Some more information about the Athearn Genesis Big Boy
They where VERY KIND!!
I agree with your comment about their comments being kind, but it is a nice highly detailed model if you ignore the sound and drive system. It is one half the price of the other two so the sound can be added for about one hundred dollars more.
Lets hope they upgrade to a better system next time the contract is due.
Having seen the Athearn Big Boy at the club all I got to say is WOW! What a beauty!
Accorduing to the installer doing my transplant they DO NOT WANT TO. The deal is that for every 5 people in DCC there are 25 in DC. This and it’s haunted brother are great on DC. Can you imagine the little one has an LL set and then gets this monster and it wil RUN on his 4x8 oval, that is where they are at.
The people who are the high end buyers will go for the Trix or Brass. This is an entry level sound loco that will get people motivated to go bigger and better.
My will be back for Christmas along with the ultimate one my wife got me. She is just so happy I am working with model trains. We still play with our other toys but I am happier doing this and so is she.
True, but QSI decoders also work great on DC and are FAR superior to the MRCs. The good thing athearn has with those decoders is the little remote which can control the sound and speed wirelessly. With a QSI decoder you of course need the quantum engineer. I dont know if athearn/mrc hold all the patents for HO wireless control, but for whatever reason the better decoder mfgs have not gone for that.
Other than the decoders, genesis locos are great (except the early SD70s, i had 3, dont get me started…). I think athearn should either get on MRC to produce some quality stuff or move to a different manufacturer. It would bump the price up a bit, probably $40-$50 but if you are spending $250 anyway is that really such a big deal?
This is from the It never fails to amaze me how the John Derre company gets a Big Boy.
Athearn has done it again with a John Deere Big Boy. Now they need to release John Deere cars and John Deere passenger trains.
I know it is hobby and they are making money, but some of these offerings are over the top.
A John Deere Big Boy? This has to be somebody’s idea of a joke or a great Photo shop job, as Athearn does not have this listed on their web site
True BUT someone is trying to make a buck with a custom paint job.
It is listed as the second in the series and Athearn also gave the same paint job to the Challenger. It is done by Athearn for John Deere and they will be available at John Deere dealers.
I am waiting for the Dale Earnhart Big boy or whatever they want to make a buck on…
Ever seen the Playboy LMS race car? I saw a GP30 painted in that livery. The guy did a great job on it. It was in “G” scale.
The following text in red below is from the ad, but several of the John Deere Challengers painted identical to the Big Boy were on the web and the John Deere dealers offered them also. It is the latest for the John Deere series, but is not offered directly by Athearn same as the Challenger was not offered.
New in box John Deere Big Boy Locomotive, this is 2nd in the series of the Athern Genesis HO gauge steam locomotive with sound, measuring a full 20" in length and features 298 seperate parts, this locomotive features a new sound system with syncronized dual driver chuff. this is an “articulated” locomotive because it has two engines and with the new sound system both drivers are replicated. don’t miss out on this Highly Collectable John Deere engine. Buy it now gets you free shipping in mainland USA.
What NEW sound system? Same as the Challenger MRC decoder. Oh, I am sorry the Brillance Sound System.
The Brillance Sound System is distorted and very poor in quality compared to almost any other system, but you can’t get the Genesis Challenger or Big Boy without it. A Zimo solves the DCC drive situation and a Tsunami solves the sound quality.
Guys,There is a BIG collectors market for JD…Shoot even I have a JD hat…But…Thats where it ends except for JD farm implements for my layout…
I was raised in the country around John Deere tractors and collect them also in 1/16 scale.
I think we were just surprised they now have Big Boys and Challengers for sale.
I was programming the new Genesis Big Boy today and it locked up about half way through my changes. It would not reset with the default reset on DCC and the only way to reset it was by using a DC only power pack using the hand transmitter method. This happens twice while inserting new CV’s into the MRD decoder. Not really DCC programming friendly in my opinion. Make a mistake, start over from scratch on a DC power pack only. It does not seem to reset when using a Zephyr. Maybe some other DCC controllers will work better.
It is a nice looking model that rivals my Key models in most details and it is worth the money even if it has the worst DCC sound system available today.
Remember, a Tsunami is only an installation day away.
Hi, I am new to the site,I have always liked trains and have been always been amazed of the work that that goes in all of the layouts at the train shows,but I never bought a train set.I work at a John Deere dealer and in 1997 it started,they came out with the first John Deere train set.I have the first one and have bought only the Genesis sets since.I also have the MTH O scale trains also.My favorite ones are the Challenger and the BIG BOY.I did buy the TRIX Big Boy before the John Deere version was released(I LOVE THE BIG BOY’S).Last January when I received the order form for the 2006 John Deere trains and the Big Boy was in it I had to have it.(I since sold the TRIX on EBAY).Yes the trix was very nice and would have liked to keep it,But this stuff adds up.I received my John Deere Big Boy last week and it is a work of art.My point is, this is a way to sell more Trains and I am more of a collector type than doing all of the layouts.I do set the tracks up at the holiday time for the kids and ME.And plan to install a suspended railway in the house when figure out how Im going to do it.Theres something out there for everyone and John Deere Genesis trains are for me. Tom
I pre-ordered a new HO Athearn Genesis Big Boy from Caboose Hobbies almost a year ago. It arrived via UPS on Friday, Sep 22, 2006. It was well packed, in great condition, with no visible missing parts. It is a good-looking loco. But I had DCC problems with it right from the start. Even tho’ I just have EZ Command, I haven’t had any problems with it in 2 years operating 15 different locos (max 3 at a time) with factory or custom installed DCC and sound from 7 other manufacturers/dealers. I confirmed with all those locos yesterday that my EZ Command is still working fine for all accessible functions. I also confirmed with my 10 DCC and DC no-sound locos that my MRC 1370 DC power pack is also working fine.
Like CAZEPHYR, the only way I can get the Big Boy to work semi-reliably is on DC using the supplied RF transmitter. On DCC initially, I was able to program it to a new loco address (from factory #3 to #4), the only real programmability available on EZ Command. Worked OK at first on functions, then just shut down. After turning off all railpower, then restarting, it would idle, then shut down whenever I tried to use any of the sound or light functions (1 thru 10 on EZ Command). I then reset to factory defaults using the transmitter and DC. On DC only now, every function on the RF transmitter works except the front headlight, which worked at first on both DC and DCC.
Needless to say, I’m very disappointed in the operation of my first Athearn Genesis DCC/Sound loco. My HO Lionel Veranda and Challenger work fine on my EZ Command as does the HO MTH K-4 with all its quirks. Those three DCC/sound locos cost me the same as the Big Boy (@$300 each new) and they’re all diecast, not plastic. &n
Sorry to say that that is not the problem. The 2 amps is what draw it would take to blow up the decoder not what it takes for it to work. The DCC design is the problem. Do not hold your breath for a response that makes any difference.
The drill is this:
Athearns says it is an MRC problem, Email MRC and it is an Athearns Problem, attach their answers and send it to them and they say it was the assembler of the loco and want their QC number. I could never find one in the Big Boy or the Challenger. The ONLY cure is Soundtraxx or an LOK system.
I had the Challenger (before surgery) take off at full speed when I tunrd on the DCC system.