MTH Premier Allegheny?

I have both issues of the C&O H-8 from MTH. The first, #1604 has been up-graded to 2.0, and the second run, #1647, was already 2.0. Both run beautifully and will pull huge trains, each one singlehandedly hauls my 60 MTH 2-bay coal hoppers.

My only complaint was the later run, #1647, had gold C&O lettering and numbers, instead of yellow. Heavy weathering seemed to take care of that.

Heres video, ( not mine) not sure if you've seen this.

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Nice video, and it clearly shows off the CORRECT C&O "hooter" style whistle! Many folks do not like the C&O whistles that MTH has recorded and installed in their C&O freight steam models, like the 2-6-6-6 and the 2-8-4, but they are indeed CORRECT for C&O!

I plan on ordering one. I have the 1604 (20-3017-1) and its been upgraded to PS2. Never could get the 1647 (20-3015-1) because funds went to other C&O engines at the time. My uncle fired H8s, but didn't make engineer in time before the C&O took them out of service. He preferred firing the later versions of the H8s. He commented that they drafted better. Both the T1 and the H8 were his favor engines during a long career as a C&O railroad hand. Although he worked for all three name changes, he only admitted to working for the C&O!

Thank you everyone for the reply's so far. Thank you ARC for that story. I like the sound of the hooter whistle on the video, and the chuffing sounds good also.

Bill

I have two of them  They are my favorite engines  Have the new one on order

I picked one up on eBay, proto 2 with the old host tether other then that she runs great. got lucky paid 800 new in the box.

I heard this sound set after I loaded it and thought the whistle sound was funny. It has a digital sound like it's repeating and not realistic. I did not know that it was the most correct. I actually chose an older sound set that's probably wrong then?(whistle)

Still nailin' those deals, eh John? Good find.

Yes Matt, Jessie James is not the only one that robbed trains. snipped that bugger with 2 seconds left, beat out someone by 5.00 bucks, that had to hurt I feel his pain cause I have been their many times. Paid 806.55  and it runs great! All set to buy a house and it is falling through because of this stinking housing surge, speculators are at it again. Crocked builders.  I going to get a big tent and live in it, or live were we are and rent a 20X40 storage place with a good .Receptacle in it.

More crooks in this area then California.

I just received the MTH 20-3017-1 Allegheny today and it is still equipped with proto sounds by QSI. As soon as I powered it on the bell chimes twice and the engine running sounds come on with the lights as well. I turned it off and it rang the bell once and shut off so I replaced the battery and it stays on about 5 seconds longer now since its just a new uncharged battery. I am using a MTH Z1000 transformer and nothing works on this engine outside of what I mentioned above. The bell button does nothing, the whistle button makes the bell ring once and that's it no matter how high I have the throttle. The worst part is that the direction button doesn't do anything either except make the lights flash and interrupt the running sounds. The train doesn't move in reverse at all and it only moves forward at full throttle after hitting the direction button a few times then it fly's down the track at full speed. If anybody has any suggestions as to why this engine is acting this way please let me know and thanks.

"I just received the MTH 20-3017-1 Allegheny today and it is still equipped with proto sounds by QSI."

 I'm not as good as most guys here with PS1. The only one I had was in my Allegheny, the same engine you have. The battery needs the full charge. Also, the throttle was very touchy to get all the things to activate perfectly. The horn and bell worked, but I remember the bell was a bugger.

 I upgraded mine to PS2 because I didn't have the patience. The original sounds were pretty good I thought. The performance got perfected with the upgrade. It's been the grandkids favorite engine so it has to run when asked!!

Id order one if MTH was running some two rail versions but alas its not so!       Stephen    (cTr...Choose the Right)

cdc1026, the proto sound MTH products power-up in "Initial reset" mode NOT neutral mode.  To "shift" these units at initial power-up from "initial reset" to "forward mode" the voltage must be say 8 to 10v NOT exceeding 10v.  After coming out of this "initial reset"mode the voltage does not matter.  You can go from forward to neutral to reverse to neutral to forward, etc. etc. etc.

But also the earliest of these products were designed with/for a pure sine wave power and a Z1000 is not pure sine wave.  But I do not think this Allegheny falls into this group especially if the number is a 20-XXXX versus a LP-XXXX.

So try powering up to a voltage a little less than 10v and then use the direction button.

Proto-sounds (PS-1) are designed for pure sine wave power provided by postwar Lionel transformers. They do not play well with other transformers. I vaguely recall that a MTH Z1000 (at least the early/original version) was one of those "others."

How much and how hard would it be to upgrade this set with the PS2 upgrade? Where would be a place to buy this if self install is easy?

I guess my only thought/comment is re the amazing price difference between the loco, only (20-3504-1) and the complete freight set that includes the loco (20-3507-1). 

Unless it's a typo (repeated for most of the other premier sets associated with the steam locos), how could you turn down 5 premier hoppers and a caboose for only an additional $100, MSRP???

Pretty 'SAD' (Such A Deal!), I'd say!!!

KD

No that pricing is NO typo.  MTH has been offering these set deals for years.

 The problem I had with the Z1000, was guessing what the voltage was. I had to find that magic spot on the throttle were it worked. This was before I had much of my current equipment. Maybe a meter across the rails would help tell you how much voltage the engine is seeing?