Rapido FL9s in the house!

[OldEastRR]

Geez! Really?!
 I'm sure the FL9 has the standard 6-pin NEM socket and will accept a standard plug-n-play 6-pin decoder.    No hard-wiring anything for goodness sakes!

Obviously I'm talking about pre-DCC era locos, from Kato F3s (first edition) through DL109s and all the Atlas-Kato models. Anybody wanting to put decoders into their old HO locos will have a lot easier time finding space w/o major work but favorite old DC N locos require milled frames, etc. Those of you with no money constraints just go out and buy the new DCC-ready locos to replace the same models of old DC-only ones; not  everybody can do that.

[rapidotrains]

It may be some time before the Rapido folks receive decoder requests or have the ability to get them to the folks that request them...


Winners and losers already clear as a Canada Post strike or lockout draws nearer

Couriers see dollar signs, small businesses brace for the worst as time runs out in contract talks

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-post-possible-strike-couriers-1.3659132

We will courier a bunch down to Bill and he will ship them out, so no worries.

-Jason

[MichaelWinicki]

We will courier a bunch down to Bill and he will ship them out, so no worries.

-Jason

Good job Jason!

I hope it doesn't happen (strike/lockout).

Some of my customers in Canada could be waiting a while to get their products.

[dougnelson]

We will courier a bunch down to Bill and he will ship them out, so no worries.

-Jason

Hey Jason-
Love the FL9 and can't wait to get my OB coaches. Any chance of getting NH 8600 fluted stainless coaches in N scale.  They would be the perfect cars to run behind the FL9s!

[peteski]

Obviously I'm talking about pre-DCC era locos, from Kato F3s (first edition) through DL109s and all the Atlas-Kato models. Anybody wanting to put decoders into their old HO locos will have a lot easier time finding space w/o major work but favorite old DC N locos require milled frames, etc. Those of you with no money constraints just go out and buy the new DCC-ready locos to replace the same models of old DC-only ones; not  everybody can do that.

Why did you even bring up the older non-DCC-friendly locos here? We were specifically discussing the way Rapido decided to handle DC-powered/non-sound DCC FL9s.  Even if we wanted to inject older models into this conversation, there are no older N scale models of FL9s. 

[Missaberoad]

We will courier a bunch down to Bill and he will ship them out, so no worries.

-Jason

@rapidotrains stop being so awesome! +1 for you sir... 

[R L Smith]

Why did you even bring up the older non-DCC-friendly locos here? We were specifically discussing the way Rapido decided to handle DC-powered/non-sound DCC FL9s.  Even if we wanted to inject older models into this conversation, there are no older N scale models of FL9s. 

Peteski, I interpreted Old East's post as hypothesizing about the differences between the HO and N DC/DCC markets that Rapido addressed in their newsletter.  He wasn't addressing the FL9 specifically. In the context of Rapido's newsletter, I think it was a fair statement.  Thread drift perhaps, but a fair statement...

Just my $0.02. 

Ron

[peteski]

Peteski, I interpreted Old East's post as hypothesizing about the differences between the HO and N DC/DCC markets that Rapido addressed in their newsletter.  He wasn't addressing the FL9 specifically. In the context of Rapido's newsletter, I think it was a fair statement.  Thread drift perhaps, but a fair statement...

Just my $0.02. 

Ron

The way I saw it was that people were griping about having to send away for a free decoder and install (really,just plug it in), then the official explanation (is posted (which basically says what I expected) and Old East chimes in with who difficult it is to install a wired-in decoder in N scale vs. H0 (which to me seemed totally inapplicable to the conversation ad that time).  It sounded like just another gripe about Rapidos solution.

That's how I saw it. That is the problem if online forums: there is no real-time conversation - just snippets of everybody's thoughts in a serial fashion.

[OldEastRR]

Peteski, I interpreted Old East's post as hypothesizing about the differences between the HO and N DC/DCC markets that Rapido addressed in their newsletter.  He wasn't addressing the FL9 specifically. In the context of Rapido's newsletter, I think it was a fair statement.  Thread drift perhaps, but a fair statement...

Just my $0.02. 

Ron

This. I was referring to Rapido's claim that more N scalers than HO want DC-only locos. My theory is that guys who've been in N or HO for a while  have a lot of DC locos that work fine and a new bunch of DCC locos. In considering changing to DCC, the work involved in hardwiring an HO loco is easier compared to the work needed to do the same to a metal-framed N one. Reason being the HO locos have lots of open space under the shell so no major milling or cramped wiring is required. N scalers as a whole might be less inclined to change their DC to DCC systems rather than face reworking frames of umpteen DC locos. Maybe those guys would rather have a DC only loco rather than paying for a DCC loco at extra cost, I believe. Sort of like the guys who still drive cars that work best on leaded gas -- there's no leaded gas anymore. Unfortunately new technology always makes losers as well as winners.
Even if one could afford to replace all DC locos with DCC/DC ones, there still are locos like DL109, FA2, Berkshire, etc that have no DCC versions available. (yes, I own all those locos)

[peteski]

This. I was referring to Rapido's claim that more N scalers than HO want DC-only locos. My theory is that guys who've been in N or HO for a while  have a lot of DC locos that work fine and a new bunch of DCC locos. In considering changing to DCC, the work involved in hardwiring an HO loco is easier compared to the work needed to do the same to a metal-framed N one. Reason being the HO locos have lots of open space under the shell so no major milling or cramped wiring is required. N scalers as a whole might be less inclined to change their DC to DCC systems rather than face reworking frames of umpteen DC locos. Maybe those guys would rather have a DC only loco rather than paying for a DCC loco at extra cost, I believe. Sort of like the guys who still drive cars that work best on leaded gas -- there's no leaded gas anymore. Unfortunately new technology always makes losers as well as winners.
Even if one could afford to replace all DC locos with DCC/DC ones, there still are locos like DL109, FA2, Berkshire, etc that have no DCC versions available. (yes, I own all those locos)

You do have a valid point - I've heard many times that modelers who have a large collection of DC locos are not willing to convert  to DCC. That is not just in N scale. But their reasoning seems to be more the cost of decoders than the difficulty of converting the models to DCC. But as you mentioned, looking at H0 and N, it is more difficult to convert older N scale models to DCC.

But going back to Rapido's FL9, to me the choice they made in making one a true-DC with an option to plug in a free decoder really makes sense to me.

You know people who still daily drive cars with engines which run on regular (leaded) gasoline!?  Really.    They better add lead substitute to their gas to prevent damage to the engine's valve seats!  The only people I know who still drive that type of cars is the classic and antique car drivers. Those cars aren't daily drivers but meticulously preserved vehicles.  My 1976 Camaro (with a 1971 engine) needs leaded gas, but it is far from being my daily driver. 

[OldEastRR]

Cars (and trucks) on the West Coast last pretty long. I see oldies tooling around every once in a while.

[John]

Then I find it funny how people complain about installing a decoder when most of the time they don't like the factory decoder and change it anyways.

I always prefer to install my own ..