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Any word yet on well the latest Berkshires including NKP 44020 (#765) and 44021 (#759) among others are made, look, run, and last?  I realize only some of them have shipped so far, but hopefully as they all get distributed everything turns out great with them.  Please also point out any improvements or enhancements noticed compared to first release Berks.  Thanks.   

Dave

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I received mine last week. It's the southern. Runs fine no problems. The sounds sound a little different to me .(the chuff) What I like the most is that the loco smokes standing in neutral. When I have some time I'll add crew figures,paint out the boiler,add steps to the tender. All in all they are good.o

Last edited by Milan

Milan, glad to hear you're happy with it.  Does the chuff sound more like a chop than a chuff?   

Rusty, Thanks.  That sounds right.  Lionel has, however, made unannounced changes to engines as they re-release them.  The AF TMCC Mikados and Pacifics, for examples, evolved from having flimsy plastic microswitches inside for chuff to more robust units used in their O gauge engines and dummy pilots to ones with electrical pick-up.  Just wondering if anyone notices internal or otherwise unannounced changes like those with this batch of Berks.  

Dave

A friend of mine got his Southern last week, he had been waiting and hoping to see it because he missed ordering on the first run. He did purchase the first run PE and has bee very happy with it. Disappointment settled in with the Southern though, the pilot truck derails repeatedly on some of his turnouts. He commented that the wheels do not rotate freely. 

I also have the first run PE and NKP both are fine and I truly love the Universal remote.

Ray

Rayin"S" posted:

A friend of mine got his Southern last week, he had been waiting and hoping to see it because he missed ordering on the first run. He did purchase the first run PE and has bee very happy with it. Disappointment settled in with the Southern though, the pilot truck derails repeatedly on some of his turnouts. He commented that the wheels do not rotate freely. 

I also have the first run PE and NKP both are fine and I truly love the Universal remote.

Ray

If I remember right the front trucks on the original run needed a healthy oiling to get them to rotate freely. 

I'm pretty happy with my NKP 759. I'm not absolutely sure, but it seems that the whistle sounds better than what I heard after listening to the first batch of Berkshires. My new Berk is my first Flyerchief locomotive, so my comparison is from memory of what I've heard of other examples running on other layouts and at shows. I may just be imagining the difference, but I'm satisfied with the sound.

Has anyone else noticed a difference in the latest batch of Berkshire whistles, or is it just me?

Hi, the newest Berks do sound different. I have two of the first batch the whistle,the chuff is different. Not bad just different. I guess you can alter the sound settings using the APP to suit yourself. I am going to try that myself when I have the time. The chuff sounds deeper on the latest Berks. I also have the sound box cars and the Erie box sound comes close to the sounds on the the Berks.

 

BillyJack, sorry to hear about your troubles with your new Berk?   Did things get resolved to your satisfaction?   Why does it strike me that buying FC (or MTH S for that matter from what I've observed and heard) is like the Russian roulette scene in Deer Hunter -- chances are you'll get one that works and stays working, one that works but maybe not for long, or one with issues or DOA out of the box.  What else do you spend $100's for today knowing and accepting to be put in that situation?  A TV, a phone, a fishing rod, a bicycle ...?   I realize products aren't perfect, have problems, and there are lemons, but thi-S seems to be beyond normal distribution and yet we keep coming back.   Is there simply something psychologically rewarding for us about asking for, waiting for, paying for, taking possession of, and opening a new engine?   Maybe they know that, and that the final outcome of it working like it should and remaining that way for awhile is not critical to the process repeating itself (i.e. our appetite/addiction continuing).  I sometimes get the hankering for a FC Berk or Northern, and the RDG GP-7 has caught my eye, but then I look at what I already have and know runs well and think, really, do I want to pull the trigger and see how lucky I might be, or not?  

Picked up my C & O Berk at Hennings last night.  Billy tested it and it smoked like crazy.  Run fine and I like the sound better then the Polar Express Berk.  Billy also demonstrated the Blue tooth operation, in which you can modify the sound of the whistle and bell and simulate a heavy or light load.

Very satisfied - first show is Lower Providence Library in February.  Looking forward to a full scale test.

 

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