Big boys

[ncbqguy]

Just for the record, I can safely state from personal involvement in the project, the founder of Kato, Mr. Yogi Kato, was the i driving force and inspiration behind the Big Boy project.  I was scheduled to go to visit the Big Boy with Yugi-San in Texas but left Kato before the trip was finalized.
I am sure Hiroshi has some opinions of his own on prototype selection but am not aware that he has other than a professional interest in trains like his father did.
Charlie Vlk

[peteski]

I was listening to a Trainworld video where they were talking to Bob Grubba from BLI and talking about a N&W Y6b and the CV they have on the Paragon 4 to control the two engines on the locomotive to go in and out of sync. 

That just confirms what I've been saying all along: The sound processor on a decoder can be programmed to simulate the engines of a simple articulated loco going out of sync.  That will not match the position of the drivers, but that is not something that we even consider in our N scale sound-equipped steam locos (unless they are equipped with a hardware chuff cam sensor).

[robert3985]

That just confirms what I've been saying all along: The sound processor on a decoder can be programmed to simulate the engines of a simple articulated loco going out of sync.  That will not match the position of the drivers, but that is not something that we even consider in our N scale sound-equipped steam locos (unless they are equipped with a hardware chuff cam sensor).

I know plenty of N-scale model railroaders who are quite picky about synching the position of their steam engine's drivers with the sound coming out of the decoder.

Cheerio!
Bob Gimore

[peteski]

I know plenty of N-scale model railroaders who are quite picky about synching the position of their steam engine's drivers with the sound coming out of the decoder.

Cheerio!
Bob Gimore

Good for you Bob!  How about yourself?  Do you have cam sensors installed on your sound-equipped steam engine models?
I'll also raise you that I know of lots more modelers (even just on this forum) that use virtual cam sensor in their sound-equipped steam locos, and are quite content with that option. 

[arbomambo]

Just for the record, I can safely state from personal involvement in the project, the founder of Kato, Mr. Yogi Kato, was the i driving force and inspiration behind the Big Boy project.  I was scheduled to go to visit the Big Boy with Yugi-San in Texas but left Kato before the trip was finalized.
I am sure Hiroshi has some opinions of his own on prototype selection but am not aware that he has other than a professional interest in trains like his father did.
Charlie Vlk

Hiroshi-san isn’t quite as generally ‘train-happy’ as his father was, but ‘Big Boy fever’ definitely was transferred to him.
 It’s one of the locomotives/projects that lights his face whenever mentioned.

[robert3985]

Good for you Bob!  How about yourself?  Do you have cam sensors installed on your sound-equipped steam engine models?
I'll also raise you that I know of lots more modelers (even just on this forum) that use virtual cam sensor in their sound-equipped steam locos, and are quite content with that option. 

Good for me that I know a lot of modelers more picky than I am??? Lol!

Nope, I'm not picky about it with DCC sound, but...I installed several cams on N-scale steam engines when I was fooling around with PFM sound waaaay back when. 

Thank the model railroad Gods those days are over.

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[ncbqguy]

Hiroshi-san isn’t quite as generally ‘train-happy’ as his father was, but ‘Big Boy fever’ definitely was transferred to him.
 It’s one of the locomotives/projects that lights his face whenever mentioned.

Yugi-san  was an enthusiast and model builder who started off building custom brass HO models after WWII.  I doubt Hiroshi has any personnel models or has built a layout as an adult.   The drive for the Big Boy originated in Tokyo from a group of modelers who want Japanese-made US prototypes even when a state of the art model is already available.  At the time NO request was made for a Big Boy and all the Kato USA staff was opposed to the project.  We had other projects that our customers were asking for....
Since so many years have passed since the project was started, I’m sure it will sell even though only a handful of Model Railroaders have a layout that justifies such a limited (albeit “famous”) prototype.  Unlike the similar attraction of GG1s, at least the recent resurrection of the 4014 for advertising gives an excuse for one on more layouts. 
I hope Hiroshi still has a smile on his face from profits justifying years of resources  that could have been devoted to multiple other projects.
Charlie Vlk

[mmagliaro]

Somewhat tangential, but... about this idea that using dual motors isn't going to cause the two engine trucks to
go in and out of sync.  On the contrary, I would expect that there's no way they will stay in sync. 

Some of you recall the dual-motored PRR T1 I built years ago.  I can tell you from first-hand experience that those driver sets go in and out of sync all the time. 

Small amounts of wheel slip happen here and there all the time even when you don't see it. 

[kscessandriver]

Not to beat a dead horse, but I finally put DCC in my DC only from the factory model. Turns out, this run isn't NEM651 (6 pin), but rather NEM662 (Next18). That would make adding ESULoksound super easy, if one wanted to go that route. I just put a LokPilot in for now, but it runs great.