pathfinder]

Thanks for the photos.

Does it have sprung drivers?  The IHC web site says theirs does so just wondering.

[msowsun]

The first pair and the fourth pair are indeed sprung. the 2nd and last are soild. The middle pair are blind, but they are also slightly undersize and don't touch the rails!  The transformation has begun. (new trailing truck)

Here is an exploded view:

[Pathfinder]

The first pair and the fourth pair are indeed sprung. the 2nd and last are soild. The middle pair are blind, but they are also slightly undersize and don't touch the rails!  

Thanks!

It is on the list to get for sure now 

Nice "exploded" view 

[msowsun]

Here are a few "Tender" shots.................

 

None of these replacement tenders are 100% right on, but I like the look of the Bacmann "Hicken" tender and it is readily available from various sources.