I just used my lunch hour to race to the hobby shop and pick it up. When I walked in the door, there it was in the display case with a big sold sign on it just for me! Damn... it's HUGE! The detail is amazing. Warning labels, radiator fans, working ditch lights!!!. I ran it on their test track and it's almost dead silent and those ditch light look amazing. This is great. I can't wait to get it on my layout... but that means I've got to get some track laid! It's Canadian Pacific #9120. A thing of beauty... that new golden beaver logo looks wonderful. I can't seem to stop gushing. I'll shut up now. D6
gush away my freind! i will be saturday when i get mine in yellow and grey with we will devour on the side!*oops i mean deliver.
Well, my SD80 is blue,white,and huge. It runs like a dream. I thought the yellow and grey loco said "Resistance is futile" on the side!!
I just picked up my CP SD90, it looks excellent. When I got to the hobby shop I picked my model up and proceeded to test run it on the test track. It was DEAD not sure what the problem was but they gave me another one, this model worked fine. I have since brought it home and it runs fine on straights but derails through points and around curves. I have a feeling that the wheels may be tight to gauge but not sure. Anyone else have any suggestions or it the model to large for 11 inch radius curves?
They aren't that much longer than SD60's are they? Paul - if you don't have an N scale NMRA gauge I would suggest getting one. When trouble shooting derailing equipment I find it sometimes help to remove the shell and just run the chassis and see if it still derails. If it does not derail then something on the shell is in the way of the trucks. If it does derail then sometimes it's easier to see where the problem is without the shell in the way.
I test ran my 3 SD-80's on my Unitrack layout, and they ran fine on 11" radius, through the turnouts etc. These run great and look terrific! Bill
Others have had trouble with the SD90's/80's derailing on track, just as mentioned above. I think it was in the Atlas forum I read about it, but my memory is fuzzy, even though it was recent. I will be picking one (of three on hold) today or tomorrow.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by rsn48: Others have had trouble with the SD90's/80's derailing on track, just as mentioned above. I think it was in the Atlas forum I read about it, but my memory is fuzzy, even though it was recent. I will be picking one (of three on hold) today or tomorrow.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Today and Tomorrow passed and we still don't have one!! BTW- I swtiched one, the number was messed up like Peter's unit.
I ran my SD80MAC's on our club layout today (for a show) I equipped them with Digitrax DN148K decoders (from RSC2's I had on hand). All I can saw is WOWWWWW!!!! A single SD80MAC pulled the same train I pulled with 2 SD50's (both DCC) at my last show with no effort. They are great and I look forward to the next run CSX and NS in SD80MAC's..... hint, hint) Harold
I tried running my SD90 and it is still derailing. What I have noticed however is there is not sideways movement on the trucks when the loco is on the rails. My guess is the wheels are tight to gauge therfore there is no freeplay between wheels and rail. I'll let you know how it goes tomorrow after GATS has a look at it.
Paul Have had no problems with my 3. Pulled a 70 car train on Rogers layout, had some wheel slip then added a CP Snoot and beautiful. (I Expect the new whell sets caused the slippage, I have no doubt that in a few weeks they will be great. All I need now are those AC 6000 CWs with the Beavers on the side.
Not sure if this is a factor running the SD90 on tighter curves and through turnout points. The real SD-90 runs on 45 inch wheelsets. Most diesels run on 40 inch wheelsets. It's 80 ft long -- almost as long as a passenger car or TTX piggyback flatcar. It also has a long wheelbase, and the truck spacing is also very long -- could we have a very efficient "rail straightener" at work here? See EMD's specs page here: http://www.gmemd.com/locomotives/naf/sd90mac/basic.html Just a thought....... eNjoy Don B
Thanks, Don, that was one aspect I was thinking about - the truck length and wheelbase. It could be the truck is that long it won't handle 11" curves. I have run a SD45 on a friend's old coffee table layout and it had 8" radius curves. It ran through it except where the lead-in to one curve was a tad tight causing the lead wheel set of both trucks to lift on the flange. It did drop back down without derailing. I will double check the back-to-back, though, just in case. Gary.
My 2 SD80's were to the tight side of being "in guage" when I checked them so I set the end wheels of each truck to what I felt was right. I then set the middle wheel set of each truck to the loose side of being "in guage" and have no more problems with derailments or slicing through turnouts.
Thanks Herman for your comments, I have shown Gary (GATS) my SD90 and he also agrees the wheels are wide to gauge. Hopefully Gary will post here his findings
Great news, Paul. Ok, for those who have the same problem and want to know, I merely disassembled the trucks and pushed the wheelsets fully home on the gear/axle. This narrows the gauge approximately 0.020". Gary.
