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Discussion Boards => HO => Topic started by: jharr on February 11, 2011, 02:18:47 PM

Title: Locomotive egine search
Post by: jharr on February 11, 2011, 02:18:47 PM
I am looking to buy a steam locomotive with operating headlight, DCC, sound, and smoke to work with my Bachmann DCC controller. Can anyone help?
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: THB-DAVE on February 11, 2011, 03:58:37 PM
Your choice is very limited in HO if you want smoke sound and DCC. The only company I know of that offers it is Broadway Limited Imports in there paragon 2 series. They have a ATSR 2-10-2 and a PRR I1SA Decapod with smoke. I have 6 BLIs and all without smoke as its a usless option.

http://www.broadway-limited.com/paragon2-3.aspx
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: ACY on February 11, 2011, 05:52:57 PM
If you want all of those factory installed you will probably pay $450-$600 to get all of those, without the smoke you have many more options and they would be cheaper.
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: hawaiiho on February 11, 2011, 06:33:30 PM
MTH also offers steam locomotives equipped as you desire. BUT, again, very expensive. Mid $400s and up.
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: Doneldon on February 11, 2011, 07:20:40 PM
jh-

Unless you have little children who can't live without smoke you are way ahead of the game by skipping it. The smoke effect isn't realistic in the first place and it can cause a plethora of operational problems in the second place. Leave out the smoke and you can find good quality locos with DCC, sound and lights for about half of what you are likely to pay for something comparable with smoke. Lose the sound but get smoke and you can find locos for even less but I can assure you that, for my money, I'd go with DCC/sound over smoke any day of the week. Or month. Or year. Or ever!
                                                                                                                    -- D
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: jbsmith on February 11, 2011, 09:22:38 PM
Some People LIKE the smoke option.

When running smoke,,be sure to have a track cleaning car somewhere in the consist.
Most of the smoke will just evaporate, and not rain oil on to the layout.
Any smoke fluid that does come back up and out of the smokestack can simply cleaned off of the loco with a dry rag, like an old t-shirt.

Myth Busting next,
Running smoke will NOT make your layout look like someone sprayed it with food release. You would have run your loco 24/7/365 to do this.
Smoke or no smoke,,your layout will collect dust either way.
"The smoke is not realistic" -> No more "not realistic" than none at all.

MTH makes what you are looking for. The catch is the decoders, MTH tend to be proprietary.
Much like VHS vs Beta Max,  or Blu-Ray disk  vs HD DVD.
In this case  we are talking about DCC vs MTH's  DCS.

You should be able to swap about the DCS decoder for a DCC decoder of your choice.
some MTH steamers
http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Steam-Locomotives-HO-Scale-s/1461.htm?searching=Y&sort=3&cat=1461&show=40&page=1&brand=MTH
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: bobwrgt on February 12, 2011, 01:09:27 PM
Seuthe has been in business for over 35 years making smoke units for all scale trains. Someone must like and use them. I have used smoke on and off for over 50 years and have had no problems. Need to clean the train room and track anyway and the kids love the smoke. Some smoke fluid also comes scented like an air freshener. As far as the health hazard you can get in more trouble living in the city or standing by the road watching cars go by.

Bob
Title: Re: Locomotive egine search
Post by: uncbob on February 13, 2011, 12:55:16 PM
I would ditch the smoke

You can get 2-8 0s with DCC/Sound for decent prices as well as 4-4-0 and 4-6-0