I was looking at who’s doing this monster and it looks like there are two affordable version of this engine on the market right now. Rivarossi makes one and Athearn has one, now with Tsunami decoder. Both are DCC w/sound and what’s even more curious - both are shipped weathered from the factory.
Both look good from the pictures, with Rivarossi unit maybe looking a bit too much like it was abandoned more than a weathered loco. Normally I would take Tsunami over anything else, but I’ve read reports that for some reason sound is not as good on Athearn Big Boy that one would normally expect from Tsunami decoder.
I also like Trix engine a lot, but Trix Big Boy commands a huge chunk of change and is sold out at most dealers.
The Trix version is very nice, but it was built with small drivers so that it would work on small layouts.
I agree about the Rivarossi Big Boy…it is poorly weathered, although that can be overcome. I have the latest C&O Allegheny, a very nice model. I would comment that the tender is light, but I I don’t know about the Big Boy’s. The H-8 rides the rails very nicely, and looks like the powerful beast it really was.
I have no experience with Athearn, and cannot recall reading any reports one way or the other about their version of the Big Boy. It doesn’t seem to have garnered much attention, or else little enthusiasm. It sure looks good, I must say.
The vaunted PCM version I hear are rare now, but perhaps eBay is the place to search for one, even if used.
From what I’ve heard, the BLI/PCM Big Boy is the best one. The Trix Big Boy is also excellent, but as was mentioned earlier, the drivers are extremely undersized (probably so they could use larger flanges on European versions). Athearn’s Big Boy is also very good, but up until recently, they came with a fairly poor quality MRC sound system. Rivarossi’s current Big Boy uses their old shell from 1967(?) and has issues with electrical pickup, but has a very smooth running drive.
Your comments on the Big Boys are good. I will add some more information since I own all of the available Big Boy models talked about. Tony’s trains did a report in general on two of the latest two Big Boys at that time and it is listed below. They are the Trix and PCM, which are both out of production for several years. There is another report on the Athearn at that time.
I purchased several of the PCM and some of the Trix when they were new. The Trix is nice but as you stated, the 64" drivers were made so the large flanges could be added for the EU edition. I sold one of the Trix because I preferred the PCM by a country mile and a half.
When the first run Athearn Big Boy came out, I got those also but the MRC DCC had to be replaced. They really run extrememly well after the decoder was replaced so the new model should be OK with the Soundtraxx installed. The are plastic but pull very well and are extremely well detailed. The first run had several variations since the Big Boys were modified over the
I had two Athearn’s and had bad luck with them. I got a refund and bought a PCM. Hands down better than the Athearn’s I had!
Mine has a Loksound 3.5 decoder and sounds great. Had a friend bring over his Big Boy with a Tsunami, no comparison! With dual speakers in mine sound much fuller.
Since only Riverossi and Athearn are the only one currently available for purchase, Athearn looks to be a better choice. I’m surprised Athearn didn’t do a better job with the sound though. Soundraxx is very capable and with two speakers (I assume they use two speakers, since that’s what they used with MRC) I don’t understand why they would not sound equal or better to Locosound.
Without question the best Big Boy on the market excluding brass is the Trix locomotive shown below
like you said if you can find one but in my o/p it’s worth the wait and the hunt is part of the fun isn’t it. I stumbled upon mine by accident as my wife and I were at a yard sale and no it wasn’t sitting there with a $50 price tag on it. I happen to notice the guy had a few model railroad kits on one table and when picked them all up and said how much for all of them he walked over and said train nut huh, we started talking. Well you know how it is the wife is out there buying junk and I’m in the guys basement checking out what left of his dismantled layout. We got to talking and he was retired an because of medical reasons was selling his home and moving in to one of the senior communities. Well he shows me “The Good Stuff” and lets just say I walked out of his basement with a lot more then those kits and a much lighter check book. The upside was I finally had me a Trix Big Boy and it cost me about 1/3 of the retail price. I have the Trix, a couple of Rivarossi’s and a Bras Big Boy and lets just say the Trix walks away form the Rivarossi in every respect and holds it’s own with the brass model but for a heck of a lot less money
John, forgive me for putting you on the spot, or pinning you down, but what do you expect to change in the Genesis model? What information do you have to suggest that it will be improved in any sense over previous runs?
I am also curious about the assertion a few posts earlier by Allegheny 2-6-6-6 that the Trix is hands-down the best of all current Big Boys. On what basis is this assertion made? What objective criterea were used, by whom, and what were the results?
The newest runs will have a Tsunami sound system instead of the one made by MRC.
Of the Big Boys he’s tried, it’s the best one. Except for some of the scaling problems (small drivers, separated rear engine), I’ve never heard a single bad review on the Trix Big Boys. Tony’s Trains says that they’re as detailed as the PCM models, and I believe they’re also powered by a super smooth running mechanism with a coreless (they call it “bell shaped armature”) motor.
In a call to my friend and sales manager of a fine train store, I just found out that my Genesis Big Boy is in as of today.
My in-laws are meeting us and the cub scout troop at Knoebels Grove Amusement Park tomorrow. They should have my Big Boy with them!
I fully expect it to be better than previous Athearn Genesis steamers because many people are aware there were some complaints about the previous steamers (mainly regarding MRC decoders), and Athearn has been very good about making incremental improvements to models (and also the packaging) over time. For example, each successive run of SD40-2 has been getting better in recent years–I had owned several different units.
