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My Legacy 765 Berkshire arrived last week but I had the layout apart and  etc. and it was late this afternoon before I got things squared away so I could power up the track and run it.  Yes, that is 765.  I've re-labeled it with my fictitious Canon City, Blanca and Glen Canyon Railroad.  

 

First, what a pleasure it is to handle a loco with an intelligently designed and made tender-loco connection bar.  The last five steamers I've bought have been MTH (Premier ATSF Hudsons (3) and Dreyfus Hudson, PRR S-1) and I'm really tired of that connector bar they use.  Ugh.  It is so easy to mount this loco and set it up.  Oh, I love it!

 

I've seen reports of problems but mine was perfect out of the box and for about an hour of running tonight.  Nothing stands out about this loco: it is a solid Legacy loco with all I expect.  It looks good, has good paint and detail and graphics, sounds good, with above average chuffing sounds, and it runs exceptionally well.  Smoke is okay - not quite as good as MTH's latest Hudsons, but adequate.  I didn't see the whistle steam operate tonight.  Not sure if I have it turned on (does it turn on?) or filled or maybe it doesn't work. ((EDIT:actually, in the first video I see it working - I could not see the smoke when I took the video.  The video picks it up better than my eyes do!!!  A very light stream).  

 

I run only conventionally so its most important to me that the locos run well, slowly, and started without jackrabbiting.  Here is is running on a ZW-L.  Like my other recent Legacy steamers, this runs better than purely conventional locos at low voltages.  It pulls exceptionally well at even 9 volts.  It's running at 10-11 volts in the videos but will go down to around 8 - 9 volts at just around 12-18 mph and pull well  and run smooth. Cruise is excellent - it pulled all 20 reefers and the caboose around the layout and up and around a 2% 72 inch curve grade withouth breaking stance.  

 

I'm glad I have this loco.  It is not my favorite.  I have the other Legacy Berk - the smaller one (ATSF 4199) and I like it more - not sure why. But this is a very fine toy locomotive.  

DSCN0451

 

this first video is with the lights in the back ground across the room off so you can see the smoke a bit better.  I operate the whistle, etc.  

Here is is starting a one-hour run.  first time I've run a train in a week, what with the layout all under construction. 

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Images (1)
  • DSCN0451
Videos (2)
Dark background so can see the smoke.
765 with 20 reefers and caboose
Last edited by Lee Willis
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Originally Posted by J Daddy:

Nice Lee,

 

Running conventional though, how do you boost the smoke and achieve all the other cool features Legacy has to offer? 

I don't boost smoke really, but its okay.  At the 10-11 volts i am running in the video, you can see that the whistle steam in particular is rather anemic.  At 18 volts it would be more than two and a half times as strong. I don't miss the Legacy features, though.  The big thing for me is that crew-talk, etc., is silent.  I can't stand it when the locos randomly start talking.  Ugh!

How do you re-letter an tender? I have some engines I'd like to do that too as well.

 

Regarding conventional operation, I am almost envious as I like to keep things simple and I won't begin to tell of how challenging it's been to get command systems to work, learning curve, updates, blah, but if you're interested in realistic slow speed starts Legacy command is a hundred times better than what was shown in the video. Also, Legacy engines don't have random crew talk that I am aware of (I own 3 Legacy steamers), it's all user operated from the remote.

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