Check out a superdetailed Northern Pacific class Z-8 Challenger as it makes a run on the Model Railroader staff’s HO scale Milwaukee, Racine & Troy layout. This Athearn Genesis steam locomotive model features a SoundTraxx Tsunami Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder.
Video: Athearn Genesis HO scale class Z-8 Challenger
By Angela Cotey | June 20, 2017
| Last updated on February 11, 2021
This HO scale 4-6-6-4 steam locomotive from Athearn Trains includes a SoundTraxx Tsunami DCC decoder
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Upon further review; the chuff sounds must be from a wrongly coded decoder. Someone may have put the light logging decoder instead of the articulated one. Going at any speed above a crawl the sound was that of either a six-cylinder Shay or a runaway sewing machine.
Cool.
Great looking locomotive. It’s nice to see the axles are in the center of the drivers – no noticeable wobble! The sound though? Is there no baffle on the speaker? And the chuffs seemed out of synch.
I have read that the second batch of models are equipped with Loksound decoders. If so, does anyone have experience with the sound quality of those models?
I have to agree with everyone else. The sound was lacking big time! The engine and tender look fine but there’s too big a gap between the two. Are there multiple holes in the draw bar for short and long radius curves? Maybe that can be fixed.
Maybe a decoder replacement will make the sound better, ESU Loksound perhaps?
Athearn must change that sound decoder ,it is toy-sound , pitty for this big power steamer ,Running seems ok to me .
Athearn does not mount their speakers right. My Big boy sounds that way too.
Sound and drivers were out of sync. Yuck!
What a poor sound system, both the whistle and the chuffing. Too bad manufacturers still make locos that between the boiler and the wheels, you get a good view of what’s on the other side. There should be some light baffle like real locos without lots of open space on a huge loco like this. Just some foam would be better than this. Other manufacturers generally do the same, not just Athearn.
That is the worst example of a sound fitted loco that I have ever come across. The noises (and that is all they are) bear no relationship to a steam locomotive’s charismatic rhythms. A nice looking loco spoiled by the sound. A good case for cutting the wires to the speaker. A great shame.
Sound effects out of synch
— back to the drawing board.
What is that knocking sound? I hear it on my steam locos too.
This is a great locomotive for operation on a layout. It pulls well (30+ cars on my layout with a 3% ruling grade). Last fall I ran mine for 4 hours continuous at an open house. No problems and no derailments
The details do not match those on my brass NP Challengers. However, this seems like it will be a reliable engine for operating sessions.
Good value for the price!.
Sounded like a drummer beating on his snare more than a steam locomotive.
From my perspective, the sound was generally not good. Interesting that Dan thought the whistle was ok –
I thought was particularly bad.
Seemed to run well, though.
Looks great and the sound for the bell and whistle and generator sounded ok. The exhaust chuff sounded more like a ratchet wrench or something though, anything but a steam locomotive. There needs to be a way to develop a bigger speaker or something to allow the deep bass sound needed for a proper sounding onboard steam chuff.
I would agree with Daniel Rawers about the chuff sound. I also think they might have been out of sync (i.e. more chuffs than wheel revolutions).