Am thinking about a preorder from the last catalog. Watched a youtube video from Erics trains. I noticed the steaming whistle only operated if you pressed two softkeys and not from the whistle button. That was the 2015 version. I was thinking there have been more runs of this loco since then. If so, does the steaming whistle still operate the same way? Are these whistles reliable? Would like to hear your comments on the one you own. Thanks in advance
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Pretty sure they still work that way, and it's a giant PITA. I can't imagine why they didn't just key it to the whistle. I know they wanted to vary the intensity with the playable whistle, but they could have left that option and just run it full-blast when you just use the whistle. Makes it almost non-usable to me. They even had Lionel's method to copy from, which makes me wonder what they were thinking!
@gunrunnerjohn posted:They even had Lionel's method to copy from, which makes me wonder what they were thinking!
They were probably thinking about retiring in a few years lol!
So it would probably be safe to assume that the newest version coming out of the last catalog will operate the same. Probably will step away. I wonder if it works better using the WIFI app and a tablet because of the whistle pulldown icon. I would love to see a video of this if anyone has this setup.
I ran one of these the other night on a friends layout. Nice looking engine but the smoking whistle is really dumb. Not worth the extra trouble. I'm spoiled by the visionline BB. The soundest on these I also feel is lackluster. Quiet too. Just doesn't give you that massive engine feel. We we're also running a vison challenger at the same time and the MTH BB just kind of got lost in the background with other trains running at the same time. Pretty to look at but wasn't slightly impressed.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:They even had Lionel's method to copy from, which makes me wonder what they were thinking!
Maybe Lionel has a patent on that method? Maybe MTH got a dose of what goes around comes around...
All I know is the whistle on the MTH Premier BB from the 2017 Catalog sounds like a wounded cow, and the Lionel VL BB whistle sounds like you're standing next to the tracks. The difference in sound quality is vast!
I was hoping the new BB from 2020 would have better sounds and I could load them into my 2017 model.
I am in the market for a Premier Big Boy, preferably with an oil tender, so anyone that wants to unload theirs let me know. Not a big smoke guy so funky whistle steam is not a consideration.
Pete
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