Buying MTH non-Proto or Proto 1 Engines today: MISTAKE or OKAY?

Like I said, the sounds keep going, so I know it's getting power just fine, and keep going.  There is something on the board between the power in and the motors that is breaking the circuit.

A momentary power interruption trips the e-unit into neutral, but the sounds continue because the interruption is only momentary. The cause of the interruption can be internal or external. 

its sad what a nosedive these fine engines took in value . i bought mine because i badly wanted a scale hudson,not to resell . mth must have made alot of these, they are going as low as $300-350 on thebay. -jim

I bought one last year and upgraded it to PS2 this past spring.  It is really nice, and as I recall it was in the low $300s.

What are those pink bags? They look like anti-reproductive devices.

Anti-static bags for storing electronics.

Gilly

I have 2 PS-1 diesels with BCRs installed.

I have switched to running command control engines exclusively.  I am thinking about pulling the guts out of the engines and running them as dummy engines.  This would be much cheaper than buying new dummy diesels.

Joe 

I know several of us would love to have your PS-1 electronics.

I was simply saying that if he upgrades his locomotives, I do know that several of us on the forums, myself included, would like to have/buy his PS-1 boards.  Knowing that they aren't made anymore I try to snatch up old ones that work to have as spares.  I have fixed 4 locomotives that way.

I have purchased a few older Premier PS-1 diesels since I wanted a particular diesel type in a particular roadname no longer available. I will run these "as is" until a board fails. Then I will either convert to conventional E reverse or keep them as a "dummy". I do have one available PS-2 upgrade kit should I decide to repair /upgrade one of the PS-1 engines. 

I have a Z4000 that will be used for controlling the PS-1s.

I also run PS-2 and PS-3 diesels using DCS.  

All my steam models are conventional types (Lionel and RailKing) and Loco-sound.

Gunrunner john do you still have PS 1 boards you would like to sell?

In reality, if the locomotive is in sound condition and appears okay, I would run it. I cannot see why one would not. Unless there were issues not seen.

Pete

I have a locosound mohawk that will get down and pull a long trains.Just as well as my ps2 locomotives.A will smoke like mount helens.The only down side is the whistle.Oh and it will move at pretty good clip to.

For me, I like buying proto1 engines for the right price so that I can make them into non powereds.  There are certain older paint schemes that can only be found in ps1 engines.  I also keep as many parts as possible to use as spares.  

Anyone want to sell any proto 1 boards?

Terrance L.

   I have Lionel conventional Tin Plate Engines much older than any MTH product, Just this year I purchased a Lionel 264 Tin Plate Train from on of the OGR members. Got to admit my P1 stuff has all been sold, to help pay for the P2, Z4K and DCS. It all depends on what you like to run, each person in this hobby likes different trains, nothing wrong with anything conventional or P1, heck right now I would purchase another P2 engine before I bought P3, however I just went into Legacy and have an incredible Legacy Shay engine, along with FT Command Control switches.  The great thing about our hobby is that you can have both conventional & remote control engines

running at the same time, and most times I do.

PCRR/Dave

For me... I would only buy Premier PS1 engines.  That way if they do fail, an upgrade would still be worth it and cost effective.

Ron

I don't need the latest electronics, so a PS1 at the current prices is hard to resist.  I know a prominent dealer who doesn't even bother with a BCR - he just puts in a new rechargeable battery and makes sure it's charged before starting each time.

Well I  am of a mixed opinion on this.  If you are a conventional operator, you can't do much better for the money, but as others have said, maintenance could be a concern. 

I have a few ps1 engines, my favorite being a conrail c30-7 which still has what I consider the best horn in o gauge.  However when I started to sell a few things to raise money for a new engine I couldn't believe how low the prices dropped on the ps1 locos. I actually started a thread "lamenting ps1 loss of value", that took on a life of its own for a while. 

I just received my first ps2 upgrade kit, so now I have to decide which unit it will go into. Anyway as long as you know its not a basket case, I wouldn't be afraid of a ps1, but to ech their own.  Good luck. 

Of course is is all about price.  It it is good then yes, go ahead.  

But I'm a conventional operator and I avoid PS1 if I can.   The sound is noticeably below the quality of both PS3 (better) and the latest Legacy (much better), and while PS1 will run okay in conventional, it does not run quite as smoothly, slownew RK NW-2 is awesome in conventional) or Legacy.  Yes, you can upgrade them, but why go to the trouble if there are other options?

As mentioned elsewhere, I'll be installing Cruise Commander in a PS1 GG1.  Can't wait to run the thing under CC.  

By all rights I should just dump the thing and hope to find a newer, better issue by Lionel or 3rd Rail or whatever.   Against all perceived logic I chose to keep something I have way too much money in and pour more into it.  I felt the hit I'd take by selling it for peanuts and the potential fortune I'd pay for a replacement just seemed way crazier.

Bruce

They are most likely going to be on sale for much lower price than today's locomotives.

They will not be Command Control, but you should be able to get some remote operation response.

They sound good, compared to no sounds.

You have to take the battery and fully charge it before using it.

If you like to run conventional operations, Proto.Sounds will work fine.

Andrew

I have a number of Premier PS1 and I do enjoy them.  The absence of cruise IMHO is their biggest downfall.  Myself, I would not think it is prudent to upgrade to cruise because you'd have to gut the electronics and replace, probably about $300.  Now you have a pricey converted PS1 which would take a hit on the re-sell market.  Another annoyance (IMHO) is the way PS1s tend to rev up and down continually on a layout as they are very sensitive to track power.  Well, at least this happens on my layout, and it is small!

Stack

Since PS/1 monitors track power to generate the prime mover (or chuff) sounds, any variations in track power will cause a change in the sound.   Remember, this is about 20 year old technology.

I bought two engines that were not available except in PS-1, from a former MTH dealer in Cayucos, California, several years ago.  One was a zebra striped Santa Fe Fairbanks-Morse switch engine, and that was the one and only issue of this engine in this scheme.  The other was a Southern Pacific Baldwin AS6-16, which, at that time was not reissued, but has since been made again by MTH.

I promptly took both units to Chuck Sartor, who was then at Mizell Trains in the Denver area, and he put PS2 kits in them.  I had to wait about 6 months for the kits to be available.

Both engines are good runners.  Neither has smoke, because MTH did not build them with smoke units, but they otherwise do everything any PS2 engine would do.  

The SP AS616 is by far my best runner, of 15 diesels and 4 steam engines.  Just like the prototype, it will pull all the cars I can couple to it, and it is very low-maintenance.  It has never failed to start when I push the button on the remote.