Exploring the Spectrum EM-1, 2-8-8-4

[J3a-614]

Been following this, and the engine is a beauty--but that cab overhang at the rear!  That's what we have to live with to get the engine around our model curves, though.  

Curious though, that the default whistle isn't the Baldwin "hooter" that the engines came with; wonder if that is on the sound module somewhere.  Sounds similar to the well-known N&W freight whistle worn by 1218, but not quite as harsh.

We have a similar if not identical whistle here, from a 1949-built C&O H-6 2-6-6-2, mounted on a former White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge 2-8-2 operating at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; the engine is decorated for Christmas with all sorts of lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWkh02ilF0E

Another night train at Dollywood, this one with a former N&W J (passenger) whistle; haven't had the time to watch the whole thing yet, but the best that I have seen so far is just after 7:00, specifically just after 7:30, in which the train is running at night, under a full moon, and the smoke becomes visible, and is lit up by the open firedoors as the fireman shovels in more coal.  Wonder how we would simulate that in HO scale?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZnpWgG0q8&feature=related

[richg]

Been following this, and the engine is a beauty--but that cab overhang at the rear!  That's what we have to live with to get the engine around our model curves, though.  

Curious though, that the default whistle isn't the Baldwin "hooter" that the engines came with; wonder if that is on the sound module somewhere.  Sounds similar to the well-known N&W freight whistle worn by 1218, but not quite as harsh.

We have a similar if not identical whistle here, from a 1949-built C&O H-6 2-6-6-2, mounted on a former White Pass & Yukon narrow-gauge 2-8-2 operating at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; the engine is decorated for Christmas with all sorts of lights.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWkh02ilF0E

Another night train at Dollywood, this one with a former N&W J (passenger) whistle; haven't had the time to watch the whole thing yet, but the best that I have seen so far is just after 7:00, specifically just after 7:30, in which the train is running at night, under a full moon, and the smoke becomes visible, and is lit up by the open firedoors as the fireman shovels in more coal.  Wonder how we would simulate that in HO scale?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=duZnpWgG0q8&feature=related

I wil post this on your message in case you have not seen this link here yet.

http://www.soundtraxx.com/factory/OEM%20pages/bachmann/bachmann_ho_em-1.pdf

This is from the SoundTraxx site for the Bachmann EM-1. The three whistles are listed.

Rich

[Doneldon]

Just an observation: This new loco has certainly generated a lot of activity on this web site.

[jonathan]

Doneldon.

Indeed it has.  There are couple of other forums that have been chatting up this locomotive as well.  For we B&O fans, this loco has been the Holy Grail.  The brass version is very rare, very expensive, very old, and needs tons of time and money to get running/looking good.

Update on my explorations: 
I finally got to break in #7600 this morning.  I was having derailment issues on one 24"R curve.  The problem was the draw bar.  It was bent in such a way, that the draw bar would pick up the tender on a curve.  I reshaped the draw bar, so that it rests about 1/3 of the way down the king pin when traveling straight.  The bar does ride up a bit on curves, but now does not effect tracking.

So, #7600 now runs just as nicely as #7627.  My sound units has arrived, but I still owe a few bucks on my layaway.  Hopefully, I'll have the units installed by the February train show in Timonium.

Regards,

Jonathan

[richg]

Just an observation: This new loco has certainly generated a lot of activity on this web site.

I am only watching this forum and another but yours is the best of the two so far with all the photos you include.

Rich

[richg]

Any photos of the sound module install?

Rich

[richg]

Below is a link comparing the Bachmann EM-1 to a brass version.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150398991581606.356764.131344576605&type=3

Rich

[thomas81z]

i know im necroposting but this is valuable info for us guys that got an EM-1 for christmas 

[GN.2-6-8-0]

As said just wish it had a hooter.

http://youtu.be/mKW73ogzVaY

[thomas81z]

 im going with tsu-1000 heavy steam decoder 

[jonathan]

The Tsunami is a nice option.  It will give you the hooter.  Can't remember what it's called in the whistle CVs; "C&O 8" something or other.

I stuck with the original PCB and sound module because I switch from DC (home) to DCC (club) on a regular basis.  The dual mode option is the greatest thing since sliced bread for my needs.

Be very careful with the lighting.  Trace the wires and make sure there are 1K ohm resistors somewhere.  I'm not sure if the resistors are built into the stock PCB or not.

On a side note, I've been running my EM-1s for over a year now.  There was a little tweaking up front.  An ounce of prevention if you will... Have not had a lick of trouble in all that time.  To keep the wear and tear to a minimum,  I doublehead the locomotives, if I'm going to run more than a twenty-car train.

Regards,

Jonathan

[thomas81z]

johathan, thank you so much for the advice here & the prompt reply to the private message 

[railandsail]

....So, #7600 now runs just as nicely as #7627.  My sound units has arrived, but I still owe a few bucks on my layaway.  Hopefully, I'll have the units installed by the February train show in Timonium.
Jonathan

Just found and read thru this subject thread,...very entertaining.

Do you still live in the area of the Timonium show? Will you be there this Feb??

[railandsail]

This is great stuff Jonathan. I hope people here are downloading the photos as I am sure with time, this thread will be buried. Bachmann has changed the website in the past and it could happen again.

I am actually saving each page to my PC as a HTML so if the site ever goes away, I have everything. That is a trick many users are not aware of for Internet sites.
I belong to a bunch of forums but not seeing anything like this yet.
Rich

Quick question Rich, is that save as an 'HTML only' or 'HTML complete'. I'm still learning this computer language even after 9 years of forum participation. I guess I am old school that thinks I have to save things in 'favorites', or make a print out of a page or so to remind me to return to a discussion.

[richg]

This is great stuff Jonathan. I hope people here are downloading the photos as I am sure with time, this thread will be buried. Bachmann has changed the website in the past and it could happen again.

I am actually saving each page to my PC as a HTML so if the site ever goes away, I have everything. That is a trick many users are not aware of for Internet sites.
I belong to a bunch of forums but not seeing anything like this yet.
Rich

Quick question Rich, is that save as an 'HTML only' or 'HTML complete'. I'm still learning this computer language even after 9 years of forum participation. I guess I am old school that thinks I have to save things in 'favorites', or make a print out of a page or so to remind me to return to a discussion.

I use Firefox web browser. Upper left of the web browser is File, I have one option, Save Page As.
I click and the PC says Save As,

Bachmann Trains Online - Ask Bachman.html

and I have to select a folder. I have my PC with a Trains folder and many sub folders or just make a new folder.
I can then put a new label if I so choose and usually do. That way if the person goes away or the Bachmann site changes its format, I still have the original page.
Some guys have gone away and I still have their site data.
You can also save a URL or web address to Favorites. Just go into Favorites and label the URL so it is easier to find.
Here is another thing, with Favorites open, Export the Favorites to a flash drive. If your PC dies and Windows is known to die, you still have all your Favorites. I have known people that happened to.
Failure in not an Option, it comes bundled with Windows.
Make a folder in your PC and use both methods to save. Compare the results.

Rich