Having recently owned the “compromise” not quite correct for either GS-4 or GS-6 class MTH 4-8-4 and the compromise “hidden articulated” mechanism 4-12-2 (though it is a fine engine) I for one would not want to buy a Big Boy with drivers that are 4" too small. So I would not buy the Trix version at any price. Why would I when I can buy a Paragon2 Y-6B instead for less money and it’s simply fantastic (I have one now)? Even though I really prefer western roads, I now buy the best articulateds available, period. In fact, I only use articulateds now (save one K-4 4-6-2 for when grabby guests visit). All my diesels are gone.
I only got the plain DC version to save money, so will not be able to comment on sound, and my favorite store does not have any other Big Boys that are not already pre-sold. I have heard that others who have the Tsunami sound Big Boys are very happy with them.
I will post comments over the weekend assuming I do get it and have a chance to run it tomorrow night.
I was in an LHS in Newport Delaware and someone had one of the new rivarossi big boys. Looks like a good model but the weathering looked like a plastic paint job. Detailing is good though. I didn’t get to see it run. The customer that had it said he paid 400 bucks for it.
I believe original price for Riverossi was $440, so $400 seems like a likely price if bought when it was released. I noticed that in Model Railroading manufactures used air plane style of pricing - it’s purely based on value to customer. They release item with some limited road numbers and demand high price. Once that sells off and demand levels to regular level they lower the price. Than when item sits on the shelf with limited selection they drop the price to the floor and get bargain hunter’s, who don’t care for specific model, clean up the bin. There very little in a sense of permanent selection in this hobby. It’s a shame because for new people, like me, it mean’s you have to catch the wave.
But I guess that this business model shaped by particulars of this hobby. I haven’t this type of pricing and distribution anywhere else. Closest thing is the way Disney released their animations and then put in a “vault” for couple of years.
The absolutely, positively, best HO scale model of a Big Boy was an early Tenshodo rebuilt (the term Kitbashed hadn’t been invented then) by a gentleman named Darwin, as reported in Model Railroader about half a century ago.
He replaced all the original blobs of metal with accurate lost-wax castings of compressors, pumps, injectors, etc… But that was the least of it. He rebuilt the original frames, completely reworked the drive system into one that would be top-line today (except for the huge Pittman open-frame motor) and even fitted the pilot and trailing trucks with ramp-and-roller centering!
His ‘reward?’ Some ‘brass collector’ crawled out from under a rock and castigated his modifications! Seems that this ‘purist’ (who probably couldn’t have come anywhere near the craftsmanship required) was incensed because the Big Boy was no longer in its native state (aka junk.)
Oh, well. Such is life. (I’ve had a similar experience myself, albiet in front of a smaller audience and about a smaller locomotive.)
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - with brass steam, some units kitbashed)
I am now pretty darn happy with my PCM Big Boy. When I first got it, it did have some issues that need to be worked out. Main one was the draw bar, on the end there is a section of plastic that was C shaped that is a push fit that clip’s on a pole in side of the tender. It fit way to tight and would not slide up and down on the pole. When the engine hit a area that had high spot the draw bar would stick higher up and caused the tender to derail.
I fixed the problem by sanding the inside of the C with 600 grit paper and added some oil to the bar in the tender. Now she tracks pretty darn well. Other than that, no complaints.
Far as pulling power? My goodness it will pull a brick!
In this picture I had doubled headed the PCM Big Boy to my PCM Y6-b. I had not MU them, they where pretty close in speed match and I was doing it more to take the picture for WFP.
I some how fired up the Big Boy and it started to drag the Y6-b (it is die cast metal) and 45 coal cars? 100 car drag should not be a issue!
Hi, Hands down, the winner is the Trix Big Boy. I own two Trix engines, one Athearn, one Rivarossi and one Broadway Limited/ PCM.Other than the Trix engines, the Athearn, Rivarossi and Broadway Limited, all went back several times to the manufacturer for various electrical and mechanical problems. I must admit that my son and I run the Big Boys a lot.
The Trix engines are expensive, but I bought them, when they were readily available. I just picked up another one without sound ( $ 275.00) and will install an ESU or QSI decoder. The only modification i have made is to get rid of the European close coupler mechanism and installed a Kadee coupler on the tender.
The Rivarossi definitly shows it’s age-some parts look out of scale-at least to me.The weathering definitely needs some touch up. LOL
The Athearn had numerous sound and electrical problems and some mechanical problems, although not as bad as the Broadway Limited model.
I got the new Athearn Big Boy (DC only version) today and ran it tonight. It was exceptionally well packed in the now nearly standard padded Athearn clamshells, with zero defects due to shipping even though one box corner shows it had an impact.
It starts smoothly, with lighting starting slightly before the engine moves. For me, it started moving at 0.3 amps and about 4.0 volts–and runs as quietly as a church mouse (thoroughly lubricated at the factory, they do not need any additional lubrication until having been run for quite some time according to the owner’s manual).
It looks terrific. There’s a few details on my MTH Challenger that maybe were more effectively rendered–like for example the adjustable cab roof vent that opens and stays in whatever position you like–whereas the Athearn Big Boy’s cab roof vent just flips all the way open (not correct to the best of my knowledge). However, a few piping details cast onto the MTH Challenger’s heavy diecast boiler are actually separately applied pipes on the plastic boiler Athearn Big Boy! The piping and handrails on the Big Boy have a slightly more finescale appearance than on the MTH Challenger–but I’ve got to say both models just look terrific.
Those folks who prefer amber yellow lights on steam power will like the Athearn Big Boy.
Even the plain DC version now has illuminated numberboards displaying the roadnumber with the X (for extra, often typical on UP–but not always) in front of it! Way to go Athearn! Note: In real life, the X and correct road number was not used on UP when the engine was a front helper. In that instance, it would display the X and roadnumber of the road engine running behind it. If the train was a scheduled hotshot, or a passenger train, the number of the train would be placed in the boxes in lieu of the
