I have a Genesis UP HO challenger on the way, arriving Tuesday. I note in a comment (review) on the MBKlein site that a gentleman raises concern about pickup wipers, apparently similar to prior designs, that conduct power from the back of the drivers. He notes that a short from a derailment can soften or melt the phosphor bronze wipers.
I have a NCE DCC Powerpro system with each of 3 subdistricts having OG-CB or OG-AR breakers as well. From a practical matter, can an occasional short (derailment or running into a mis-thrown turnout) hurt these pickups? Or will the circuit breakers come into play before damage occurs??
It sounds like a potential disaster but I don’t recall people on earlier threads (experience with prior runs) commenting on this. I would think if a frequent problem that many/most would have failed within the warranty period and a high percentage been returned. Can someone clarify this issue?
We use the NCE PowerHouse Pro on our large HO scale layout, and we have two members with the original release of Genesis Challenger locomotives with the MRC decoder in them.
I have never heard or read such a complaint about the Challenger, and neither member has had any such problem with them.
Any well built DCC system is going to have internal overload protection circuits that will shut the system down in event of a derailment or short circuit.
I have not had the problem you describe with my genesis challenger.
Richard
This could be a problem where the short detection circuitry built into every commercial DCC system is faulty. If your system is working well, if you have lots of feeders over your rail system so that your signal/noise/voltage ratio stays high, you will virtually never have to worry about your wipers melting. Wearing, sure, but not melting. Enjoy your locomotive. Post an assessment please.
Crandell
Thanks for the info. I’ll report on my impressions after arrival and a bit of running.
Hi Paul,
I’m on the fence as to “should i get one”? I’d love to hear your impressions.
Derek
I got mine yesterday and I’m a happy camper. Ordered them a year ago, my “local” hobby shop (50 Miles away) matched MB Klein’s price and tested them before I left the store. Initial impression, looks good, runs good, sounds good. All good.
The back pair of drivers have traction tires so it pulls really well. Testing on a 2.2% grade (with 32/R curve compensation), it pulled at least 30 freight cars or 14 Walthers “lightweight” passenger cars without slipping and could stop and restart at speed step 1 (of 32). That is slightly more than my staging tracks can handle.
On the UP line north to Butte Montana over Monida pass they used 3 challengers to pull 75 cars up a 3 percent grade. Typical passenger trains on that run were 6 cars, but that was probably just what the traffic required. So these basically can do what the prototype could do.
I model Northern Pacific, so I got the Clinchfield version with the single stack which will become my fictitious NP Z-9 class. The Athearn challengers were about one-third the price of my Sunset Z-6 NP challengers which are going to be ‘photo props’ because they have no weight or down-force on the front set of drivers, so the Sunset Z-6s have less pulling power than a bachmann 2-8-0.
I’m no rivet counter, but the detail looks good. It’s plastic, not brass and a little delicate for locomotives that are going to be ‘runners’ hopefully. I wish they still made the old Bowser challenger kits (now with DCC and sound of course). They were heavy, seemingly indestructible and reportedly could pull the paint off of the wall. The real advantage of a kit was that it had instructions, didn’t have a gazillion parts and once you put it together you knew how to take it apart and maintain it. Sadly $75 back then was 2 weeks pay so my dad and I just dreamed about having a Challenger.
I can’t say how they handle ‘tight’ curves, they look and run fine on 32 inch radi
I received mine a few days ago and have had a chance to try it out.
I can’t compare it to others but am very impressed with its appearance. The only oddity that jumps out at me is the cab front windows are odd pieces of plastic that look like, well, a piece of plastic. I think they are supposed to be multi-piece or operable but the way the light hits them it makes it look like thick plastic. Might end up better removed(?).
It runs nicely overall. At speed step 1, it creeps a litle jerkily at factory setting. I increased CV2 to 2 which smooths that out but it moves slightly faster. Don’t know if playing with BEMF would allow it to smooth out with CV2 at 0 (default) or at 1 (where it stays slightly jerky at speed step 1). It runs very well. It pulls my 30 freight cars plus 5-7 UP passenger cars up my 2.4% grade, though with all 7 passenger cars it will slip slightly if increasing speed fast from a stop. Impressive pulling. I’m confused whether it was supposed to come with a spare driver w/o traction tire. The booklet shows it as a part and the foam has a cutout for it but it was not there. Don’t know whether the old ATHG93211 (“discontinued”) part is the same and whether I should find and acquire one.
My photo below shows it on my inside, approx 26" curve. I thought it would look more extreme from an overhang standpoint and am very pleased how it looks on my moderate curves. It has not derailed at spots that were toughest for my other rolling stock. The tender wobbles a bit over my (still) uneven triple 90 degree crossings as the frame mounted 5-axle wheelsets cross.
On sound, it’s certainly ok overall. The whistle is neat, and the aux sounds it makes when idling are neat. The chugging is just ok as set up. It sounds a little bit like a sewing machine versus steam exhaust. Some of that may come from me
Paul, it would be worth an email of inquiry to Athearn/Horizon about that apprently missed item. The worst response will be that they had intended or meant to include one when the cartons and foam inserts were being produced, but they changed their mind for some reason…and sorry for the confusion. Alternatively, they may say they owe you the item.
Crandell