Weekend Update 9/1/19

[Cajonpassfan]

Ahh, thank you.
Otto

[up1950s]

Mark buys *EVERY* new N scale loco that comes out (so he can evaluate and review them), but he already reviewed the previous runs of Big-Boy, so who knows . . . 

I think your wires are crossed , This was in reference to The Geneva Sub by Daryl Kruse . Nothing to do with Mark at all . 

[peteski]

I think your wires are crossed , This was in reference to The Geneva Sub by Daryl Kruse . Nothing to do with Mark at all . 

You're right.

[learmoia]

It went through Hope, MN too.. so valid question.. (although maybe he already has several to choose from..)

3985 came through there as well a few years back..  ~Ian

[peteski]

It went through Hope, MN too.. so valid question.. (although maybe he already has several to choose from..)

3985 came through there as well a few years back..  ~Ian

It did, and Mark was there to capture it.  See https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=47524.msg626263#msg626263

[spookshow]

I had an Athearn Big Boy from the first (2008) production run, but eventually sold it because it wasn't going to fit in with my current layout (little did I know). It ran perfectly.

More recently, I purchased one from the 2017 production run and had no end of trouble with it (something would get jammed and the siderod studs would pop out of their holes). Despite several long trips back and forth to Athearn, it never did get fixed and I eventually just dumped it on eBay at a huge loss.

I'm definitely looking forward to the Kato version 

I also picked up a 3985 Challenger (2013 Athearn production run) when I learned that the prototype had run through Hope. No problems with that one so far. I think something got seriously munged up in China with those 2017 models.

-Mark

[rochsub]

I read that UP 4014 recently went into Rochelle , you gonna buy a Bigboy ?

Well, I already have two excursion trains with the Kato FEF 844 and the Athearn Challenger 3985.  So, I guess I should have the Big Boy too.  I'm not in a big rush to do so, maybe someday.  I was in Northern Illinois in August, but just missed the Big Boy.
Daryl