Model Power/MRC steam!

[Joetrain59]

Got shipping notice today from BLW, for DCC B&M Mogul. Mit sound;)
 Joe D

[daniel_leavitt2000]

After getting the 4-4-0 for $75, in finding it really hard to justify the $200+ price.

[Nato]

                  Yes the price is high, but we must remember all the work to fit the technology into these small locomotives. My Union Pacific 2-6-0 and SP 4-4-0 are also on the way from BLW. Based on my experience with their sound equipped Mikado and Pacific locomotives these should be very interesting and has been pointed yes expensive. Nate Goodman (Nato). 

[Joetrain59]

Started getting my current layout up and running, after moving into home. Want to hear what these sound like.
 Joe D

[peteski]

                  Yes the price is high, but we must remember all the work to fit the technology into these small locomotives. My Union Pacific 2-6-0 and SP 4-4-0 are also on the way from BLW. Based on my experience with their sound equipped Mikado and Pacific locomotives these should be very interesting and has been pointed yes expensive. Nate Goodman (Nato). 

There enough of space in the tender for a sound decoder. Even Digitrax makes sound decoder small enough to fit in there.  Even the original Model Power release was DCC-ready (had all all the needed wires routed through a hollow drawbar to the tender), so there wasn't that much work involved to put a decoder in there. IMO, like with the current totally-crazy-high Bachmann pricing, the MSRP of this model doesn't have much to do with the money spent on its retrofits.  But it might however be related to Chinese labor wanting better wages.

[Dave V]

It takes a lot of work to make one of these look even close to a PRR D16sb, but boy...given my memories of riding behind PRR #1223 on the Strasburg RR...it's very tempting!

[daniel_leavitt2000]

There enough of space in the tender for a sound decoder. Even Digitrax makes sound decoder small enough to fit in there.  Even the original Model Power release was DCC-ready (had all all the needed wires routed through a hollow drawbar to the tender), so there wasn't that much work involved to put a decoder in there. IMO, like with the current totally-crazy-high Bachmann pricing, the MSRP of this model doesn't have much to do with the money spent on its retrofits.  But it might however be related to Chinese labor wanting better wages.

Are these Chinese now? The last run was Ajin from SK.

[peteski]

Are these Chinese now? The last run was Ajin from SK.

I don't know - I mentioned "Chinese" out of a habit (since that is where majority of models seem to be manufactured). 

[Joetrain59]

Got mine today. Runs very nice and smooth, on DC right out of the box. No jewel case. Headlight is brighter than before. Have to find my other MP Moguls to compare details, etc. Rear knuckle coupler has a somewhat long shank. Pete, I'll see if it says where it was made. Was it just the MP 4-4-0 that was Ajin, with the recall of first batch?
 Joe D

[eric220]

It takes a lot of work to make one of these look even close to a PRR D16sb, but boy...given my memories of riding behind PRR #1223 on the Strasburg RR...it's very tempting!

Mine landed today. I'd actually argue your point there. It looks close. The general proportions and feel are practically spot-on. Yes, the dome and bell arrangement are a bit off and there's no belpaire firebox, but otherwise it's very, very similar. It's about as close as the Athearn cars are to the actual Strasburg cars, so I'm calling it good enough and running it happily.

That said, the sound is everything I'd expect from MRC. The sound is so tinny that the whistle sounds like a blowdown. The speed control, on the other hand, is excellent for running a Strasburg consist. An accurate throttle setting for the Strasburg's speed limit is probably around 60-70%. I had a wonderful moment tonight running my Strasburg consist for the first time. It felt right, and that's what's important!

[Dave V]

Mine landed today. I'd actually argue your point there. It looks close. The general proportions and feel are practically spot-on. Yes, the dome and bell arrangement are a bit off and there's no belpaire firebox, but otherwise it's very, very similar. It's about as close as the Athearn cars are to the actual Strasburg cars, so I'm calling it good enough and running it happily.

That said, the sound is everything I'd expect from MRC. The sound is so tinny that the whistle sounds like a blowdown. The speed control, on the other hand, is excellent for running a Strasburg consist. An accurate throttle setting for the Strasburg's speed limit is probably around 60-70%. I had a wonderful moment tonight running my Strasburg consist for the first time. It felt right, and that's what's important!

That's all that's really important!  Yeah, I figured MRC sound was going to be a bit "wanting."  I still feel like part of the D16sb "experience" is the dome arrangement, the slat pilot, and the Pennsy small-steam cab in addition to the all-important Belpaire firebox.  And yet I'm still tempted even though I don't have the Strasburg cars and there's no bloody reason on Earth that a D16sb would be found on the Middle Division in 1956 unless being deadheaded for scrapping.

Once I start seeing videos of the new release I may reconsider.  I want to hear that sound and see the slow-speed performance.  Is the whistle even remotely close to a PRR 3-chime?

[SkipGear]

I haven't played with the N scale sound stuff from MRC/Model Power yet but if it is anything like their HO counterparts, it's not the speaker or decoders fault. They have a knack for just sticking the speaker where ever it fits, no baffle, no enclosure, just some double stick tape that has usually let loose by the time it makes it to the customer. I have fixed a couple of the HO 0-6-0's w/sound for friends by building an enclosure for the stock speaker to fit in the cab roof of the loco and they sound 200% better.

[peteski]

Got mine today. Runs very nice and smooth, on DC right out of the box. No jewel case. Headlight is brighter than before. Have to find my other MP Moguls to compare details, etc. Rear knuckle coupler has a somewhat long shank. Pete, I'll see if it says where it was made. Was it just the MP 4-4-0 that was Ajin, with the recall of first batch?
 Joe D

I don't recall where I saw that these were made in Korea. I think it might have been a sticker on the motor itself.

[Joetrain59]

2 videos I shot. First is start up, with MRC Tech II, momentum on.


Next is running at nearly 14V. Max V per instructions.



Joe D

[reinhardtjh]

Spookshow is reporting on Facebook that the tender pickups have been redesigned to use the needle point low friction pickups.  He doesn't have a full review yet but wanted to put that information out.

Spookshow N Scale ·
Some exciting news re the new MRC (nee Model Power) 4-4-0 and 2-6-0 steamers - they finally did a total redesign on the tender truck pickup!
Yes, you read that correctly. Gone are the axle wipers - now replaced by 8-wheel low-friction needlepoint axle / dimpled wiper pickup. Full reviews pending, but I thought I'd get that out there since I hadn't noticed anyone else talking about it yet.