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MTH P42 and F40PH (Heritage)

Mike DeBergMike DeBergOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER

While at a recent show, I couldn't resist a couple Amtrak Heritage units.  Although neither were the ones I wanted, they looked decent enough not to pass on them even though the P42 was 3R. Both have Proto-Sound 3.0 which make the compatible with DCC out of the box.  Having just purchased a couple of the HO Scale Kato P42's with LOKsound I was anxious to hear how the MTH sound on the P42 would compare.  Although decent, definitely not as good as the LOKsound.  The sound on the F40PH was even more of a disappointment, as the horn was not a K5LA so it will require some changing things around with DCS. The horn detail part itself is also wrong. Both are typical MTH with decent detail, although quite a bit could be upgraded to better match the prototypes. 

 

I may still move the sideframes in on both locomotives, attach the ladders to the body (instead of the trucks), and do some detail work on the pilots.   Otherwise, here are a some photos from the evenings work effort.

 

 

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Last edited by Mike DeBerg
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Boilermaker1Boilermaker1OGR Forum Member

Well, the good thing is you can rip the sound out of the F40PH, as the real heritage 406 is an NPCU. I havent seen the new run F40 up close, but its quite disappointing that they put the wrong horn on it, considering they've put the right one on it in the past. I too was somewhat disappointed with the genesis sound file, especially considering how easy it would be for MTH to go and record a real one, but above all else the thing that bugs me about the genesis is that the catalog shows it with the headlight notch (like it really should have) and the model came in with the "glass" enclosed light as the P42s were originally delivered.

 

One thing I'm curious about... how easy was it to fix the pilots on the genesis? I noticed they have kadee mounts in the pilots already, but really looked no further than that. Did you have to drill mounts in the frame and/or shim it? Or are there already mounting holes in the frame for it?

Mike DeBergMike DeBergOGR Forum Member SUPPORTING MEMBERDIGITAL SUBSCRIBER
Very true about the F40PH.  Still cool to have sound in it... especially the right horn and bell. How hard can it be.  
 
I also think now that the nose section is removable it would be nice to update the shell in a later run to correct that and some of the other changes like the headlight, etc..
 
Well I pulled the shell off, actually fairly easy (6 screws) and went to town.  Pulled the trucks off, took off the couplers, unplugged them from the board, mounted kadee couplers (estimated 5 shims) from the height gauge and it turned out to be correct!
 
From there I got out the grinder and cut the pilot sections, drilled and tapped holes for 4-40 screws, but could have used 2-56.  I used a triangular pattern for the front to secure the pilot, so 3 holes/screws in the front.  2 in the back, although I may add a 3rd one if I cut the loops off the trucks.   I'd like to get normal shank kadee's on it.. For some reason the normal trick of cutting the back of the draft gear box still didn't work for the F40PH.
 
Definitely no existing holes in the chassis for attaching these parts.  I also had to drill one extra hole in the front and two in the back in the pilot sections.  I suspect if MTH offers a scale wheel version in the future, it wouldn't be that difficult to change the pieces to accept these mounting holes. 
 
 
Originally Posted by Boilermaker1:

Well, the good thing is you can rip the sound out of the F40PH, as the real heritage 406 is an NPCU.  I havent seen the new run F40 up close, but its quite disappointing that they put the wrong horn on it, considering they've put the right one on it in the past. I too was somewhat disappointed with the genesis sound file, especially considering how easy it would be for MTH to go and record a real one, but above all else the thing that bugs me about the genesis is that the catalog shows it with the headlight notch (like it really should have) and the model came in with the "glass" enclosed light as the P42s were originally delivered.

 

One thing I'm curious about... how easy was it to fix the pilots on the genesis? I noticed they have kadee mounts in the pilots already, but really looked no further than that. Did you have to drill mounts in the frame and/or shim it? Or are there already mounting holes in the frame for it?

 

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