First taste of MTL SW1500

[Dave Schneider]

Okayyyyy.....It would be good to have a working headlight. I am confused. The decoder info lists light control capabilities.  Is it typical to have to add all your own LEDs to detectors like these?

Best wishes, Dave

[ljudice]

Okayyyyy.....It would be good to have a working headlight. I am confused. The decoder info lists light control capabilities.  Is it typical to have to add all your own LEDs to detectors like these?

Best wishes, Dave

It looks to me, and this is merely a casual observation, that this might not be the world's most well-thought out locomotive project.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Um... there is a surface mount LED on the decoder. That is the little white thing where the LED would be. There also appears to be solder pads for a backup (cab) light on the right hand side of the decoder.

[coosvalley]

This is why the hood is about 6" too wide.

Where has this been said?...I just re-read this whole thread, and I didnt see any confirmation of this until now???..I don't doubt it, but seeing as how we can't seem to get a pic of an off the shelf model.....

[daniel_leavitt2000]

SW1200 hood width - .04" = 6 scale inches too wide.

MTL could have done new side frames that use the LL mechanics and get a scale width hood, but it may have been too expensive to be practical. I will get the Conrail version, but I won't stop making my own SW1500s from the Atlas MP15 and milled Kato SW1200 drives.

[Rich_S]

Um... there is a surface mount LED on the decoder. That is the little white thing where the LED would be. There also appears to be solder pads for a backup (cab) light on the right hand side of the decoder.

I agree with Daniel, it appears the amber object near the front center of the decoder is a LED for the front headlight.

[Scott Lupia]

Ok I am perplexed now.  If the two SW1500's that I saw at the hobby store without working headlights just need the LED aimed differently, how does this drop in decoder from digitrax work with its headlight.  The boards are roughly the same size and sit in the same place.  I would assume the LED's are in the same place on both boards.  So if the MTL LED needs to be modified, will the Digitrax LED need to be modified as well? 

As far as the hood width, it is noticeable.  The proportions are just a little off on the engine.  Most people probably wouldn't think much of it but some would.  I noticed it but then again, I run these things for a living.

Scott Lupia

[Mike C]

Got a link? I couldn't find the picture.



Hmm... insert weakest
link joke here...

Um would that be "missing " link.......

[peteski]

Does anyone know if Dixitrax decoders play nice with ESU and NCE systems? I remember hearing that there were some issues.

You might be thinking of the now ancient early run of DZ121. There was a problem with these not working right with Lenz and CVP EasyDCC.  Digitrax offered a decoder exchange and later runs had no problems. That brings me to a gripe about Digitrax, but that is a story for another thread.

-BTW, there already is a lengthy TRW thread about this model (with plenty of pre-production photos and bashing too).

[Kisatchie]

Um would that be "missing " link.......

Uhm, Dee isn't too bright.



Hmm... I heard that...

[Dave Schneider]

I agree with Daniel, it appears the amber object near the front center of the decoder is a LED for the front headlight.

Thanks for clearing that up. I wasn't sure and it seemed odd.

Best wishes, Dave

[Ian MacMillan]

Must refrain from saying something.
Must refrain from saying something.
Must refrain from saying something.

+1

[Bob Bufkin]

Would like to get a Reading one but with no roller bearing trucks it's a no buy for me.

[basementcalling]

Back in our day, locomotive trucks were part of the project.



But back in our day, we waited until the product was in hand or in a store to see before making blanket criticisms.
Maybe it will have working headlights. Maybe it won't.

Last I checked, I am a few scale inches too wide myself.   

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Hahaha

This thread is killing me.