CON-COR N scale Galloping Goose with factory installed DCC decoder
Today, I went down to the LHS to pick up my Digitrax UR91 and spied this little beauty as I was about to walk out the door. I should have kept walking. The information on the box says, CON-COR The Rail Baron Collection... A Collector's Edition. That last part says it all. This is for collecting and sitting on a shelf - NOT running on the layout.
Let me begin...
First off, I was reading the decoder instruction sheet and it appears that it was written by someone who got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning. It says things like, "
This factory installed Decoder only has a limited number of functions as outlined below. Please do not contact us to ask if more functions can be added, or addressed, they cannot." It then goes on to discuss how this is to be used with DCC and they say, "
We can offer only very limited help to you on the phone, or via Email as this is a very technical subject and you need to do your own homework on the subject." Now I know that they probably get tired of answering the same questions over and over but by golly I'm the customer who just spent a lot of money on their product and they should not be telling me to not call them if I need support or have a question - no matter how stupid or bothersome it may seem to them.
At first glance, it's an awesome little creation. As I pulled it out of the box, it was hard not to notice how small, light and frail it seemed. As I gently placed it on the tracks, I was elated with anticipation. I selected the factory 03 setting, turned up the throttle... more... more.... more.... nothing. So I did the jiggle it a little bit thing. AHA, there we go... lights! Must have been a dirty spot on the track. Well, to make a long story short, the track for this has to be immaculately clean! Any little spec of anything and it stops dead in it's tracks - which it did many times. Plus, it builds its throttle from a zero setting, so if it stops due to dirty track, it has to start all over again. Now that it has lost it's momentum, we have to play the dirty track game again. Push it, push it, ahhhhh, finally it has enough momentum to make it over the dust specs. The engine is too light and does not have enough weight to make good contact on the rails. It's also too light to achieve good traction around some corners and up some of my 2% grades with its ONE powered truck. Oh mannnnn!!!!! - it just stopped inside the tunnel. Out comes the rescue GP to act as a pusher to get it out of there. Also, the leading truck is so light and flimsy that it won't go straight through my switches without derailing. I'm using PECO switches that I don't have problems with ANY of my other equipment. I shouldn't have to tell you this 'cause you've probably already seen it coming but the insulated frogs... you got it... dead stop unless your on full blast and have the momentum to carry you over. The only way I could get this goose to go all the way around was at full blast and even then, I made sure the pusher was close behind.
The price tag says $199. I got it for $170. I'm sorry boys and girls, it's cute as a button, but for that price and this dismal performance, this goose is galloping back!
Keep in mind that my layout is a long ways from being finished. I know that there is no ballast and no weathering on the rails just yet and some of the pictures are not crispy clear but with that disclaimer said, check out the pics.
06-07-2007, 02:10 AM
Linear Mode
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