Con-Cor Aerotrain Poll

I saw the HO versions of ConCor's Aerotrain and the M1 at Springfield yesterday. Not too impressed. Both seemed noisy (one was squeeky). The diaphragms on the M1 didn't stay closed around the turns they were using (pretty tight). The Aerotrain looked more like tinplate than a model. Put it on a shelf? Sure. Otherwise I would not own either of the HO offerings. Maybe N will be better.

 

My friends have all been impressed with the detail in the Zephyr... the lighted cars and the interior seats, etc. But they aren't train people, and I don't really have any other passenger trains for comparison. I have the Kato Daylights coming, but haven't ordered the lighting kits.

 

Yes but does it run?

I've seen people posting that they have the Con-Cor N Scale Aerotrain on order but no one has posted about actually running the train. So I will.

I ran my Aerotrain for the first time on our club modules at a show last weekend. It was a complete and total disappointment! I had carefully threaded the 6-wire bundles from car to car - trying my best to avoid kinks (considering the stiffness of the wire bundles, that is next to impossible). After fussing with the train to get the cars lined up, I applied a little throttle and it travelled about 4-feet in the yard before multiple cars derailed. I spent about an hour trying to finesse the train into making it around our small rectangle of modules before giving up... Having never completed just one loop. I went home in frustration and checked the Con-Cor website. To my surprise I found some information there that I had not seen before... A rather defensive comment from Con-Cor regarding derailments stating; "No offense, but this is not a problem with AeroTrain, but the quality of your trackage." They suggest that the track be shimmed anywhere the train derails. Well, no offense, but every other model train - including Con-Cor's Pioneer Zephyr as well as 100-car Ore trains - makes it around our club layout just fine! I think this - along with many posts on various forums - points to the possibility that the Con-Cor N Scale Aerotrain has some design issues. Other owners have posted that they found the wheelsets slightly out of gauge and the cars a bit light. One poster said he went through the train two cars at a time until he finally got them all to run properly with only "occasional derailments." Is this now the acceptable standard for manufacturers? To anyone considering purchasing the 10 car Aerotrain, I suggest doing some searches and reading the posts. I'm keeping mine because I already paid to have sound installed and it's a lovely looking (albeit expensive) static display. I just wish I could run it! (And shame on Con-Cor for blaming the complaints on everything BUT their train!)

 

There is an owner review of the Aerotrain here Atlas Model Railroad Co. - Con_Cor Aerotrain - my quick evaluation

 

Ain't necessarily so, practically all British and European N scale locos come with the six pin connector which makes more sense as it is a smaller connector. If Walthers had used it in the 0-8-0 it might have left room for an actual decoder.

Back to the Aerotrain, I'm passing on this one because, by the time I land one here in Australia, a full seven car train will cost about $850 dollars. That's too much of a gamble considering the varied stories surfacing about them, and money I could spend on more, but less unusual equipment. Someone said to me when I was commenting on the price at the club, "It'd be something different though", but I don't want to end up with a roster full of 'something different', the Aerotrain could in theory have turned up anywhere on a demonstration run but its a lot of money to spend on something that you might get away with running just occasionally. The Morning Daylight wouldn't have found itself on the Santa Fe in Texas in the 50's very often either, but I bought one because I liked it, the price was good and it was reliable Kato quality.

 

When they work out bugs, and make it a good runner, i would love to have one in RI.

 

Boxcarbob,

Welcome to TrainBoard, and thanks for sharing your review with us.

I do NOT have one of these, but I have had similar problems with other new equipment in the past. Before you chuck it in the bin, you might try, under a low-pressure situation such as not at a train show, exercising some of those joints between the cars. I am going to guess that the way the cars were coupled together and/or the stiffness of the wires is causing some problems in that the cars will not readily flex on the turns.

Lots of people here had a similar problem with the articulated Daylight cars that Kato released last year. In many cases, taking those joints and running them through their full range gently but firmly ended up freeing them up enough to run.

My guess is that there's something to the stiffness of the wiring harness that you noted.

