Hi, I am pondering purchase of an SD7 or 9 in SP Black Widow scheme. I see that the P2K model is more expensive than the BLI model, and there may be others. I have read various comments here, e.g. the P2K is a poor puller, has solid, not mesh grills, etc., but on the other side it has a Tsunami which supposedly has the most accurate sound. My priorities are fine accurate detail, quality of finish, slow speed, reliability and sound quality. It will not be worked hard or have to pull heavy loads so much as look beautiful on a small layout viewed from close up and without gradients. I am partly inspired by the preserved SD9 on the Niles Canyon Railway.
I would be grateful for views.
TIA,
Bill.
Bill - this type of question is always difficult to answer, as much depends on your personal liking. I may not like what is appealing to you and vice versa.
Why don´t you go to your LHS and look & listen for yourself?
Ulrich, that is good advice, but it assumes that he has an LHS and that it carries both brands of that particular loco.
Neither assumption may be valid.
Rich
Alton Junction
Bill,I would opt out for a older LL P2K SD7/9 and add a dcc/sound decoder for fraction of the price of either the Walthers or BLI SD7/9..
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
I have a pair of P2K SD7s and a pair of P2K SD9s.
They both run great, pull big loads, and are relatively highly detailed.
I have no experience with the BLI SD7/SD9, but I will second Larry's vote for the P2K locos.
A You Tube video of the P2K SD7/9 with Tsunami DCC W/sound and the BLI SD 7 is also on that page:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPxFQZxKeLw
Frank
Hi, guys, thanks for your replies. Re my LHS, I am in England, but Model Railroader just sent me a 10% “Trackside Savings” discount coupon for a certain Brooklyn emporium that has P2K SD9 SP#5354 for $239.99 and BLI SD7 #s 5333 & 5334 for $199.99.
Re getting an older LL P2K, fitting sound is a lot harder than just fitting DCC.
Thanks,
It's really a toss-up as to which model is "best" because they're both good --
Check prices at Factory Direct Trains web site and see how they compare with your discount coupon, because they may be a better choice for on-line shopping.
Also read the shipping policies at both sites very carefully so you understand how much it's going to cost to have the items shipped to England, or if they even will.
Portland BillRe getting an older LL P2K, fitting sound is a lot harder than just fitting DCC. Thanks, Bill.
Sorry Bill,I can not agree with that..I know a fella that has added sound to the older LL P2K SD9 and a P2K GP9.
But,If I was to buy the newer release with DCC/Sound I would still go with the P2K since IMHO they sound better then BLI.
Its still your call.
BRAKIEBut,If I was to buy the newer release with DCC/Sound I would still go with the P2K since IMHO they sound better then BLI.
Hi guys, thanks for your advice. The outcome was that that Brooklyn emporium then sent me an even better Memorial Day Weekend discount offer, so I ordered the P2K SD9 #5354, plus a "B" unit for my BLI SP Daylight E7A, for $50 discount on the pair, then got an email saying the SD9 was sold out and offering to substitute a Southern SD9 at the same price - well I guess Southern SD9 is nearly Southern Pacific SD9! So I instead substituted a Genesis Black Widow GP9 so as not to lose my discount, and looked on ebay. There was a P2K SD9 from a reputable store but at full list price of $299.98 - ouch! Then last night I saw one from a trusted dealer for $209.99, which is even better than the post-discount price of that original #5354, but it is #5342. Thus we acquire our collections! I have not found photos of either #5342 or #5354 yet, so the difference is academic. I will not be re-numbering it for the Niles Canyon engine, but will try to find its own history. And that is me bankrupt for another month!!
I agree w/ Brakie, good luck w/ your choice- it's a good one. Now you'll need time to "recharge"
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
I picked up an SP 5342 sound today. I have to adjust the volume as it is a little too quiet for my hard of hearing ears. I am not going to try any advanced cv modifications yet. My LHS still has some DCC non-sound units left. I am thinking about getting one as a test bed for ESU Loksound and later a TCS WOW Sound when the diesel versions become available.
The engine runs extremely smooth out of the box.
There were no inclosed instructions for the add on window and other detail. I have checked a few photo's and have an idea of what I need to add to the locomotive in the form of the cab shades and window detail. Has anyone already done this for the SP version and willing to share their experience.
KJA
For those interested I see that Walthers have announced a new batch of SP P2K SD 9s. There are both "Black Widow" and "Bloody Nose" models - details are on the Walthers site which is showing a release date of 28 Dec 2015. Worryingly there are also a set of DM&IR SD9s in the splendid red and yellow. I have always wanted one of these but have absolutely no excuse to run it, so I will have to sit on my wallet until they are sold out!
Best Regards,
Portland Bill so I will have to sit on my wallet until they are sold out!
That's a good policy, Bill! I seldom purchase newly released engines at full MSRP. I prefer to gamble and hope that they collect dust and then can be purchased, sometimes at that "Brooklyn" emporium for more of a reasonable price.
I was just looking at some old invoices and found one for a pair of Walthers Proto Pennsylvania E-7s with sound and all the fine details (nose lift rings, Trainphone, beautiful 5 stripe paint) and I scooped them up for $125 each! That's like buying a sound decoder and getting a free locomotive thrown in, gratis.
Be sure to watch for the Walthers Sale Flyer that sometimes has some good bargains.
Regards, Ed
I have some original release LL P2K SD7's and SD7's - the detail and bodies look nice although I didn't care for the dark redish orange on the latter day D&RGW switcher scheme. Also the coupler mountings is blue box Athearn styles which is awful and requres modifying the mount to install a draft gear box.
The Walthers P2K look very nice but at nearly 3x the price. BLI, I never considered them. Some day I may get a couple SP bloody nose SD9's as they haunted the area I grew up.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983