P2K SW8 DCC w/sound ATSF?

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I was looking around on line and can’t seem to verify what paint scheme the two HO scale Life-Like Proto 2000 SW8 ATSF DCC w/sound locos will have. I see #650 on the Walthers site appears to be in the blue and yellow scheme. Will the other road number (651) also be in the blue and yellow? I was really hoping for the Zebra stripe scheme. Any news on these locos is appreciated, as with the new owner Walthers taking over Life Like it’s been hard finding definitive info online.

I would love to have a factory sound equipped Santa Fe switcher in the Zebra stripe scheme, as I model the Santa Fe in 1957. Any news out there, or any other possible Santa Fe switchers being made with both DCC and sound?

And I guess as a side question, I have an older P2K GP7 that I was thinking of converting to DCC and sound (likely a Soundtraxx DCC/Sound decoder). Any tips on such an installation? And I seem to recall I’ll have to change out the bulbs (14 volt I think). Any ideas where these can be obtained?

DCC and sound seem to be taking off all of a sudden in HO, as I’m eagerly awaiting the new Athearn sound equipped Santa Fe F3’s [:D]

2

There’s very little room inside P2K locomotives for a SoundTraxx decoder and speaker. The new sound-equipped models use a special frame.

3

All ATSF switchers were Zebra’s until after 1952 Were SW-8’s version of the SW-1 delivered in Zebra?

Decision’s on paint scheme’s is based on expectation’s of ‘How many will we sell’. Management people are paid their big buck’s for making right decision’s

We, on the other hand can hope for the best, or buy what’s available, when it’s available.

Or we can learn to paint.

4

Yes I see the tight space in my old P2K GP7. There is a plug n play sound decoder from SoundTraxx for the GP7, but it doesn’t come with a speaker. And I’m a bit confused if I could even fit one in there after opening her up today and seeing where I might place it. Not much room and where there is seems awfully small for a speaker, so the sound quality may not be the best. Too bad though as I love my GP7.

As for the Zebra scheme, it was applied to new units until 1959. The last being the RSD15’s and SD24s. So SW8’s would definitely be delivered in stripes unless they were delivered post 1959…seems very unlikely. They would however have definitely been repainted into the blue and yellow scheme, so I’m guessing this is what the new sound units will be based on…too bad, but I’m sure a later release will have zebra stripes, or even the BLI NW2 could one day have zebra stripes.