Just put a Santa Fe F3 with sound on layaway over at the hobby shop in buffalo. I saw it in the display case and it just begged to be added to my collection. From the reviews in MR it looks like a real winner. I sure wi***hey would make the mars light functional being they now come with sound and DCC. It obviously has light bulbs in the upper headlight, but the review said nothing about it flashing like a mars light… Now I have SF F3’s in two scales, Lionel O scale on my overhead layout and HO for the future layout. Cheers Mike
Ok, I just read on Athearn’s website that the dcc sound equipted units have the mars light effects in DCC mode, so if I program the unit down at the local club that runs digitrax to have the mars light on, will the mars light function when running on my dc layout?
Thats a good question and I dont know the answer, what I can tell you is that it depends on how athearn made that decoder. You should be able to use the mars light on DC with athearn’s little remote, But you never know. Athearn is not know for making smart choices regarding decoders.The MRCs n the challengers were screwey to say the least. MRC got fed up with compaints so athearn made thier own decoder for the F’s.
Hopefully someone that has one will respond. Apparently the sound has the correct EMD 567 sounds going by the MR review. Every site says the decoder has the Mars/Gyralite mode in DCC mode. I do plan to go over to Digitrax eventualy but will be running normal DC for now. That and the club back home in Indiana is normal DC. The local club runs both DC and DCC so I can go there to program the unit if need be. I just have to get some N scale stuff sold, then I can go get the diesel out of layaway. Anybody need a small loop of Kato Unitrak, Via Rail P42, Via Rail Alco FA, CP Rail Alco FA, two bachman amfleet passenger cars and a Kato elevated station???
I have read here on the forum that Athearn, instead of going with a high-quality
sound decoder like the Tsunami or Soundtraxx-went ahead and used the MRC
sound decoder-which has had very poor reviews from those who say they’ve
tried it. That caused me to cancel my order for a sound-equipped Genesis
F-unit. I decline to spend such money on a unit I have doubts about. I, too
would welcome an actual owner’s opinions.
Thats a common mistake people make. The decoder is not MRC. Athearn actually developed and produced thier own decoder for the F units. It was going to be an MRC decoder, but MRC cancelled the deal with athearn after being flooded with complaints about the decoder in the challenger. I dont know about long-term reliability of the athearn decoder, but my take so far is that the bell is awesome. The horn sounds wierd, and the prime mover sound isnt right. Overall the sound is OK, better than the MRC in the challenger anyway. Also, talking to people who run displays at train shows or malls say they love the new decoder. Why? Its LOUD!
Thats all the information I have right now.[:)]
Actualy he is correct MRC makes the Funits decoder/sound system, read your newest issue of MRR, Jim H does a review on the new sound equipted Genesis F units and he was very impressed with the wireless controler, sound quality and the diesel overall. According to the review the electronics package is all new from MRC! He just had to turn off the horn on the B unit as it was clashing with the horn sound on the A unit and a B unit doesnt have a horn anyway. If nobody else gives his/her review of the locootive here, I will give my report as soon as I get the train home. Cheers MIke
I have one Genesis A/B F7 set and like the sound very much. Run it in DC mode. Very loud but easy too turn down. Great bell, horn and dynamics.
I have the Santa Fe F3 AB (#32L and #32A)
I am very very happy with them and have retired my Stewart/Kato F units.
The Atheran’s look better then many brass Santa Fe F unit’s I’ve seen and they are super smooth runners. The sound is also very good. Although I had to reset the volume (using a Digitrax Zephyr) to the lowest setting (0), and even then they are too loud when right up next to them.
There are a variety of horns and bells to chose from and I programmed mine to reflect Santa Fe F3’s. Then there are a multitude of other sounds to operate (like brakes, dynamic brakes, coupler clank, horn doppler, track clickity clack, etc…)
The mars light effect is neat and sort of simulates the Santa Fe simple spinning top headlight. There is also a red light (which the Santa Fe used for emergency brake lighting) that I can’t figure out if it operates or not.
One flaw is the sound features use numbers beyond 13 (up to 19!) and my DCC controller only goes up to 13. But this is really the only flaw I can find with my set.
They run super smooth, and can pull my Santa Fe Hi-Level El Capitan with no problems. Although an ABBA would be more prototypical, I just can’t afford these yet. But it would be nice to have a full ABBA set.
So I would give these perhaps a product of the year rating. The only time I’ve been this impressed with an HO locomotive was with the Bachmann 2-8-0, and this Athearn F3 is way better than my old 2-8-0. So way to go Athearn. At least my set is a great running, awesome sounding, and the best looking Santa Fe F3’s I’ve ever seen in HO scale…including brass! The only thing I added was an ATS shoe, and I may add MU hoses.
Here are two shots my sister took of my AB leaving the staging yard:
