MTH HO Scale SD70ACe test run

[iqbaln206]

if you want bnsf get athern mth did poor job on the bnsf sd70ace if you like the mth sd70ace get the up one

[piper1237]

i got 1 it is the best loco ever

[LycoValleyRRFan]

I want to get one but I'am don't have the money. There is other stuff MTH has I want to get too. My mom always tells me why do you have to have the expensive stuff. I tell her because anyone have the same problem with your wife/girlfriend/mom.

[elr2141979]

i can't seem to program this locomotive. it does not want to work for some reason.

[xxxrn]

I thought that Athearn would be a lil closer in price to MTH, but it's $50 more. I'll stick with my MTH's. Not to bad mouth Athearn but thats a lot of cash for a loco in this economy. Still, I love when the companys come out with new products. By the looks of the pre-production photos It should give MTH a run for their money.

[bothseekers108]

Athearn are cheaper

[casslakechris]

Yes the quality of Athearn is cheaper.

[bothseekers108]

For people that can't afford the MTH the Athearn is great..

[casslakechris]

The Athearn ones are the same price as the MTH ones.

[TheCoyW]

@casslakechris Actually the Athearn with DCC/Sound cost $40.00us more. "For the people that can't afford the MTH", lol

[diburning]

@casslakechris not true. Athearn at least pays attention to scale appearance.

[casslakechris]

@diburning The O-Gauge stuff is no doubt out of scale, but the MTH HO Stuff is simply remarkable. The details are sturdy and appearance is great. The Athearn handrails will be too fragile for my tastes.

[diburning]

@casslakechris No, the HO version looks toyish as well. I guess I'm nitpicky. The ditch lights are too large, and the engien doesn't have a smooth transition (rev-up) sound between idle and the first notch. When you throttle up, the idle sound suddenly stops playing, and the first notch sound starts playing.

Also, the bell sound should be an e-bell and not an actual bell.

[TheCoyW]

@diburning And the oh so cool chatter. That is what I am looking for in a toy, not a scale model.

[TheCoyW]

@casslakechris As long as you don't hadle the Genesis models like a mongeloid, the handrails are not a problem. I own an MTH ACe, and although it is a great model (after an hour or so of adding details), the Genesis ACe looks much nicer.

[TheCoyW]

@casslakechris Maybe the drive, but you go ahead and justify your purchase with the normal dribble about Athearn. I'll enjoy my MTH and Athearn ACe's.

[casslakechris]

@TheCoyW The other reason I like the MTH ones... I've been enjoying them for over a year now... still no sign of the ones from Athearn despite being announced over a year ago.

[Addicted2Guitars]

so it is correct for the bnsf sd70aces to have flashing ditch lights?

[JDeereGP]

@Addicted2Guitars I myself have never seen ditch lights flash on the new BNSF or for that matter? None.. I've seen them flash on CSX, we do get some that come through..

[CSX5851]

just got mine in NS the other day, it looks a LOT better in person. they got the paint and logos correct.

[DirPaulyB]

Doesn't matter what processor is in it it's still gonna sound ridiculous as the speaker is not dynamic enough to handle all the rumbles and fidelity required to simulate a 'realistic sound' I'd rip any sound unit out and take a dump on it, it's pointless.

[70sdmac]

hey real man. I am waiting on my CSX MTH right now. It was very hard to find. Too many UPs out there

[lespaulguy32]

that sounds great!!!!!

[ronthecyborg]

maybe it's because I'm not a rivet counter, but I personally think the DCS sounds are excellent. I don't care that it doesn't have "prototypical" sounds. The factory ones are good enough for me.

I'm not saying that Tsunami sucks (in fact, I think it is one of the best out there), but If I was going to get a Tsunami decoder I'd rather install it on a model without sound than waste it on a model that comes with sound.

[BNSF5608]

Even Chris would agree it sucks. He eventually replaced his decoder with a Tsunami. Tsunami's have a actual EQ built in, so you can control the bass.

[BNSF5608]

It sucks

[EastCoastRail]

i say **** it and get the athearn ones and a detail set and soundtraxx, i hate the MTH sound, theres sound cut outs when you throttle up, the horn is way to quiet, and WHY IS THE SNOW PLOW WIDER THEN THE ENGINE!?!?!?

[ewsdneax61eaxe10]

lol so you're happy with athearn's stupid handrails??? everytime i touch my Genesis SD60 something breaks!

[casslakechris]

I don't know about you, but I have yet to see an Athearn SD70ACe, so nothing to compare it to.

[UnionPacific6807]

I agree with you EastCoastRail. I will NEVER buy a MTH model, and I didn't know that BNSF ACe's had flashing ditchlights. And I hate the neaon blue head lights. MTH sucks.

[BrodyFarmBoy]

I was going to get one but I dont have the cash I think that I will wait for Athearn to release them

[casslakechris]

@BrodyFarmBoy

Athearn's are going to be more expensive than MTH's.

[BrodyFarmBoy]

Genesis ones with sound are 289.98,but the ones w/o sound are 189.98

[UP5140SD70M]

@casslakechris

Athearn IS ONLY 159 FROM WHITEROSEHOBBIES

WITH SOUND 189 OK!!!!!!!! LOL

[TheCoyW]

@UP5140SD70M Wrong, 189 without sound, 289 with Tsunami.

