Model Power Double Diesel Santa Fe F7

[XavierJ123]

I am seriously considering the purchase of this brand new Model Power Train Set from a dealer and just wondered if anybody had any recent experience with this locomotive. I think it is DCC ready. My other allturnnative would be to buy the Athearn Genisis. ( you like that spelling ??)

 

[NYC-BKO]

When you say Train set do you mean a complete set w/ cars and track/powerpack or a set of engines, unless you like to repower, tweak & detail engines and you can get them real cheap, I mean real cheap go with the alternative of the Genisis.

 

[XavierJ123]

Well, Model Power offers a basic Santa Fe F7 set with one locomotive and 3 or 4 cars. Then the set that I am interested in has two locomotives, one of which is a dummy. Oh what the heck; here's the link:
Click here: Model Power World's Most Powerful SF Metal Train Set HO

 

[NYC-BKO]

Do you need everything that is in that set or are you just looking for the engines?

If you need everything it is not a bad price, if you just want engines I would still recommend the Athearns.

 

[XavierJ123]

If the Athearns offered the Warbonnet Santa Fe F7 and dummy, I would lean toward the purchase of the Athearn. It's the unusual red front facing and red rear facing dummy that gets my attention and did so as a kid. I could go either way I guess: a set or just the engines. Or I could get a Bachmann F7, dummy and caboose at the LHS for $24.95.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

You need to check with your local hobby shop as to what locomotive is included in the train set. Bachmann and Lifelike both make train sets with their cheapest toy locomotives. These locomotives have a single motor mounted with the shaft parrallel with the truck axles. One truck is powered, the other truck is a dummy. These locomotives don't pull very well. However both Bachmann and Lifelike make trainsets with Bachmann Plus or P1k locomotives. In both cases the mechanicals are the same as the higher detailed Spectrum and P2k models.

 

[NYC-BKO]

As for the Bachmann, if they don't say 8 wheel drive on the box avoid them as they are as Russ stated the single truck drive, you won't like them. The only F unit B-mann makes right now is the FT, they come in the warbonnet scheme and they can be had for 25.00 w/decoder or 20.00 w/o from Trainworld, I just got an A-B set and they are superb runners for B-man.
As for the newer all metal MP locos I haven't seen them run so I can't comment.
You might want to find Athearn BB locos in the that scheme, they are still out there.

 

[XavierJ123]

NYC-BKO, what does the decoder do? I think I want what you have. Does your Bachmann A/B set have 8 wheel drive? I can't seem to find Athearn Gensis A/B units for sale except in a set with 8 passenger cars for about $300.

 

[NYC-BKO]

The decoder is used for DCC operation which is totally different than out of the box DC equipment where you control the speed with the powerpack. To find out more about it go to the DCC section of the forum. I don't use it yet, but I'm told if you don't have it and you put a DCC equipped engine on regular DC it will default and run on DC, so you might want to get them w/ decoders so they're ready for the future if you decide to go to DCC. I messed up and didn't get them with the decoder, just ot save 10.00!!
Here's a picture of the B-mann FT, they run real good and are heavy for pulling & they are 8 wheel drive. Here's the model numbers for AT&SF w/DCC 60102, w/o 11702.
Here is my review from another forum
http://www.railroadforum.com/forum/...p?TOPIC_ID=6982

 

[XavierJ123]

So you messed up and purchased a DCC unit without a decoder and ran it on DC and it defaulted. Does this mean it is ruined? What do you need the decoder for. I am sorry. I am lazy. I don't want to read pages and pages of the DCC thread and not find an answer to this question; but I promise I will start to read the thread. Thanks.

 

[Russ Bellinis]

Most if not all dcc decoders are designed to recognise when there is no dcc signal and default to dc operation. It doesn't do any damage.