HO loco w/ sound and smoke

[sinluien]

I just got out my old train set for my youngin'. I dont know what it is about kids and trains but man i have more documentaries than i can keep track of. I'm looking to purchase a new locomotive, see if they are worth my dollar.

I want a steam loco, with sound and smoke... one that makes the chuff noise when the smoke poofs and the sound varies depending on the weight its pulling. Lots of sound. I also want the armatures to the wheels to move. There's so many places to look and buy from, however many dont offer a lot of information. Reading reviews on hundreds of different engines is killing me. So, i thought what easier than to ask a crowd of people who might actually care!

Thanks in advance,

Paul & Jack (2 YO junior Engineer)

P.S. plz no crap about little pieces and eating them, he's not a moron lol!

[Boston&Maine]

Ooops, I did not see the scale in the title the first time I read it

[shaygetz]

Many of the Bachmann steam locos offer smoke. Sound is going to add much to the final cost, though you could go this route. I find it quite effective actually for the price.

[sinluien]

http://www.trainsetsonly.com/page/TSO/PROD/PAR-2023

thats the whole shebang there, however i dont know know the company. This new DCC has got me stuck, if they say they are dcc does that mean i dont need a decoder chip?

[shaygetz]

"DCC ready" means that they are set up to receive a chip, "w/DCC" means they are already installed. Though you can run DCC equipped locos on DC trackage, it doesn't work very well. Best to decide early on which way you'd like to run, I personally got out of DCC a couple years ago and never looked back.

[sinluien]

why may i ask did you get out of it? it seems pretty cool...

I watched some videos of that train... I might just shell out the cash for it and see how it rolls. the price increase on this stuff since i was a kid is rediculous. I remember buying 10 pieces of track for 20 bucks.

btw a dcc system... on a small track, like 4 x 8 lets say, do i need a "booster" or external power supply? or is it essentially the same thing i already have (analog dc controller, it provides the power to the track) with extra bells and whistles and just need a booster for a bigger track? i couldnt find a post about any dcc stuff

[shaygetz]

In the end...money...I simply wasn't willing to put out for the system I liked. In the end, I like old school HO---including those high amp pulse power packs that came out in the early 70s.

It's highly unlikely you'll need a booster for a 4x8 layout. I would recommend getting as good a set as you can get for room for expansion and sticking to either Lenz or Digitrax as they've been around awhile and are the most widely used.

[stationmaster]

I did just the reverse with DCC. I began my layout as a DC layout with power districts and converted during construction. It still has power districts, by the way. Both DC and DCC have their pro's and cons. Both can run multiple engines. But, with DCC it is easier, albeit, a bit more expensive. Add in a DCC controller(although there are some rather inexpensive DCC units on the market.(Bachman being one). The cost of an entry level DCC system is not much more than the cost of a GOOD power supply.

Setting up power districts on a DC layout CAN be a nightmare. Running wire and making connections is tedious, at best. While DCC is a matter of addressing the engine and taking off. You WILL need a "programming track" with DCC. I use a siding that is isolated from the rest of my layout, similar to a power district. Power districts can best be defined as areas that are separated for power distribution from one another. Some layouts have 2 districts, some many, many more(I have 12 on a very large layout).

It is best to decide in the beginning. Experience speaking here. Though I do believe that having the layout wired for districts does allow one to isolate problems when operating with DCC.

Bob

[B.C.RAIL]

Like a block section.