I really like the CN U2g’s, once the bugs are worked out they run great.
!(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m620/northern10/CN Roster Additions/DSCF0076.jpg)!(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m620/northern10/CN Roster Additions/DSCF0075.jpg)!(http://i1134.photobucket.com/albums/m620/northern10/CN Roster Additions/DSCF0077.jpg)
They do look good, Don. I bet they sound impressive, too. BTW is the Master and Surveyor of the layout room in the photos impressed?
I have a mixed steam and diesel HO roster on my layout. I am very impressed with the sound from these units, they are QSI and come with twin speakers.
They are in my opinion better than the Bachmann Spectrum Tsunami decoders and my BLI Paragon decoeders as well.
The bell for instance has a slight echo which makes it more lifelike than the other steam decoders I have. The sound is set so that if the locomoitive is within 5 ft you hear it, any afther away and you do not. Suites me fine.
Yes the master of the house prefers these steamers over the others. If I am running these she will come into the train room to watch, if I am running other steamers she is not interested.
Hi Don
I assume these are the Trueline Locos you have. I have one also with a second on it’s way. I’m curious what you did to “work the bugs out”. The only problem I have had with mine is that it doesn’t like my #4 turnouts.
I also have a couple of Con-Cor heavyweights and i found I had to put washers on the pivots for the trucks as the trucks would hang up on a cross member of the undercarriage when coming out of a curve or turnout.
Cheers
Mike
Mike,
Yes these are the Trueline locomotives. These locomotives are the most sensitive engine I have ever run across.
“Working out the Bugs” was primarily fine tuning my track and turnouts. A couple of my turnouts were on slight slopes. These engines did not like running on any turnout that was on an angle, The front pony trucks would derail. Leveling the turnouts ever so slightly made the difference. A few spots on my layout were slightly out of gauge, Once fixed the engines ran great.
As to #4 turnouts, although these engines are supposed to handle a # 4 turnout, mine do not. Anything larger and they are fine. (I am refering to those snap switches which I believe are slightly smaller than a #4.
Did you see the MB Klien ads, they have a few at $399.00.
I almost bought a couple more but I am now commited to buying the Rapido Canadian which will be released in a few weeks and then later I signed up for a set of the BLI California Zephyr cars.
OOOOHHHH ! ! And there in the background is every MR’rs nightmare, A CAT ! ! I’m sure everyone seeing this forum must have cringed at the sight,- - - tell me the cat is stuffed.
The cats, two of them, are quit content to watch the trains from the floor.
Once in a while one of the cats will want a closer look. She must have a short attention span after no more than 5 minutes, at the most, she wants down.
I then use the shop vacuum for a once over it the cat has been on the layout. No problems to date.
Don,
I too am running my Northern this week with Con-Cors trailing. You are correct about the sound, it is the best steam sound I have heard.
Mine is very picky too about the trackwork and I find that while it is fine on 22", it doesn’t like my 19" very much nor #4 turnouts. I’m using Kato Unitrack. I have an odd problem with mine in that if reversing on a curve at slow speed it will short when it straightens out. If you wiggle the front it corrects and is fine. It suspect the pony truck but can’t really see the problem.
I’d love to get another one but my layout is small, really too small for such a large engine but it sure is a beauty. I think the price now of about $400 is a bargain for the detail, sound system, dimming headlight, etc., etc.
I just picked up a copy of Ian Wilson’s Steam Through London and it has a lot of great photos of CN Northerns, even one of 6232 which is the number on mine.
CN Charlie
I forgot to mention the Northern’s whistle.
It is great and it really sounds like a steam whistle should, it has a raspiness that really makes it sound real.
The material that comes with this engine indicates that it should run on 18" and #4 switches, If it does I do not think you could go very fast with that configuration.
When I run the Northern I keep it on the outside of my layout where the larger radius curves are. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that it would fit on my 90’ turntable. So when not in use parked in the roundhouse.