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

[central.vermont]

Mark,

Any chance of seeing a straight on pilot shot. Been wanting to see the details everyone is talking about on it.
Many thanks for getting some shots of the guts!!

Jon

[spookshow]

Sorry, couldn't really capture the details adequately with a straight-on shot. How's this?



Cheers,
-Mark

[nkalanaga]

The trucks should be a fairly bright metallic silver (aluminum) on a new unit.  After running a while most of the NP units I remember, or can find pictures of, looked more like the spray paint colors "dull", "old", or "cast" aluminum, a flat, but clearly metallic, gray.  The pictures here don't have that "flat metallic" look.  On the other hand, if the sideframes are that easy to take off, painting and weathering them to suit won't be a problem, and one can get exactly the look one wants.

[central.vermont]

Wow, that has some nice detail on the pilot!!
Thanks for the shot Mark.

Jon

[Chulvis]

A few more pictures...

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Those really ARE nice.

Ok, I think a CR one just got on the birthday list...

[Spikre]

 
  back to page 5:
    the Atlas U25b looks close to a number of units vieved here recently.
   the Arnold gray is too lite for pre 74 L&N gray.
   L&N Gray and EL Gray seem close to the newly delivered C&S U30C pic
   seen in the Diesel Era U30C article.
   other Q U28Bs,U30Bs,GP35s seem to vary from lighter than the U30Cs
   to darker if possibley heated up by the engines ?
    according to Tony Cook's RMC HO U25C review Arnold knows they hosed
  the Gray and will correct that on the U28Cs when they arrive.
   some pictures of Q Blackbird GP9s look to be the same Gray used on Redbirds.
   could be the time of day,time of year,or the film used for such a wide range
  of Gray shading ?
         Spikre
         

[u18b]

Nice write-up Spookshow.

http://www.spookshow.net/loco/arnoldu25c.html

A few observations.

1.  That motor looks just like the motors that Atlas uses in its scale speed locos.  I wonder if they are the same.

2.  I want to go on record as really disliking the european 6 pin plugged decoder.   I guess it will be perfect for this loco since I doubt any U25Cs had ditchlights, but I think it is a step backward when it comes to something modern (like the Fox Gevos).  Why can't they simply invent an 8 pin mini plug (or however many you need) for ditchlights?).   Like I said, this is probably not an issue with this loco.   For this old loco, it is probably the perfect decoder.

3.  I would be curious to see how the trucks interface with the chassis.  It is kind of covered up by the frame.  I'm guessing that it uses  the interface Roco, Samhongsa, and Overland tend to use.  But from the parts diagram, I don't see a central screw that holds it to the frame for pivoting.

4.  One thing that is VERY noteworthy in my mind is the level of loco specific details.  Look at good photos of all of them.

http://www.nscalesupply.com/ARN/ARN.html     (link is for illustration purposes only- buy where ever you like).

Notice there are three different horns.
Three different horn placements.
Firecracker antenna- with two different placements.
Conrail equipment box.
Three different noses with two different nose lights.
Three different plow/pilot configurations.

I don't recall seeing that level of road specific detail in a non-brass loco before.

EDIT:  On further reflection,  Fox has been doing a good job in this direction with all of their different shell and cab variations.

[C855B]

...
You have to remove the couplers (and risk having them fall apart) to get the shell off, which I find somewhat annoying.

And it appears the shell has to be fully removed to get to the decoder plug. Annoying, yes, but can it be that much worse than the Athearn F/FP45? I chase parts every time I've done one of those, too.

I guess I'll find out soon enough. My U25C arrived a few minutes ago, so I'll swipe a decoder from the bench originally set-aside for the GP60s and see how it goes.

[bbussey]

@spookshow - Mark, based on your model review, you've had the couplers disassembled.  Are there centering nubs on the two coupler halves as with the MTL couplers, or did they devise something new so that these couplers can be retrofitted into any knuckle-coupler box (Such as the Bachmann version)?

[spookshow]

@spookshow - Mark, based on your model review, you've had the couplers disassembled.  Are there centering nubs on the two coupler halves as with the MTL couplers, or did they devise something new so that these couplers can be retrofitted into any knuckle-coupler box (Such as the Bachmann version)?

I'm not sure what you mean by centering nubs. Can you show me a picture of an MTL that illustrates what you're talking about?

Thanks,
-Mark

[crrcoal]

Ed-when did Conrail retire these units? Or were they absorbed and used by CSX/NS?

Those really ARE nice.

Ok, I think a CR one just got on the birthday list...

[u18b]

The little "nubs" in a MT coupler don't really center it, do they.  The spring does that.

Instead, I always thought they:
1. reduced compression.
2.  Provide a swing terminus (limiter).

[spookshow]

Ron, the trucks are held to the chassis by plastic push-studs inside of the truck body (pushing up through the collared hole pictured below and into holes in the chassis) -



Cheers,
-Mark

[JSL]

This solves the problem

 DZ146IN 1 Amp Series 6 NEM 651 Plug Decoder with 4 Functions that fits Many N & HO Locomotives!