Anyone have this? I’d like to get one, looking for opinions. Also, any idea what the current value is? New in 2000 they were $379. If I do find one, is there anything I need to be concerned about with the PS1? I have no MTH so I really know nothing about the PS.
thx, Don
Not sure what has happened to some of the older PS-1 loco but have heard that some have fried their circuit boards because the battery in the loco died, when that happens you have a conventional only loco. PS-1 & PS-2 are two differant systems even though the name is similar. The upgrade for PS-1 to a PS-2 system gets expensive, over $320.00.
Go with PS-2 and get a BSR instead of a battery.
Lee F.
There were two versions of the Railking Zephyr offered in 2000 - a Protosound version for $379 and one without Protosound for $279.
I really wanted to buy a Pre-war AF Zephyr, but there was no way that I could afford one, so I bought the Railking instead. I had the foresight to buy one without PS-1. Okay, I’ll fess up that I was to cheap to buy the Protosound version. The looks are what attracted me to the model anyway.
At the time, I only had a 5’ x 7’ layout and no place to convientently store the train, so it has been in it’s box since I got it. When, I get the track laid and wired on the yard of my new layout, she will come out of the box for her maiden run.
Jim
SOME of the PS-1 Locomotives were susceptible to weak battery damage, but not all. There is supposed to be a list available about which Locomotives had this issue, but I don’t have it, never seen it, don’t know where to find it.
In the susceptible Locomotives, if the battery got weak it would scramble the control chips programming, and the Locomotive would be DOA, it would not be a "Conventional Only " Locomotive, it would not get out of Neutral. Generally when this happened you would hear the “3 Clanks of Doom” on powering up the Locomotive, when you heard that it was too late.
PS-1 Locomotives ARE “Conventional Operation Only” anyway, they do not have any DCS capability. SOME do have the ability to operate couplers remotely by utilizing the Horn button, put the Locomotive in neutral, crank up the throttle past 75% and hit the horn button, You will hear the coupler “arm”. A second push of the Horn button will “Fire” the coupler. Firing the coupler could be done after the Locomotive was cycled back into gear and then Fired somewhere else on the layout, even while moving. But it would be fired the first time that the horn was blown, so don’t whistle any signals or grade crossing warnings until you have uncoupled where you wanted to after arming the coupler. A Locomotive such as a Diseasle, with couplers on both ends will usually have a switch underneath the Locomotive to select which coupler is operated, and the Locomotive would have to be picked up and the switch moved to change which coupler is “Live”, only one coupler would be operable remotely at any given time. Most (if not all) of the PS-1 Steam Locomotives had only a coupler on the tender, so this wasn’t an issue with them.
If a PS-1 Locomotive does scramble it’s control chip, there is a descrambling chip available to reprogram the control chip. I have heard that it usually costs around $25-30.00,
Lee F.
I do agree to get the PS-2 when ever it is an available option, it is a BETTER system than PS-1. But if not available as a PS-2 item, or the price is right, especially if someone does not have, or plan on upgrading to DCS, then PS-1 are a good option, especially if the coupler operating sequence is not considered to be too inconvenient by the modeler.
It is a BCR (Battery Component Replacement) not BSR. A lot of people really like these, myself, I still use and prefer the original batteries. If the Locomotive gets run every couple of months, to recharge the battery, it is not an issue. The BCR needs a reported full minute to charge before running each session, which may not sound like much, but when I run trains, I don’t care to wait for the BCRs to charge up, and my battery equipped units have on occasion sat 2-3 months between runs without any issue. My PS-1 Locomotive that did scramble it’s control chip was bought used, no telling how long the battery was discharged.
Battery/BCR the choice is up to each modeler, each has it’s advantages, these are just MY OPINIONS on the subject, they both work.
Doug
I have the Rail King Zephyr with PS-1. Replaced the regular battery with a BCR and have not had problems. I have had some quality issues, though. The connector on one of the circuit boards at the end of a car came loose. I thought that was shabby, especially since I almost never disconnected the cars. It just failed just in normal use. I also found that an internal wiring harness failed. Again, it was without doing anything other than running the train. I like the look, and it runs fine now, but I am not pleased with the failure of the electronic parts. Cost me some coin to replace these failed pieces, especially because you have to buy an entire replacement truck, not just the circuit board. I see these sets come on auction from time to time.