Bachmann 2-8-4 Berkshire/Kanawha in stock at M.B. Klein

[jdcolombo]

Just a note for those of you doing CV changes.

I've played around some more with mine, and have come to the conclusion that on at least one of my engines, "flipping" the values I had in CV209 and 210 provided a tad smoother performance: CV9=230; CV10=30.  I have no idea exactly why this is; I am certain an engineer who fully understood the PID system and what Kp and Ki actually do could offer some insight.  I just experiment until things seem better . . .

John C.

EDIT:

Here's what I've been able to achieve at speed step 1 (this unit has been renumbered to 749; I've also removed the white tire paint and given the drivers a coat of Neolube):

[seusscaboose]

John
is the pulling power  better than the previous LL release?

how many cars does it pull out of the box on a flat?

Eric

[jdcolombo]

John
is the pulling power  better than the previous LL release?

how many cars does it pull out of the box on a flat?

Eric

Hi Eric.

All three of mine are essentially the same: they will pull 25 of my NMRA-weighted cars (1 oz. or more) around my flat layout.   I suspect they would easily do 30-35 "regular" cars (e.g., as weighted from the factory) on the flat.  They do slow down a bit around my 90-degree and 180-degree 15" radius curves, but never stall.   They also are better weighted than the LL Berks; they don't have the tendency to lift the front drivers that the LL units have.

With much fine-tuning, I've gotten mine running at about 90% of the smoothness of the LL units.   Overall, I'm pretty happy with them, although I suspect that one day I will gut the tenders and install an ESU LokSound with a larger speaker (I replaced the 15mm round with a 9 x 16mm Knowles Fox in a separate enclosure, which improved things considerably, but a 13x18mm Knowles would be much better).

John C.

[seusscaboose]

Thanks john!

[victor miranda]

hi seusscaboose,

if it does not pull enough, come visit me.
I'll take a file to it.

victor

[seusscaboose]

I always do amigo!

but shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh....  you're my Ace up my Sleeve.

[jdcolombo]

Hey, no fair having Victor work on yours!

John

[seusscaboose]

hey

life's not fair....

just another reason for you to come to Baltimore and visit

[victor miranda]

Hey, no fair having Victor work on yours!

John

so far, DCC has escaped my bag-o-tricks.

I can deal with it and I am not a leader in that art.

[nickelplate759]

Mine runs nicely after tuning, but now it's squeaking (when the sound is muted) a bit.  Anyone else hearing that?

George

[Mark5]

OK.

Here you go:

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John C.

Thanks John, unfortunately that is still unacceptable to me (I grew up next to a major classification yard and I know how a loco is supposed to move).

(this will cement my reputation as a lunatic modeler! ).

Luckily for me this is not a "must have" loco.

Mark

[strummer]

If I may comment on the video...

First off,nice layout;love all those Alcos!

The Berkshire seems to be running pretty well. It's a shame it took so much work to get it to that stage, although whenever I see what's available these days,I am reminded of how crappy (for the most part) N scale engines back in the late 60's-early 70's were.

It's no Kato,but still...nice job.

Mark in Oregon

[jdcolombo]

Thanks John, unfortunately that is still unacceptable to me (I grew up next to a major classification yard and I know how a loco is supposed to move).

(this will cement my reputation as a lunatic modeler! ).

Luckily for me this is not a "must have" loco.

Mark

I agree that it's not capable of the kind of performance that nearly any split-frame diesel can manage, or even that the EM-1; FEF; or Walthers/LL Berks can do.  I can get my LL Berks to run so slow at speed step 1 that is hard to tell the drivers are even moving!  I still wonder, though, if it would do better with a Zimo MX621, ESU, or Lenz providing the motor control.   I have never been able to get a Tsunami to provide really-slow creep no matter what, which is why I use a Lenz Silver Mini for motor control in my LL Berks and the Tsunami just for sound.  If ESU had better two-cylinder steam sound files, I'd just change out everything to that, but I still find the Tsunami's steam sound more compelling than ESU's.

But I'm pretty confident that what is in this video is as good as it's going to get with the Tsunami.  For me, it's good enough given that (1) you can't model the NKP in 1957 without Berks and (2) the pulling power, electrical pickup and overall "balance" of the engine is vastly superior to the Walthers/LL offering.   And at last I have a model with the Mars light . . . sigh . . . For that, I'll give up a bit of smoothness and the last bit of slow speed crawl (but what I wouldn't give to have Kato do a version of its FEF mechanism as a Berk . . . )

John

[jdcolombo]

If I may comment on the video...

First off,nice layout;love all those Alcos!

The Berkshire seems to be running pretty well. It's a shame it took so much work to get it to that stage, although whenever I see what's available these days,I am reminded of how crappy (for the most part) N scale engines back in the late 60's-early 70's were.

It's no Kato,but still...nice job.

Mark in Oregon

Thanks for the comments; the Alcos have sound, too!

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John C.

[Mark5]

For me, it's good enough given that (1) you can't model the NKP in 1957 without Berks and (2) the pulling power, electrical pickup and overall "balance" of the engine is vastly superior to the Walthers/LL offering.   And at last I have a model with the Mars light . . . sigh . . . For that, I'll give up a bit of smoothness and the last bit of slow speed crawl (but what I wouldn't give to have Kato do a version of its FEF mechanism as a Berk . . . )

John

I'm totally with you here. If I was modeling NKP I'd be doing everything to make it work.

(I meant no disrespect)

Mark