Fox Valley Models N Scale Hiawatha is DELIVERED !!

kschmidt626 Mar 4, 2011

  1. spencerwu

    spencerwu TrainBoard Member

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    Is there a 9 pin plug underneath the circuit board, how does front engine connect to the tender.

     
  2. CarlH

    CarlH TrainBoard Member

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    Is this FVM's first N-Scale steam loco?

    From how many of the tender wheels does it get electrical pickup?

    From how many of the loco wheels does it get electrical pickup?
     
  3. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    There is a 7 pin plug for the loco to connect to the tender. No need to take apart the tender to unplug it.

    This is only Fox Valley's second loco period, thier first steam offering. Pickup is accomplished by all the drivers and half axle pickup on two each of the tender axles. I really wish it had better tender pickup but as I said, so far I have not experienced any pickup issues and my loco probably has 6-8 hours runtime on it already.
     
  4. SPsteam

    SPsteam TrainBoard Member

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    Very nice loco! I didn't pony up the cash for this one, kind of regret it, but since I model the western roads, I think I'll live. I would like to have some of those delta trailing trucks for kitbashing. They look perfect for use under Southern Pacific locomotives.
     
  5. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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  6. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    Nice work, Skipgear!
     
  7. jdcolombo

    jdcolombo TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, I agree - nice work Tony.

    Did you do the sound files for the Digitrax decoder yourself?

    John
     
  8. fatalxsunrider43

    fatalxsunrider43 TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I'll turn the oven on so I can cook the crow !! White Walls it is boys,
    that doesnt mean I have to like them though ! So...what do you guys like on your crow ?
    I'll be feeding mine to the cat under the table, but I'll be chewin like I ate it, LOL !
    I saw the Hiawatha set yesterday at Pegasus, it does look nice. I got my notice that my set is ready to ship to me. It will probably just stay in the box as I see this as
    a Collectable investment more than a piece I'd risk even taking out of the box, it is that beautiful.

    fatalxsunrider43
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Mar 13, 2011
  9. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, I created the sound file. I did borrow some of the basic sounds from the default sound file but the steam chuffs are actually based on some that I sampled for my I-1. I couldn't find a good enough sample of the Atlantic to record but I did find one of the loco going by at speed and it had a much smoother sound thant the PRR loco that I sampled. I took out the third more harsh chuff from the I-1 and replaced it with a copy of the first chuff and changed the volume slightly. The whistle is from one of the additional sound files that Digitrax offers. With SPJ helper you can reverse sample them from the decoder files, back into a wave file and transfer them from file to file or modify them as you need. I still need to learn the SPJ helper program better to add the air horn onto F3. It also has a slip function that you can press F7 and simulate slipping drivers.
     
  10. Grey One

    Grey One TrainBoard Supporter

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    I like my crow like I like my steak:
    Medium rare and served with pride
    I have had to eat my share of crow, (um, anyone care to count the number of times I said I would never go DCC?).
    I man, er, person:
    "Must stand for something or they will fall for anything".
    Um, er, it does help to maintain a less "belligerent", (not that you ever were :) ), stance. I'm sure you were just being "adamant". Yes, that's the word. :) Hope there's enough smilies in there.

    As for the "investment" value. I feel you are making a mistake.
     
  11. Kevin M

    Kevin M TrainBoard Member

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    I really do not need one but might have to spring for a set. You guys are killing me with all these nice pictures.
    Kevin
     
  12. fatalxsunrider43

    fatalxsunrider43 TrainBoard Member

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    Unfortunetly, they are all investments until I have laid some track to run on, LOL !

    fatalxsunrider43
     
  13. SteamDonkey74

    SteamDonkey74 TrainBoard Supporter

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    I just picked mine up yesterday. The locomotive runs well right out of the box. I put a DZ125PS decoder in mine. The tender was a bit of a bear to open. I hope there's an easier way than what I did.

    The cars all look very nice. The detailing is sharp and many details are applied, not molded.
     
  14. Kozmo

    Kozmo TrainBoard Member

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    Have you all seen the thread on another nameless forum where someone took one apart? Some of the members there have concerns about wipers for power pick up and something about the gears, the plastic gears not lasting? is it much to do about nothing? or is this another one where it might be best to wait for the 2nd or 3rd run?

    Sure looks very nice.

    Oh, some thoughts. I have some Kato "bullet" trains. two things I think Kato or other makers could use from the Kato bullet trains on our American trains is:

    -The box. is a slim book like size. you unsnap it, and wa-la, all six pieces are there ready to put on the track, no jewel cases to mess with. would be great for a 6 piece train like this.

    -The door things between the cars, easy snap together and hold well and that is how the train cars connect together. often people are concerned about the spacing between cars too far and the door things not touching not being realistic. Would be dandy to use those on our American passenger trains.
     
  15. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    Mine is pushing close to 30 hours run time on it now. (It runs in the background in my office when I am working, the sound is very soothing.) I have seen no issues with wear or power pickup concerns. Yes, there are some things I would like to have seen done different but it runs great as is and I have no complaints (except the large coupler hanging out the back which is fixable.)

    I don't think you will see a second or third run. This is it. If you want one, buy it now.
     
  16. Kozmo

    Kozmo TrainBoard Member

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    really? no 2nd or 3rd run? they make the molds & tooling and never run them again? not even 5 or 10 years later?
    I've always heard that threat, but can't think of a time it happened.
     
  17. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    I agree about the Kato bookcase but even Kato don't use them for their own US passenger trains, there must be some perception that the US market doesn't want them and would rather have huge display boxes or fiddle with jewel cases. The bookcases are available separately from Kato and several other Japanese manufacturers including at least one who specializes in just them. I bought some Kato ones for my Super Chief and tossed out the jewel boxes.

    The diaphragms as couplers however I'm not sure would work as well for trains that don't always run as a fixed consist or do any switching as a bullet train does, and you can't mix cars from different manufacturers. The idea might be OK as an option for those that want it like the close coupling Kinematic couplers on the Kato Daylight.
     
  18. skipgear

    skipgear TrainBoard Member

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    ConCor M10000
    ConCor AeroTrain
    Atlas 2-8-8-2

    The tooling for the coaches is being reused and offered in all the other paint schemes they wore through their life coming this summer in both N and HO. Another run of the HO set was considered but was on the condition that the pricing would be higher because the run would be much smaller and no over production would be made, only pre-orders. I don't think it's going to happen. We still have an HO set and 2 N scale sets on the shelf at the shop. Everybody that wanted one of these pre-ordered them, there really isn't enough more demand to warrant another run. I know the production run ended up being much larger than imagined. To the point of market saturation maybe.
     
  19. Kevin M

    Kevin M TrainBoard Member

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    Well you guys did it to me... I just ordered my set. Now to wait till it shows up.
    Kevin
     
  20. Kozmo

    Kozmo TrainBoard Member

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    well, that's not too many. nothing I'd cry over.

    Not sure why the aerotrain was ever made. IMO the ugliest train ever. like a 50's bus turned into a train. yick.

    I'd like an M-10000, but don't need one, if I could get a 40% off MSRP deal like I did on the Pioneer Zephyr - now that is a cool train - with the lighting and all.

    But I'm glad I waited for the later run of the lifelike/walthers 2-8-8-2 with sound and improvements.
    I also waited on the later Atlas Shays from a couple years ago.

    I did not buy any intermountain cab forwards, but I will be grabbing some of the new run to come out later with the sound in it.

    I skipped the Athearn Big Boy, which seems to demand a pretty penny on eBay these days. but I'm guessing those will get run again in the next 5-10 years. no rush.
     

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