Hello everyone, I found two steamers fo my old time passenger service. One is a P2K O6O with sound from walthers for 229.95. The other is a Roundhouse 44O from my LHS for 200.00. Which would be the better quality and reliability not so muich the price. Thanks Dave
I wasn’t very happy with my Roundhouse 4-4-0. I felt it ran erratically, the sound was too loud and I couldn’t turn it down (even setting all the CV’s at minimum). I have corresponded with others who improved the performance by removing the Roundhouse decoder and replacing it with a mini-Tsunami.
YMMV
Dave H.
I’d go for the P2k 0-6-0. I’ve got one, and it’s a great little engine. It may be a good idea to install the traction tires, as pulling power is its one drawback. I can run it around on the flats with a few cars, but it can’t do hills with even a car or two, and it has trouble with a half-dozen cars, even on the flats. Admittedly, these are old cars with plastic wheels, and the axles bearing probably leave something to be desired, too. The traction tires came with mine. With power pickup from the engine and tender, losing a couple of pickups to the tires should not be a problem.
The sound is great, and I love the detail level on this engine.
I would go with the Proto…but try to get one without sound and install a tsunami!
David B
Old time passenger service or not an 0-6-0 ain’t a passenger locomotive and, although a 4-4-0 is, unless MDC has done some remodeling of their Roundhouse HO Scale steam locomotive kits of which I am unaware this beast has very low gearing and an open-frame motor which whines like an Onion Specific Gas Turbine.
A better bet would be for you to get a Bowser “Casey Jones” 4-6-0; Bowser has, apparently, ceased production of their die-cast locomotive line but, since this is a very recent development, this particular model locomotive is, most likely, readily available.
Bowsers web address is: www.bowser-trains.com .
The 4-4-0 has a new boiler with new domes and running boards and a better motor. the mechanism is quiet when it runs. As far as I can tell the decoder is really sensitive. I may try replacing the decoder in mine with another until I can save up to put a good sound decoder in.
Dave H.
I agree that if you want protype you should opt for a passenger engine and not a switcher. I had a roundhouse 4-4-0 and was not happy with it. The usual, eratic behavior, extremely loud to say the least. An expensive lesson learned. I should have learned my lesson when I purchased the Athearn 2-8-2 Genesis - the one Athearn (now Roundhouse too) doesnt admit existed.
I would suggest you check out the Spectrum 4-4-0 or the 4-6-0 engines, add a premium sound decoder and you will have a most impressive passenger engine for those cars.
Ditto on using a switcher for passenger service. Try the Bacnmann Spectrum series, perhaps a 2-6-0. Adding your own sound is also the best idea, you can get what you want, when you can afford it and have time to put it in.
Tilden
A Pacific locomotive would be a better choice for passenger service. 0-6-0’s were used in yards as a switcher for many years until freight cars became heavier, then the 0-8-0 became the switcher of choice for many roads.
Pacifics were used on many railroads across the country and in Canada for Passenger service, and a few ddi double duty hauling freight also when things got real busy.
The 2-6-0 Spec. is a good looker but a bad puller. Also if you get the one with the low tender,You will have a job getting the decoder & speaker in it.
How about the Spectrum Modern 4-4-0 or 4-6-0?