[UP5140SD70M]

@TheCoyW No i do not listen to MSRP Because some hobby shop will always Charge Less Like some places the MTH Is 219

[UP5140SD70M]

@UnionPacific6807 MTH Does not Suck I Pessonaly think that that they will both be great but MTH Will always win in Detail no mater what,

[ewsdneax61eaxe10]

my problem with athearn is their stupid handrails...at least mth is using metal.

[graysonator123]

Bell is wrong, horn is wrong. Excellent looking model...but if I get one, the DCS or whatever that MTH stuff is will be ripped out and replaced

[ewsdneax61eaxe10]

lol go wait for another 2 years before getting an athearn.

[BNSF5608]

The sounds are shit. I'll wait for athearn.

[ohiosouthern]

whatever dude, i dont think Athearn is going to make it sound any better, it is a great model, this has one of the better Sound systems in HO. if not the best.

[BNSF5608]

Athearn Uses Soundtraxx Tsunami's. Go take a listen to a locomotive with one of THOSE in there. Sounds much better. I personally own a Tsunami.

[EastCoastRail]

your right BNSF5608, the soundtraxx is much better quality and the newer way that athearn is building there engines is simply amazing, if any one has gotten one of there new SW1500's you'll know what i'm talking about

[Guilford88panam]

the only thing im impressed with by this model is the detail. im waiting for the athearns

[ovationpdh]

Can you make the ditchlights stay on and not flash if you run the engine on just regular DC current?

[MetraCNW71794]

The sound is awful but its an AMAZING model

[CoasterFan2105]

It sounds like a truck starting up, LOL!

[casslakechris]

The sound is much better in person than it sounds in this video.

[Tjsingle14]

i know where the MTH office is Columbia, I live about 5 miles away! Loving the sound on the locomotive, but quick question why don't BNSF SD70Aces haveing flashing ditchlights in real life

[BNSF5608]

Because BNSF uses the General Code Operation Rules. or GCOR. Only NORAC calls for Flashing ditchlights. Plus BN tried it, they got sued by somone who got hit by an SD70MAC, claiming the engineer didn't flash them.

[Tjsingle14]

so all bnsf units don't have flashing ditchlights? that different I've never noticed that!

[BNSF5608]

Some ex-BN SD70MAC's have them. But thats far and few.

[Tjsingle14]

so, lets say the atlas C40-8w's that are BNSF, which are of ATSF heritage, they do not have flasinh d lights?

[BNSF5608]

Nope. Not a single one. Like I said, the only BNSF units with flashing ditchlights are a few ex-BN SD70MAC's.

[Tjsingle14]

very very interesting!

[flanker23]

Very nice, Thanks for your efforts.

could you please run the loco at speed step 1 and post a video? I would like to see what is the minimum speed this loco can travel.

Thanks

Flanker

[casslakechris]

You can count on several more videos next week! I work five 12hr shifts the next five days and don't have any free time to post anything else... but we'll see!

[ewsdneax61eaxe10]

Cheers for the review dude. I can't wait for my BNSF as well.

[FlyBikes089]

Nice!

And, lol I like how to see BNSF SD70ACe got flash ditchlight lol

[eeeman07]

did you have any trouble proframming it to the road number?

[casslakechris]

I haven't tried yet, but hopefully it'll take. Reading through the manual it sounds like it will stay at road number 3.

[eeeman07]

this is the main reason i wont buy this locomotive. it's compatible with all DCC systems up to a point, but only works to its full potential on DCS. I have to be able to program it to its road number in order for things to work on my layout.

[jimmyp42002]

you can reprogram it. but you need a bianary calculator. look for Broadway Limited Blueline decoder fixes, the MTH units have the same problem as the BLi's

[ballparkfrank10]

when did these units come out?!?!

[casslakechris]

A very small shipment arrived and were sent out to some dealers in the east coast... I was lucky enough to have just checked at just the right time! The rest are expected within a couple weeks.

[ballparkfrank10]

holy crap dude!!! i cant wait for the UP Heritage units!!! im gonna buy 1989!! u gonna buy any?

[ohiosouthern]

Sweet, they look great i got 2 get 2 of those for my layout.

[Stephenson18]

Great job! first thing i would od is change light colour

[casslakechris]

The actual model paint is great... the video was shot in very low light so it doesn't look quite right, but is a great model.

[Stephenson18]

I ment the headlight/ditch light change them to golden LED

[casslakechris]

Depending on the difficulty of accessing them, they will likely be replaced, along with the flashing ditch lights!

[fullglottalstop]

Yeah, I wonder why they put those there. Does anyone even have flashing ditch lights besides NS and CSX? I know there's a sole Grinstein unit with flashers. I've never really been a fan of MTH. They made an SD60M with HTCR trucks! LMFAO.

[Denniss7420]

SD60M with HTCR trucks in HO? I thought this SD70ACe was their first HO diesel?

[fullglottalstop]

It was in O gauge, not HO. There's never been an SD60M with HTCR trucks, that's why it's funny.

[Denniss7420]

Since when has O gauge been know for being protypically correct?

I mean Caterpillar SD90, New England Patriots 2-8-0 & Nabisco GS-4! Come On!

[BNSF5608]

There however was an SD60 with HTCR's, EMDX 3.

[fullglottalstop]

Yes, I think it was running on BNSF until the last part of 2008, when all the EMD leasers were returned.

[Stephenson18]

lol yea! the flashin ditch light i belive you can prgram thu your DCC system