Getting All "Snooty" About It

[Missaberoad]

Though lacking in details, Kato still makes the finest 6-axle mechanism in n scale.

And at 120 Canadian Kopeks they are quite the bargoon!

[peteski]

Though lacking in details, Kato still makes the finest 6-axle mechanism in n scale.

Preach it brother! Finest and best overall quality.

[Rossford Yard]

I agree on Kato running great.  I still regularly use two I have converted to IHB SD-38-2.  They are throttle sensitive enough that I have to use 120 speed steps.  No sound, but they still really creep for switching and getting up those hills.

That said, my Scale Trains with sound locos of all types are the best running sound locos, and nearly tied overall with Kato.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

I agree on Kato running great.  I still regularly use two I have converted to IHB SD-38-2.  They are throttle sensitive enough that I have to use 120 speed steps.  No sound, but they still really creep for switching and getting up those hills.

That said, my Scale Trains with sound locos of all types are the best running sound locos, and nearly tied overall with Kato.

From my tests so far, BLI with Loksound is the best sounding SD40-2. The IM is a bit behind that and the ST model sounds a bit flat and tinny compared. BLI and ST run about the same, which makes me think it is the BLI electronics that really hold back the models. I really wish they would just go E24 for everything and offer the decoders separately for those that want it.

[peteski]

From my tests so far, BLI with Loksound is the best sounding SD40-2. The IM is a bit behind that and the ST model sounds a bit flat and tinny compared. BLI and ST run about the same, which makes me think it is the BLI electronics that really hold back the models. I really wish they would just go E24 for everything and offer the decoders separately for those that want it.

BLI have finally listened and they do now offer the "Stealth" versions of their locomotives with Next18 connector so any decoder can be installed in those.  Also, lets' not forget that the speaker and its enclosure play a large role in sound quality.

[wmcbride]

From my tests so far, BLI with Loksound is the best sounding SD40-2. The IM is a bit behind that and the ST model sounds a bit flat and tinny compared. BLI and ST run about the same, which makes me think it is the BLI electronics that really hold back the models. I really wish they would just go E24 for everything and offer the decoders separately for those that want it.

Unfortunately, Scale Trains still does not understand the concept of a properly enclosed speaker to provide vibrant sound...

[tehachapifan]

Unfortunately, Scale Trains still does not understand the concept of a properly enclosed speaker to provide vibrant sound...

It looks (sounds) like Atlas may have figured out the value of a proper enclosure with their n scale SD45's. I just installed an ESU decoder in mine and the sound quality is amazing. Meanwhile, My ST SD40T-2's sound quality is nowhere near as robust.

[wmcbride]

It looks (sounds) like Atlas may have figured out the value of a proper enclosure with their n scale SD45's. I just installed an ESU decoder in mine and the sound quality is amazing. Meanwhile, My ST SD40T-2's sound quality is nowhere near as robust.

My Atlas Silver SD35s from a few years ago, with the speakers in the fuel tank, provided excellent sound (once I added a LokSound decoder ).

Scale Trains has not figured out the physics of speaker enclosures.

Their more recent offerings are a bit better but they still put holes in the bottom of the fuel tank to "let the sound out" which is not the thing to do. I have spent a lot of time building speaker enclosures (and others have designed 3D-printed, drop-in, enclosures to fit ST engines). On their earlier N engines (not the turbine), this required a bit of finesse as the fuel tank internals were not "clean" volumes into which one could fit a rectangular speaker box.

[lock4244]

And at 120 Canadian Kopeks they are quite the bargoon!

If Scale Trains ever does a GMD SD40 I'm in trouble.

[lock4244]

Preach it brother! Finest and best overall quality.

And quiet, too. The ST locomotives have a very noticeable electric buzz from the motor, more than any other quality locomotive I've owned. I don't do the sound thing, so maybe it's more pronounced, but it's very noticeable. I am running DC using a Kato power pack. Maybe once I convert to DCC the noise will attenuate? These things are way past my pay grade.

[tehachapifan]

My Atlas Silver SD35s from a few years ago, with the speakers in the fuel tank, provided excellent sound (once I added a LokSound decoder ).

Scale Trains has not figured out the physics of speaker enclosures.

Their more recent offerings are a bit better but they still put holes in the bottom of the fuel tank to "let the sound out" which is not the thing to do. I have spent a lot of time building speaker enclosures (and others have designed 3D-printed, drop-in, enclosures to fit ST engines). On their earlier N engines (not the turbine), this required a bit of finesse as the fuel tank internals were not "clean" volumes into which one could fit a rectangular speaker box.

That fact that manufacturers still don't understand the need for (proper) speaker enclosures and no need for sound egress holes is quite frustrating to me! How is it that they are still not grasping these (rather basic) concepts?? Meanwhile, I and a few others here have been knocking it out of the park for years with custom installs and scratch-built speaker enclosures.

[wmcbride]

That fact that manufacturers still don't understand the need for (proper) speaker enclosures and no need for sound egress holes is quite frustrating to me! How is it that they are still not grasping these (rather basic) concepts?? Meanwhile, I and a few others here have been knocking it out of the park for years with custom installs and scratch-built speaker enclosures.

The two manufacturers who have provided excellent sound, via good speaker enclosures, are Atlas and Rapido. I wasn't sure what I would get from my first-run Rapido Dash 8-40CM but they were great!