Hi folks, just passed another birthday, more than I care to think about really, but there it is, another one in the rear view mirror. Last year I pre-ordered one of the U.P. CA-8's with DCC and Sound, just because I thought it would be fun. I remember hearing the UP hacks having and using whistles while switching and thought that would be a fun detail to emulate. Well funny thing was, I got a call from the place I ordered the car a day or so before my birthday, which turned out to be a funny coincidence. They shipped quickly, the car was in Illinois on Wednesday, and I had it the following Saturday, one day after the "big" day; pretty great service if you ask me.
The model is pretty darn nice. The cupola is a little wide, sticks out about a scale inch or so beyond the cars side, which is obvious, but not a deal breaker. All the other points on the model are spot on. The trucks, the markers, the railings, the grabs, the paint and lettering all up to normal Athearn Genesis standards. The car is a real beauty.
What I did not realize when I ordered this model was, I was buying something quite more than a model train car, I was buying something therapeutic for today's troubles.
The "clickity-clack" sound on jointed rail is a sound I'd not heard in decades. The DCC chip in this model has that sound as an option that matches the speed of the car (more or less), so I just set the throttle at the desired cadence and enjoy the sound I once was so fond of; music to my troubled soul.
Well done Athearn!
Thanks for visiting, write or comment should the mood strike ya.
Enjoy Your Trains,
John Huey
