While I don't advocate joining these clubs, this might push me over the edge. The K-Line Collectors Club offering for 2005 has the SD70MAC. http://www.k-linetrains.com/ Mind you the picture is of a brass unit, K-Line has made some great progress in their later offerings for detail and accuracy. Decisions, decisions. Greg
Wow, yeah that seems like a no-brainer for 100-150 bucks for us conventional types. Got my eye on the Alaska RR version, betcha that has to be sharp. Thanks for pointing that out Greg.
I was going to try to be a "classic collector O scale guy". Meaning vintage lionel only. But this seems like a good deal. What do diesels generally run for in this scale? I'm really an N scaler but...
Hard to say, but usually K-Line, Lionel, MTH and Atlas O diesels of this quality are in the $400 dollar range or higher depending on the electric do dahs associated with them. This is really a deal I can't beat, even for the second unit at $25 dollars more. I run 2-Rail scale, but these units could be converted for about $100 to 2-Rail and still cost less than Atlas O. Greg
What is the conventional with digital sound option? I have DCC for my Ho and N scale trains is this similar to that?
Geeky, As I understand it, the one you ask about is run on conventional AC with cruse control and sound. The cruse control will run the train at the same speed up or down grades without you having to do it with the transformer by hand. The sound is a basic unit, with a horn, bell and diesel sound, that gets louder when more power is added to the track. The command version allows you to use Lionel's TMCC train control, a variation of DCC. For me, I'm getting the cheapest basic unit. If and when I convert it to 2-Rail, the motors are already DC so I will drop in a DCC board. It will be a matter of removing the board that allows you to run it on AC. I have several AC scale engines and don't plan on using MTH or Lionel command control for them. Hope this helps. Greg
hmmmm... Not sure I understand that. Let me rephrase my question. If you run this with a old Lionel transformer. Does it run and make sounds to? Or... do I need a special control system?
It depends on what scheme you purchase. (I believe.) The $150 dollar version with sound, smoke and cruise should work with the just about any lionel transformer. I myself have not used the TMCC (Lionels version of DCC with more triggerable sounds, tower com chatter and whatnot, the 250 dollar version), but as I understand it from some of the stuff I have read online its supposed to also work and be transparent in conventional (non DCC) mode, but in reality I have heard some people have had issues getting the TMCC engines to work in conventional mode. Hope this clears some things up?
It does clear a lot up. I'm sort of on the fence about this unit right now, but I may change my mind after I get my track up and running this week. I seem to be having incredible motivation about trains this week.
Geeky are you multi-scale? I thought I saw a picture of your layout, isn't it N? Heh, seems everytime I come to the boards here, I get a wild hair up my backside to go do something else on the layout. PS, if you have any 3 rail stuff that you dont much care for and are looking for some more N, let me know as I have a large inherited N scale collection gathering dust. :-(.
oh I do a little of this and a little of that. Right now i'm all fired up about my O scale three rail. I'm trying to figure out how to run it around ontop of my desk and around my computer. I really like to get up close to the running gear on my old hudson and hear that whistle tender blow. But...I am also working on my N scale layout.
