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Fox Valley Models HO scale Hiawatha passenger train
i bought one of the first hiawathas in aug very pleased with everything about it
Nice train!
Hi, great review of a great train!
Which sound decoder should I use to get a prototypical sound for this locomotive? Thanks for the help, and Happy Holidays!
Mine ran great on DC I have installed a Digitrax SH164D sound secoder and it runs and sounds great. My couplers were not in gauge, to low and the eched walk way on the tender came off while I was doing the decoder. But this is minor and this is the greatest Milwaukee to come in a long while.
Would help to know how many years this equipment was used. Anyone know how late this train ran? I would love to get one but I fear 1955 is a little too late for it. Thanks, Andy K.
Great looking set especially with the two extra coaches! Any one have any recommendations on DCC sound & smoke installations??
I missed out on buying one of these classic American beauties so I am going to scratch-build one from brass for my outdoor HO scale battery-powered layout.
Have a great holiday and best wishes for New Year.
PRT from Horsham, UK
I have the Nickel Plate brass Hiawatha set of the 1970’s but the Fox Valley set is preferred in my operating sessions. One of the extra coaches is used on my model of the (heavyweight) Pioneer Limited train I have cobbled together from Walthers heavyweight models. As a Milwaukee Road fan that means I have died and gone to heaven!
It’s too bad that David P. Morgan isn’t alive. I’m sure he would have to have a set of the Hiawatha train over his mantle. Railroading, to me, has lost so much interest with the demise/merger of the so very interesting world of Class I railroads and their passenger trains. The identity of the lines really was through their passenger trains – they all lost money, but provided a necessary serice as required by a now defunct ICC. As I enter my senior years, thank goodness for model trains to recreate such a fascinating world, now long gone. Yes, “Model Railroading Is Fun.” Thanks Linn Wescott, Gordon Ordegord, and friends!
I have 30" radius curves on my layout. After running the Hiawatha consist around, it showed me some “scenery clearance snags” that I needed to address.
I’m a Soo modeler but I couldn’t pass up this set.
Nice looking passenger cars, disappointed with flimsy construction of same, and light weight, compared to other passenger car offerings. Locomotive construction similar to a Rivorrossi Hi Hudson offered years ago.
Two different Digitrax decoders (no sound) installed, loco creeps as soon as it sees a grade. this flaw demonstrated to the supplier and is working to resolve.
It seems has very poor design, obsolete for actual parameters, and very expensive, I waited many, many years for this train…I´ll be waiting again.
The train set is very very good, best I’ve seen in a long while, if I was just starting I would buy it. keep up the great work.
I bought mine through Con-Cor, apparently the sound decoder they used from Digi-Trax is not a dual mode, so i really haven’t had a chance to run it yet, gotta hook up the dcc for it later. But it looks awesome, which is a good start for me. Would love to find out if my old Rivarossi Hudson can pull this train as well.
Andrew, shortly after the 1939 version they received the more ‘traditional’ maroon window striping. I’m hoping they do versions of the Atlantics with the Zephyr and window striping ‘end’ on the tender, the configuration the were in until the Mars Lights were added post WWII
Robert,
Thank you very much for the sound decoder tip!
Happy New Year to yall!
Looks Great !!! Wish it were avaiable in N Scale.
Hi, Gerald,
Fox Valley Models does offer the 1935 Hiawatha in N scale. You can find it on their website here:
http://www.foxvalleymodels.com/nscalepassenger.html
I have always wanted this train. I was very excited to see it finally come on the market. However not knowing anything about the standard of FOX VALLEY MODELS I decided to wait until the model was released and a review was out. I’m now glad I did that, as I will wait in the hope that soemone else will eventually bring out a model of this wonderful train with better finishing. Its a pitty in this day and age that the train is not already fitted with dual mode dcc, as well as lighting and sprung bogies, in the coaches.