should have it saturday.[:)]
All I got was a “get your credit card dusted off” email from Joe Grubba,
Factory Direct Trains Customer:
Late next week the Broadway Limited PRR S2 Turbine engine will be arriving. We will then process your preorder and Broadway Limited will ship your order to you. Tracking numbers will be emailed out as they become available.
Thank you for your preorder.
Joe Grubba
Factory Direct Trains
7 Glenn Bridge Rd. Unit B
Arden, NC 28704
Did you hear that Walthers cancelled their plans for the P-70 coaches? If so, the BLI ones are the only ones being produced you might want to get your hands on some. They are due some time in July.
BLI has been getting better at hitting their projected delivery dates. A lot better than in the past anyway!
[edit] I got my invoice from FDT on 6 May. I’m looking forward to mine some time next week [Y]
I wonder what BLI used to synthesize the turbine sound? An F-14 jet engine?
Thanks, Ed
I should get mine soon, I’ve been tempted on a brass version but this should be a cout de gra, sound and all. so I went this way.
testing it out , I’m happy it runs nice and everything seems to work well. A little boring to watch as it doesn’t have the traditional moving parts or chuffs of a steam loco. Headlight tilting upward and front pennsy name plate tilting down are the only things wrong so far. Pricy too!
Just got mine in, quick check runs fine, 4 smoke stacks…didnt expect that. I wonder about the turbine sound as I thought the turbine was direct connect to the wheels, I’ll have to check that over. But can’t really complain now…heh, but I’ll poke at BLI about it. looking fine so far. I was born in Ft Wayne and the Pennsy ran thru there and I am sure this engine ran thru there regularly.
My S2 is supposed to ship directly from BLI and I have not recieved shipping notification, yet.
I’m curious, IS the locomotive Paragon 3 or is it Paragon 2 ? The on-line information is conflicting.
They are nearly sold out at MB Klein.
Regards, Ed
Trainworld has it listed in both catagories. Not sold out yet either.
My LHS said I may be one of the lucky ones as others may not have recieved theirs (yet?) Contact BLI and ask. They are Paragon 3, most new engines will be this, i thought I heard a select few engines might still be P2 but I dunno.
how does a steam turbine work? Is there a drive shaft from the turbine to the wheels?
Pictures?
Here’s a few… My S2 arrived Friday afternoon. I have not fired 'er up yet but will do so soon and hopefully get some video posted as well.
Here’s the traditional builder’s shot.
Loading fuel…
On the main.
The lighting I used seems to have “washed out” the dark green locomotive enamel on the S2 for some reason. It doesn’t look quite that light in other lighting conditions. Note how much darker the I1s are in the background.
BLI will get an earfull from the PRRT&HS folks if the green is too light! The jewels in the cat-eye marker lights are a bit large and reflect lots of light. They are not on in the photos, that’s just reflection.
I have only given the locomotive a cursory inspection but so far I am very impressed with the level of detail and the overall finish from this recent BLI offering.
Regards, Ed
Apparently the turbine sound is not accurate. Please see page 100 here for more information on that (CV137): http://www.broadway-limited.com/support/manuals/techDiesel[0.15].pdf This soundset is built on a diesel engine’s software, so most of the CV’s in that tech ref. manual would apply. from BLI The engine uses a direct drive turbine, it will NOT idle like a diesel at rest. I am asking them some questions what to do, but I turned off the turbine sound for now. I found there was a Swedish Turbine 2-8-0 built long before the PRR, there are 2 restored operating engines, and there are vids of it (check google), you cant hear any chuff, you cant hear any whine or roar, just the air pump chuffs and whistle. I’m digging further what to do on the turbine sound.
Um, the 6200 was stored out of service at Crestline in 1949 and was never fired up after that. Are there "accurate " recordings available? Perhaps a few but I’m not sure how a manufacturer is supposed to create an accurate sound for a one-of-a-kind locomotive that last ran 67 years ago.
Seems reasonable. The R2 non-condensing turbine is a big traction motor.
I don’t hear that on my engine. The “whine” of the turbine slowly builds as I increase the throttle until the engine is running at about 20 MPH, then the roar of the steam exhaust overcomes the turbine sound.
The 6200 had two turbine oil pumps in addition to the turbine generator. At rest it would be possible to hear three turbines running, plus the water pump, air pump, blower (which had to be used frequently to overcome draft problems) and injector are all going to add to the “sounds” while the engine was at a standstill.
I’m not sure how comparing the sound of this
…to the sound of the 6200 has any relevance. They may sound simil
I’m digging around, but when I power up (F9) there is a wind up whine. I’ll have to re-ask BLI what they were up to in making the sounds.
Well, as you point out, the sounds for the turbine are probably a “Best Guess” on the part of the BLI designers.
F9 is the function for startup-shutdown which, in itself is kind of a stretch since it takes hours to “startup” a steam locomotive, turbine or otherwise.
If the wheels are not turning, the turbine should not be turning. I do not completely understand how the “clutch” in the S2 actually operates. When running forward, the reverse turbine is not spinning, unlike in ship propulsion.
As far as I understand there is no way to “spin” the turbine. There was an overspeed governor on the locomotive.
F5 is ramp-up the turbine and F6 is ramp-down the turbine. Again, these should be directly proportionate to wheel rotation.
Last night I had the engine on the programming track using Decoder Pro. Many of the sound function tabs were not accessable, maybe I should have used the BLI > Paragon 3 > diesel decoder type instead of instinctively selecting steam.
I’ll try to have another look tonight.
I’m presently uploading a Youtube video which should be available in a couple of hours.
Regards, Ed
I put the turbine sound at half volume based on the oiler info. The reverse turbine to use it had to be “clutched” in to run in reversed and was limited to 22mph, the main turbine was allowed to free-wheel so to speak in reverse. Yes, you should do the diesel decoder pro. since the engine was pre-1950’s, most tape recorders were non-existant for the public to use, so its hard to find sound recording pre-1950, but there were those using 16mm and sound for a pssibility of some sound somewhere, so because of this engine I wondered if the PRR made a promo film on it or not. There is a video on youtube of this engine, no sound. I’m going to ask someone about some sound recordings.
Thanks, I’ll try that when time permits.
Here’s the video I made yesterday. The engine is right out of the box, running on address 3.
Thanks, Ed
I found on youtube the prr film tracks ahead, they have the turbine in one shot on a turntable but no sound, blah. Film made in 1946.
just received and tested mine as well. mostly ran well but shorts out on one left curve and one #6 atlas cd 100 turnout but, does not short on other 22" curves or on other #6 atlas turnouts. has anyone encountered any shorting? has to be some contact being made that should not but i havent found it yet. mine is brass color version if it matters.