Is the new Arnold U25C the best N scale engine ever?

[Kisatchie]

All this talk and no photos 

Hmm... it's like it never
happened...

[Philip H]

I'm not sure why everyone gets so bent over wipers like these. If the thing runs - and initial reports indicate it does - then buy son neolube and darken them. Sometimes companies go "old school" because it works.

[Leggy]

I've probably been daft/lazy and missed this or forgotten but what decoder fits in these?

[C855B]

6-pin plug-in.

http://www.hornbyamerica.com/news/arnold-n-scale-u25c

[lock4244]

Bring on the Phase I U28C in 2015, lol.

[Leggy]

Thanks Mike.

[bbussey]

The Conrail blue is a faded blue, but not so much that it doesn't fit in with the fleet.

The coupler is impressive. There still is a spring, in front of the pivot post, but there appear to be no centering nubs. Haven't cracked it open to confirm. The trip pin also has a smaller diameter than the MTL version. Automated uncoupling functionality works flawlessly. A very nice improvement over the current MTL #1015.

[peteski]

I'm not sure why everyone gets so bent over wipers like these. If the thing runs - and initial reports indicate it does - then buy son neolube and darken them. Sometimes companies go "old school" because it works.

I don't think anybody is getting bent - just a regular forum discussion.

Why not old-school? Sure it works, but much better (simpler and cheaper too) ways to do things have been invented and are in general use.

For example, how many newly manufactured cars do you see still using carburetors?  Carburetor is old school and it works just fine. But better and more efficient ways have been invented to create a combustible fuel mixture.

So, why use old fashion wipers on the backs of the wheels (and relatively high-friction inside axle bearings) when there is a new method generally used by other manufacturers. Not only the needle-point axle bearings create much less friction, they are also good electrical pickups, and they last longer and stay cleaner than the wheel-back wipers.  Are those good enough reasons for us to discuss the seemingly backwards design of this loco?

[Mark5]

Sure, my old Mehano wiper pickup locos ran fine out of the box.

Question is, how will they function after hours of use? Time will tell.


Re: carbs, they work, but are much more finnicky than any decent fuel injection system.

[bbussey]

All this talk and no photos 

... The coupler is impressive. There still is a spring, in front of the pivot post, but there appear to be no centering nubs. Haven't cracked it open to confirm. The trip pin also has a smaller diameter than the MTL version. Automated uncoupling functionality works flawlessly. A very nice improvement over the current MTL #1015.

Coupler comparison pic.  MTL N 1015, Arnold, MTL Z 905.



Underside of the Arnold coupler.  Small coupler, even smaller coupler box.

[C855B]

Oo. Nice. I have a bunch of 905s on the bench waiting for the round tuit, but if this happy middle works out to be reliable, I'd jump behind it in a second. The tiny couple box is outstanding.

[Puddington]

I look forward to seeing this locomotive in person and hope that Arnold has truly hit a home run; we can always use another great supplier. The picture of the couplers Bryan posted does, however, illustrate my long standing, well known and somewhat singular stance against diamond tread.... the picture shows how oversized it looks (and for the record, Arnold looks to have done a good job so I'm not slagging them) when compared other details. Real diamond tread is just too fine to be accurately represented and thus people accept oversized attempts (yet they get nutso about 2 scale inches of darn near impossible to see excess hood width...)

I lobbied to remove it from our soon to be arriving GMD-1 and lost that fight - I still stand behind the idea that no tread looks better then what we are able to commercially accomplish.... and I accept I am almost alone in that stance. 

Cudo's to Arnold for a nice entry into the market.

[garethashenden]

I look forward to seeing this locomotive in person and hope that Arnold has truly hit a home run; we can always use another great supplier. The picture of the couplers Bryan posted does, however, illustrate my long standing, well known and somewhat singular stance against diamond tread.... the picture shows how oversized it looks (and for the record, Arnold looks to have done a good job so I'm not slagging them) when compared other details. Real diamond tread is just too fine to be accurately represented and thus people accept oversized attempts (yet they get nutso about 2 scale inches of darn near impossible to see excess hood width...)

I lobbied to remove it from our soon to be arriving GMD-1 and lost that fight - I still stand behind the idea that no tread looks better then what we are able to commercially accomplish.... and I accept I am almost alone in that stance. 

Cudo's to Arnold for a nice entry into the market.

I agree with you and would extend it to include trackplates and spikes, but that's an argument for another day.

[bbussey]

One thing of note — you can see in the pics that there is no RDA on the "fingertips" of the Arnold knuckle, so the jury is still out on how it holds up under heavy load.  There is, however, far less "slop" between the coupler arm and the coupler box inner faces, so it may be impossible for two coupler heads to ride over each other because there may not be enough play in the box for it to happen.  Surprisingly, the MTL #905 also appears to not have RDA.

Or course, it's easily solved with a jewelers file or a X-Acto blade should it be an issue.

[Mark5]

The coupler sounds like a winner - I hope they make them available separately.