Good Idea or No?

[CNE Runner]

Good point Bob...good point. As usual, I will take out my prayer rug and bow, deeply, to the west.

Ray

[Yampa Bob]

Naw, you have to look up. Remember I'm at 7,000 feet elevation. 

For those who like to throw lumps of coal at me, they better have a pretty strong arm.  As "Obi-Wan" said, "I have the high ground".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obi-Wan_Kenobi

Which brings up an interesting question. Are there any modelers who live at a higher elevation?   

Regards,
"Obi-Wan"

[OkieRick]

"Higher" as in mentally or physically?   


I found one of these cute little switchers in SF yellow and blue at Hobby Lobby in the Clearance bin - cost $15 but it isn't DCC.


Okie Rick

[Conrail Quality]

While the concerns about DCC are valid, personally, at that price, I don't think you need to worry it too much. It's inexpensive enough that you could simply set it aside if you ever want to use DCC. Or, with a Dremel and some skill, you could try to fit a decoder into it yourself.

As for the coupler question, it(the HO version) comes with EZ-mate knuckle couplers. The website messed up and showed a picture of the N-scale version, which is equipped with Rapido couplers*.

Timothy

*Once again, I must complain about how slowly Bachmann is proceeding with converting to knuckle couplers in N-scale. It's been nearly a decade since Atlas and Kato did it, why can't you?

[Cody J]

Thanks everyone for your comments

Cody

[boomertom]

Bob

I all ways look up at you -6,988 feet above.

The little Plymouth would noy be an easy decoder install, and as for

sound. where would you put a speaker ?

Yet, there are still many model rails who prefer analog operations.

BoomerTom

[jward]

A couple of comments on the above posts:

To keep things in perspective, both the Plymouth and the 44ton are industrial locomotives. The real ones weren't designed for moving more than a couple of cars at a time. Locomotives like these are what Trackmobiles are designed to replace. By all accounts, the models outpull the real ones.....

As for sound decoders, does anybody even know what a Plymouth sounds like? I have been railfanning for 40 years and i don't recall ever seeing one in action. The only Plymouths I've seen are stuffed and mounted as displays......

You should be able to install a regular decoder in it. After all they DO make Z scale decoders which are VERY tiny.....

[pdlethbridge]

Bob, I have a good supply of coal to throw at you. I'm beginning to not like your altitude.

[Yampa Bob]

Would you like to come up here and give me an altitude adjustment?        

While you're at it, you can take back 3 feet of snow.

[pdlethbridge]

no Bob, you can keep your snew

[CNE Runner]

Jward - I have a question for you. You mention that they make decoders for Z-scale...something I didn't know (then again I model in HO because my 64-year old eyes can't see N - let alone Z). Does Z-gauge run on the same power requirements as HO? In other words, would a Z-gauge decoder run on an HO DCC system or would there be too much power. If Z decoders will work then just maybe some of the old time American 4-4-0s could be converted to DCC.

Regarding the sound a Plymouth/Porter makes: If no one has heard them in a long time, then no one would know if the sound was a little off. It would be neat to see a Plymouth, Porter or Whitworth running through an industrial (HO) yard...very unique engines to say the least. There is an add-on to Microsoft Train Simulator called The Sweethaven Harbor that uses a Whitworth (I think). As one engages the simulation, the sound is very convincing...then again I have never heard the real thing either.

Ray

[jward]

CNE:
yes the z scale decoders will work for HO locomotives.
http://www.digitrax.com/decsel.php
notice, that the digitrax recommends a Z scale decoder for use in an Atlas HO AEM7......I don't know about other manufacturers, but the digitrax decoders have a high enough power rating to handle most HO locomotives.
So in theory, ANY HO locomotive regardless of size, could be equipped with DCC. That said, some of the older brass locos might draw too much current. Some of the motors used in the 1960s and 1970s were power hogs.

The best sound i have heard in MSTS is the GP38-2. I got to run a real one once. On MSTS, put the GP38-2 in full throttle and it is a truly realistic experience.

I do know some of the sound decoders are off quite a bit for the locomotives they are marketed for. Take the MRC decoder for an Alco S2/S4 for example. The manufacturer admits it is a @$$ engine block, and i have to admit it sounds pretty good FOR AN RS3.....The S2/4 however used an entirely different engine with an odd whistling chug to it. If somebody would release the proper sound decoder for one, i might bite.....