Good luck,
Adam

 

I Don't know what we are going to do with all these AeroTrains, the real one was only built twice! and an extra loco was built to pull another one off experimental train set. So I would say Con-Cor did a better job of marketing these trains than GM did, I would if they out sold them in Dollars too?

I'll bet you could even run an N-scale version on a HO layout and get way with it as long as it was running in a zoo or park.

Of course I bought one, and once it gets put on the layout it most likely will stay there as it’s a pain in the behind to assembly, I guess I'll be needing a staging yard just to hold my passenger trains......

 

I am sorry guys but Robin got me one for Christmas and after gauging the wheels , installing a DZ125 and adding weight to all the cars and tinkering with it for more time than I would spend on any steam locomotive , it now has developed a derailing problem with the front axle of the lead coach and most often the rear axle of the locomotive. I am totally stumped. I am going to try to disable the gear drive in the rear axle to see what happens.
It is by far the worst investment in the hobby I have made in a long time.
Sorry , Mike

 

I've got to agree with you, that's far more work I should have to do on anything I've paid $850 for. At half the price and if there were more good reviews I would have asked, "Do I want one?", at the price being asked and the problems being reported the question is, "Do I need one?". As I don't model the San Diego line during the few days the train operated there I'm afraid the answer is no.

 

AeroTrain with LokSound

Here is a video of our AeroTrain with sound running over our demo layout. The track is 25 years old code 80 Atlas with #6 turnouts on the main line.
Once the wires between the cars are arranged the unit runs very nicely.
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOV6AWEum-U"]YouTube - Con-Cor N Scale AeroTrain custom sound and light installation[/ame]

 

I got a chance to see them in person at the Ihobby show in Chicago last year. While they are very unique I found the running smoothness if the N scale model to be very "toylike". Not smooth at all and the little thing wobbled along the track something fierce. I might pick one up for $50 bucks just for the novelty, but wouldn't think about buying one for the price they are asking right now. :thumbs_down:

Brian

 

I think they were still toying with the idea of atomic powered trains in the 50's.:tb-ooh:
Good idea using a friend's train too.:tb-wink:

 

I have a zephyr that runs great. I like it alot. I balked at $100.00 for the third car, but ended up paying it.
I will not be buying the Areotrain or the M1000 due to price. My limited hobby budget just can't justify the expense for these trains.

 

I hated the pricetag on the zephyr but I got one just the same. I drew the line at $100+ for the extra car that's just stealing. I was quite pleased at the way it ran. It was smooth and quiet could not be a better runner.

So I bit the bullet and ordered an aerotrain. Not the extra cars though for the same reason The price is just outrageous. No way do I pay that kind of money for something that doesn't even have a motor.

The Aerotrain runs like an old Bachmann and will not stay on the track. I'm working on it and it's getting better but I still have a ways to go before it's acceptable.

How dare Con Cor release a piece of crap like this at such a price point?

 

ConCor doesn't make 100,000 of these 'special' trains... so the MSRP for the items have to cover the costs to produce them and give the retailer an incentive to market them for ConCor. I didn't like the price of the Pioneer Zephyr or the extra car... but the model looks and runs well so I can overlook the high purchase price.

The troubles being discussed with the AeroTrain... OTOH... would piss me off because a malfunctioning train at the amount they are asking for it is not going to be overlooked. I would have paid the +/- $400.00 for the AeroTrain if it were as well made as the Pioneer Zephyr... and likely would have gotten the extension set as well.

ConCor needs to be careful not to fall back into the overpriced "junque" status it was in between 1990 and 2000. They need to own-up to the faults of the AeroTrain and come up with a fix for derailments. The M10000 better be a much better model from the onset or... they would likely not recover from the bad press.

 

The Aerotrain can now be had for about $240.00. Does anyone have updated information on:

• How well it runs
• How easy a DCC install is?

Thanks!

 

The one I had would not stay on the track but ran well.
Mike

 

To install the DCC all you do is plug an eight pin unit in.
ConCor is sending me weights for free to put in the tail car. I've read the ten car version rides better the the shorter versions.