The Turbines Are Coming! The Turbines Are Coming!

[u18b]

Glad yours have worked out so well.

I have called the motor saddle issue a minor design flaw.

Minor, because if you think about it, as long as the motor is not locked up, as the motor spins, it will continue to scrape the plastic on the motor saddle.
This process will not go on forever.  Eventually, the plastic will wear such that it does not scrape any more.

So these locos will run better with time as far as this issue goes.

I confess, it makes me wonder if Scale Trains (or someone in their manufacturing chain) knew about this.
The reason I say this is because the sample I looked at ..... when the motor cover was screwed down properly, it actually locked the motor up.  Loco would not run at all.  So if it was running when the owner got it, it must be because someone at factory or Scale Trains backed off the screws a bit.  So it was running when sold.

The owner was a tinkerer
There was some performance issue he wanted to improve... or he peeked inside "just because" (I almost always disassemble a loco some time after I get it).
THAT's when things went really bad.... because he simply tightened the screws like any person would.   That was when he began to discover that something was not quite right.

Actually, I'm very pleased yours run so well, but I would hazard a guess that the lid screws on yours are not tightened down all the way.  And if they were, you would possibly see a degrade in performance.

But there is no doubt these are amazing locos in N scale.

[mu26aeh]

I confess, it makes me wonder if Scale Trains (or someone in their manufacturing chain) knew about this.
The reason I say this is because the sample I looked at ..... when the motor cover was screwed down properly, it actually locked the motor up.  Loco would not run at all.  So if it was running when the owner got it, it must be because someone at factory or Scale Trains backed off the screws a bit.  So it was running when sold.

Has anyone contacted Scale Trains regarding these questions/findings you guys have found ?  They are a member here, did anyone tag them ?  @scaletrains ??

[C855B]

Actually, I had to open mine up to install decoders, it wasn't on a whim. My second set is was running OK, but the A had a mystery short the other day (which disappeared equally mysteriously), so I have a bad feeling one of the truck wires have broken at the solder joint, just like the several that Ron and I dealt with.

It's good you have no problems with yours, but we're not alone with the issues: http://www.spookshow.net/loco/stcturbine.html

> IMHO they raised the bar for other manufacturers.

In one respect - the fine modeling. The chassis is a regression.

[C855B]

Has anyone contacted Scale Trains regarding these questions/findings you guys have found ?  They are a member here, did anyone tag them ?  @scaletrains ??

@Mark W had a detailed discussion and demonstration of (decoder-related) issues with a ScaleTrains staffer, probably Michael Hopkin. I have had correspondence with Michael, as well, about chassis design in general, the wheel wipers specifically, and the difficult serviceability. They are aware.

[genemaddox]

I don't post very often, but I have been reading the 11 pages of this topic with great interest. I have 3 of these turbines, 1 with DC and 2 with DCC/sound, I have not had too many issues with these but tried running #26 and found the "B" unit was not running and had no sound either, the "A" unit is doing fine.In reading all the pages I do not recall if anybody encountered this problem, so if I missed it I apologize. I did take the "B" unit down to the motor to see if I had some rubbing issues with the armature but could not find anything, so I reassembled it and it is running now but the sound is not working, anybody got any ideas?

Gene Maddox
Texas

[u18b]

Has anyone contacted Scale Trains regarding these questions/findings you guys have found ?  They are a member here, did anyone tag them ?  @scaletrains ??

Yes.  I personally sent them a gracious email about what I had found about the motor saddle, providing a link to this thread.

They responded back with gratitude saying the information would be passed on to their engineers.

I wish them the very best and hope to see many more good offerings from them.

[mu26aeh]

Excellent.  I don't have a dog in this fight, but depending on what other N scale locomotives they bring to market hopefully they'll move on from these experienced issues and have a better product from the start

[atsf3751]

Just curious if the HO guys have also had issues with their turbines or is this only an N Scale problem.

I saw one thing on the parts page for the A unit that interests me. It is called "Cab Heater, late" and is a separate part that could have been easily cast as part of the shell. Does that mean another run with "Cab Heater, early"?

If, or should I say when, the default coupler fails I will install 1015s. Half of them have already been replaced with a drawbar and a True Scale coupler. Since mine are running without problems I am not going to open them up until it is necessary to lube them.

[Roger Holmes]

My set is still with Mike Hopkin in California. First the unprogrammable A unit decoder (the B and tender programmed with ease) and then the "exploding" coupler issue with 28 MT cars on zero grade.  Mike emailed the other day to say that they received a factory sample of the redesigned coupler which they tweeked and said would go into production this week.  I sent mine back within a week of their release and when I was told about the coupler redesign I asked them to keep it until they had the new couplers to install.

I'll post when I get mine back.  I fondly recall that they looked gorgeous

[strummer]

It's good you have no problems with yours, but we're not alone with the issues: http://www.spookshow.net/loco/stcturbine.html

Not my thing, but I do enjoy reading Mark's reviews...

Mark in Oregon

[Roger Holmes]

I received word yesterday that my repaired Turbine was shipped from California with a replaced A unit decoder and, most importantly, the first installation of the newly redesigned couplers.  Scale Trains' Mike Hopkins said that I would be the first customer to try these when my turbine arrives in Illinois.  He said they are more robust and resolve coupler height issues.  He also managed to remove the coupler screw that I broke off in the B unit chassis.

I'll post my results but I don't have macro photo capacity so all I can post are cell phone photos.

[Roger Holmes]

I finally had a little time to test out my repaired GTEL with the newly designed couplers.  When I first received the set it never made it once around my layout (about a 4 minute trip) without major coupler issues.  Last night they ran flawlessly for at least 30 minutes hauling 35 mostly MT cars.  The new couplers mated easily with MT's.  No issues!

I don't have the old couplers for reference but these seem larger and are definitely more robust.  They still have springs in the knuckle which have all stayed in place so far.  Decoder issue also resolved when Scale Trains replaced the A unit decoder.

Happy customer

[peteski]

I don't have the old couplers for reference but these seem larger and are definitely more robust.  They still have springs in the knuckle which have all stayed in place so far.

These are nice looking models, but one thing N sclae doesn't need is another even larger knuckle coupler!    "Smaller" is the key word. Arnold/Hornby is going in the right direction. 

[peteski]

8. Finally, someone asked about our experience.  Our four founders have over 130-years experience in the model railroad hobby and Industry.  We recently shipped the N Scale “Big Blow” Turbine and received numerous compliments.  Our team also played an integral role in the development of the following Athearn N scale freight cars: ACF 2970 Covered Hopper, GATC 2600 Airslide, PS2 2893 Covered Hopper, 30K Ethanol Tank Car, 33K LPG Tank Car, and much more.

Sincerely,
Shane

I quoted relevant part of Shane's post from another thread as I thought it would be appropriate to post it here.  While I applaud them for taking the risk and producing this unique set of locos which might have been well received (I bought a set myself), they do have some issues (as this thread indicates). Even with their combined 150 years of model railroad experience, the mechanical design of these models is not what I would consider up to the current design standards (I use Kato and Atlas as my design standard reference).

The quality control also seems to not be as good as many other model RR manufacturers.  I'm not bashing Scale trains (heck, I gave them a good chunk of change myself) - just stating my opinion based on my personal experience with the Big Blow and by factual statements made in this thread by other owners.