I have been looking at these Loco’s from SCALETRAINS.COM/ They look just killer. The detail is really top shelve. But how to they run. I just got a Kato sd40 and it is by far the best running loco I have ever use. Smooth and quiet. Are the Scaletrains in the same league. Thanks for your opion.
I don’t have a horse in this race but I have watched several video reviews from this gentleman and he seems to be fairly thorough:
Personally, I wouldn’t hesitate to buy any ScaleTrains products, they simply have not offered anything that I can use for my era.
Good Luck, Ed
Got mine today two NS units and they run great but the ditch lights front and back don’t work that is the only problem i have with them.
F6 will turn them on and off. Once they’re on, they will flash automatically when you sound the horn.
I have the museum quality Big Blow turbine, and it is A1 awesome as they promoted. And I have a lot of engines, BLI/Life Like/Brass etc and I have worked on improving/fixing the brass I got. A1. I hope Scale trains go far and above and keep going.
I have heard nothing but good things about scaletrains.com. I am about to place an order to see for myself on their tier4 gevo. I just can’t decide between getting the rivet counter with sound or two of their operator line models
Thanks guys for your help. I saw that youtube review if you can call it that. He never really say how they perform compared to others are the good and bad like all engines have, I will try one.
Thinks but mine are no sound DC.
Rivet Counter or Operator?
Only the Rivet counter ones have ditchlights…
According to the Scaletrains operating instructions for the SD40-2, the ditch lights will flash when the horn is blown. If you can’t blow the horn. then I’d guess that the ditch lights don’t function.
I have 2. They run like any other engine. They have good pulling power. The same could be said about Atlas, Bachmann, etc…
Wizard to say they run like any other engine is not good. Their is quite a bit difference in brands and how they run. Bachman being the worst most times. I never even seen 2 engines of the same brand run the same. But thanks I guess for your reply.
If my Athearn,Atlas,Kato and others have working ditch lights on DC why not Scale Trains.
Now how the heck should I know that? I was just speculating based on my reading of the Scaletrains information manual, which states that on DC the headlight is direction dependent, and that the class lights will come on in white only. Says nothing about the ditch lights other than they will flash when the horn is blown. Can you make the horn blow with DC, and what do the ditchlights do then? Or on the models you mention are the ditchlights on constantly?
If I had a question of this nature I’d be calling Scaletrains and asking them.
I met them at a train show. The product looked great but I was not able to test it out.
Did just that and it has to have a decoder.
With respect, I disagree 100%. When I put a bachmann engine on the track, it runs just as well as a Rapido or an AHM (remember them?). That is to say, I apply power (via a DCC command) and it starts to move. Every manufacturer runs smoothly at above 5 scale MPH, and the lights light up and the speaker makes noises.
Truth be told, the only engines that have disappointed me in the past 10 years are from MTH, as they require a higher track voltage and that leads to lower top speeds – e.g. my H10s topped out at under 64 speed steps.
While I vastly prefer ScaleTrain.com and Rapido over Bachmann due to fidelity of detail, to somehow imply that my Bachmann FM16-44 is less enjoyable to run than my Rapido F40’s is incorrect. In fact, given the non-rolling nature of my Amfleets, you could argue that the Bachmann is more enjoyable to run.
So regarding ScaleTrains.com’ SD40-2’s, they’re good engines. They run well, just as well as any other engine, and they have details and features that truely raise the bar for the industry.
But the bar has been set to “good enough” since the demise of rubber band drives and pancake motors, and more recently, LED lights. I guess that’s the reason I’m always disappointed by Athearn…
TheWizard,
Um, no. There’s no way that a Bachmann H16-44 runs as well as a Rapido or ScaleTrains loco. I have a Bachmann H16-44. I also have a pair of Bachmann EF-4’s (E-33’s) and a few Bachmann 44tonners around, not to mention experience with their F40PH’s and F7A’s. All of these Bachmanns are loud, growly engines. These Bachmanns don’t run smoothly at any speed. If they’re growling, they aren’t smooth.
At my club, we test every loco on a spring scale for drawbar pull as part of registration (up to 1850 locos now). The soundless six-axle Bachmann EF-4 (E-33) is a large loco, yet they pull less than the smaller & sound equipped Rapido FL9 by half an ounce (3.25oz to 2.75oz). Why? Because the Bachmann drive is wasting a lot of power through vibration, which causes noise.
Compared to an AHM pancake motor, sure, Bachmann drives are good, but that is setting the bar pretty low.
Wizard thanks for your help but your wrong. byby
Paul,
I think you partially understand me, but maybe I wasn’t being completely clear.
I have low expectations. Does it run? Do the lights work? Do its wheels roll? Can it stay on the track around a curve?
These are my expectations for two main reasons:
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Because I’ve been burned by all of those issues before – the best looking quietest most detailed steam engine is useless if it can’t stay on the track due to a bent axel. And don’t get me started on the Walthers Amsleds…
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Because once I get 5+ feet away, I’m not going to hear motor noise or see their superb detailing anyway.
So from these expectations, trains that I can happily run include everything from the ScaleTrains.com SD40-2 to AHM, and most everything in between.