Lionel Alco PA-1 Operating Information

Sounds like you did a great job servicing your new set Henry!  These are very pretty diesels and personally one of my favorites. I don't have the D&Hs but do have a Legacy set of the A.T.& S.F. running a D&H B unit (that matches yours).  I'm a little disappointed that mine doesn't have the MARS light that was on the TMCC versions but otherwise they are very nice.

By the way, there is a matching B unit for your on eBay that the seller thinks is rare or something and wants a ridiculous amount of money for - would recommend that you avoid it at all costs! 

c.sam,

I took note of that myself. I, like so many other's here on the forum, find that kind of pricing on the offering humorous at times!

Henry:

 

I have the SF TMCC version and the sounds are very good on my unit. If you can in the future pick up a "reasonable" B unit, the ABA combo looks terrific on the rails.

 

Hope you solve your sound problem. If you are having difficulty, why not consider a sound conversion by Alex Malliae. He works miracles when it comes to sound and steam.

Henry I have the D&H alco PA set. The railsounds are not as loud or potent as compared to other roadnames I have heard. The horn in particular is pretty weak. I have swapped sound chips with a generic alco chip and found it to be much louder and a better recording overall.

C Sam, is that a different Alco in the photo?  That one has a Mars light.

Tom,

I believe what you see in c.sam's picture is the light showing through the lens where the flashing Mars light is on the TMCC units. I noticed this on my set as well. The next time I have the shells off of both units, I plan to wrap that lens with a piece of black shrink wrap to isolate that. But , I will ask - c.sam, on the newer units might the Mars light be operated by a separate command? I haven't researched the newer set's.

 

Earlier this evening I found a video(on YouTube) of a set of D&H PA-1's pulling the Lionel passenger cars that where offered at the time the TMCC units were offered. Those units smoke units put out a lot of smoke. I wonder if they were original smoke units or upgraded? Can anyone comment on that?

 

Passenger Train Collector,

I have seen some of the threads regarding Mr. Malliae's work. He has done some amazing things! I may cross that bridge at some point. I wonder how hard it would be to add the Alco sound set to the trailing A unit and have it's prime mover rpm increase/decrease with the lead A unit?

 

Thank you for the updated information!

FMC,

On the set I have the horn and bell actually sound pretty good. But, compared to the TMCC Alco C-420 I have, the prime mover volume is what 'seems' to be the quietest part of the sound set. Everything else 'seems' more audible, even the air pumps when the engine is idling.  

Hi Tom, and no that's not a MARS light as I had hoped. Last year when I obtained these (from a Forum member) I posted a thread about the lack of one. Someone then suggested that it may be operated by a separate command but evidently Lionel dropped the feature this time around.

While running it appears to be lit but there is no 'pulse'.

At some time I may add an aftermarket light as suggested by Gunrunner John.

Gotcha c.sam - I saw the opening and the light and assumed that it pulsed.  Heh, I got caught by the old "assume" pitfall.  For the price of a Legacy locomotive, I would certainly expect a simulated Mars light where applicable.  You have a simulated stationary Mars light.  Not a good deal.

 

As information, the light and the motor on prototype Mars lights were operated by separate switches.  When I was an Engineer, I liked having an engine with a figure-8 Mars light.  Once, though, I turned it off at the request of the head-end Brakeman, who complained that the beam hitting rocks and cuts coming down Cajon Pass was making him seasick.  No sense taking chances, I always say, when vomit is possible. 

A very small side light on the B unit offered at a steep price, is the fact that D&H never had a B unit.  They purchased only A units, painted and re-engined them with a newer ALCO  engine making them PA-4s, but never had a B unit.

 

Not really crucial, but interesting.