More praise for the MRC/Model Power Mikado

[jdcolombo]

Nato recently posted his review of the new MRC/Model Power Mike - his with the factory sound/DCC install.  Because I like to roll my own on the sound front, I ordered one of the DCC-ready units (a Pennsy, that I re-lettered for the NKP) and put in an ESU Loksound with a Knowles Donau 11x15 speaker.

Here is a video of the results:

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Like Nato, I am very impressed with this unit.  The video shows that the low-speed performance is very smooth (as well as showing how good the ESU Loksound chuff sync is).  The electrical contact overall still isn't quite as good as the new Bachmann engines (e.g., the Berk or the K4) with their excellent tender pickup, but I was able to eliminate any glitches via 880uf of keeper caps.   And as Nato found out, the thing pulls a ton - it easily outpulls all of my Berks and my Kato Mikes (with traction tire drivers installed, BTW); the new K4 also is a great puller, but the MRC/MP Mike beats it handily.   The NKP had a ton of light Mikes (the Kato version is the USRA Heavy Mike), and although these are not exactly the NKP prototype (which was based on the New York Central's design), I might need to add a few more.

The only donwsides were the horrid truck-mounted McHenry coupler, which I promptly cut off and replaced with a MT 1015 on an .020 styrene shim, and the equally horrid dummy front coupler, which I replaced with an MT Z-scale coupler.  All in all, pretty good results from a half-day's work installing the decoder/speaker, replacing the couplers, and doing a bit of preliminary weathering.

John C.

[strummer]

Very nice. Other than what looks like cast-on handrails, it's a handsome model; and what a great paint scheme!

You did a really nice job on this...

Mark in Oregon

[Nick Lorusso]

Very nice looking locomotive, & as usual sounds great.

[nickelplate759]

Impressive!

By the way, what happened to the tender of 2-8-0 #915?  Decoder overheat?

[strummer]

Wow, I hadn't noticed that....

Mark in Oregon

[jdcolombo]

Impressive!

By the way, what happened to the tender of 2-8-0 #915?  Decoder overheat?

Blew a tantalum cap.   It's the only one I've had fail out of literally over a hundred that I've used in sound installs.  I've got another Bachmann tender shell, but just haven't had the gumption to replace it.  And now I've gotten used to looking at it, and it may even add "character" to the engine roster!

John C.

[nscaler711]

Nice!
Now if I can just get my blasted Bmann Northern run that smooth... 

[mcjaco]

Really nice.  My older run of the Pacific runs quite well, and did lots of laps around the Christmas tree last year.  Wish the detailing was better, but MP does have some good steam.

[SandyEggoJake]

Nice.  Is that the LokSound 73814?

As for the blown cap on your connie, was that part of a standard product (and if so, who's) or your own added "stay alive" circ?

[jdcolombo]

Nice.  Is that the LokSound 73814?

As for the blown cap on your connie, was that part of a standard product (and if so, who's) or your own added "stay alive" circ?

1. Yes
2. My own circuit

John C.

[SandyEggoJake]

Cool.  I'm stuffing the same LokSound 73814 into a fleet of MP Vandies as we speak. 

My hold up de jour is a debate with myself on how to best upgrade the trucks to all wheel pickup.  Plan A was to use Bmann's for all wheel pickup, modified to fit the MP tender.  But given my prototypes used an friction bearing archbar with elliptical springs, I'm considering a fresh start with 3DP trucks designed to fits the MRC/MP tenders, but also have B'mann like low friction wheel point pick up instead of axle wipers. 

[jdcolombo]

Cool.  I'm stuffing the same LokSound 73814 into a fleet of MP Vandies as we speak. 

Take photos - a lot of people ask about doing sound installs in Vandy tenders.  I've never done one myself, and seeing how the components lay out would be a big help to the modeling community.

John C.