I just bought a couple of these. They run very well even in DC. the sound is nice. I would like a little more bass out of O scale (I'm used to N scale sound) but over all I'm impressed. I could post a photo, but there are plenty of them out there as well as you tube video of them running with sound and all. One few things I noticed: I believe the front fenders/running boards and the plow are supposed to be black?, not silver. Also only the big front top middle light lights up, the two smaller ones on the front sides under the windshield do not light! they do on the Con-Cor N scale version! and those little front lights seem undersized. also missing is the rope form the cab to the bell. also on the N scale version. but those little things I can fix. youtube videos (not mine) [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvfXToZts2Y&feature=related"]YouTube - Galloping Goose Soundcheck[/ame] [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRK5h7AdDrs"]YouTube - Precision Craft Galloping Goose[/ame]
Yes, I got them both from Factory direct. I wanted one of each, but they were all out of the freight version with sound. so I bought two passenger with sound, thinking I can see if I can get a freight shell from somewhere for cheap to swap out on one, or just sell one on ebay. I have Goose #3 & Goose #4 both passenger versions with sound. I figured, for $50 more, you get the sound decoder, which I guess sells for about $100 alone. and I believe it is LokSound, which can even be reprogrammed for different sounds (of course with the programmer)
ah go ahead and get one. It's YOUR railroad. do as you like. I mostly buy items, models, colors, etc that delight my eye the most.
That's the way I do it too. That's why I even have material from different continents on my H0 layout, North America, Europe, and now with the Garratt even Australia. And I do different scales as well, though no On30. But I have two H0n3 Geese.
I love em! Thing is that what modeling a specific time and place does for me is that it helps focus my attention and also helps put a limit on what I spend my money on Of course, having said that I will also have a freelance railroad attached to my C & S. It is the Colorado and Southwestern RR, a largely made up extension of the C & S. This one is important to me because it is a carry over from my HO modeling days and it allows me to have a few eccentric models (like my American 4-4-0). A subdivision of this road will be the Colorado Mining Company line. I will have this one simply because by hook and by crook I have somehow managed to amass some engines and rolling stock in that road name...
swissboy, You have a Garratt? I love those. I was thinking of bashing one up out of a couple bachmann spectrum 2-8-0's and other parts. As for locos of other continents: 1) I have one N scale Japanese Bullet train in my mostly steam period railroad. maybe it is some kinda Back to the Future thing going on there. all the locals say it and think aliens have landed. 2) I also have a few N scale Micro-Ace steamers that I have converted to US locos. but one of them I left mostly JNR as I like the ways it looks, only changing the tender and the front pilot to US spec. the backstory there is, one of the railroad owners was over in Japan in a high stakes poker game, well this lead to that and he ended betting his newest 2-8-0, and the Japanese guy bet a new JNR C58 2-6-2. well, our guy won the hand and the JNR 2-6-2 now does branchline passenger work. ;-)
