MTH Aerotrain: Anyone added details?

I don't understand "scale appearance"? the train is scale. it's the performace of pulling all ten cars that is the main issue.

the other would be the lighting. the rear should have one red light and one white [back up] light.

the front center light should be red and lit when the train is in reverse.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

I don't understand "scale appearance"? the train is scale. it's the performace of pulling all ten cars that is the main issue.

the other would be the lighting. the rear should have one red light and one white [back up] light.

the front center light should be red and lit when the train is in reverse.

By scale appearance I was thinking what could be done to make look more like a Premier set rather than RailKing.

I’m thinking I want to order the set with one add on from the new catalog so I’m guessing performance shouldn’t be a problem.

Thanks  for the info on the lighting!

The design hasn't changed I suspect.  I have the earlier PS/3 version and a PS/2 one that I'm going to convert to TMCC.  For both of them, I had to tinker with the rear truck to get decent performance.  I have my PS/3 one pulling the ten cars around the club, including the 2% grade, so I think that one is done.  I believe the other one will probably do it as well, but I'll wait until I do the conversion to tinker with it's trucks.  Adding weight will probably help as well.

So gunrunner, I have a PRR ps2 set. Is it worth getting the PS3 version and selling off the Ps2 version? Does the PS3 version have led lights to prevent a meltdown?

Not a lot of detail on the real deal Aerotrain.

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

So gunrunner, I have a PRR ps2 set. Is it worth getting the PS3 version and selling off the Ps2 version? Does the PS3 version have led lights to prevent a meltdown?

The PS/3 one does have LED's, but you can easily swap out the PS/2 lights for LED bulbs, a 220 ohm resistor in series with a white LED is a perfect substitute.

The way the MTH Aerotrain was designed and made is how they should have made the TurboTrains.  The nightmare 10 pin lines tethering through the train is the major weakness of the TurboTrain, be thankful they simplified the Aerotrain. 

A lot of people do not like the General Motors Aerotrain; I rather do, even though it has an unfortunate and not-coincidental frontal/windshield/"grille" resemblance to the perennially ugly 1959 Chevrolet. 

I do not have one; but I think about it. 

I would love to see a rendition of the NYC's lightweight Baldwin "Train X".

Better yet, the Gulf, Mobile and Northern's (later the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio's) ACF/Alco lightweight Rebel, a very early air-conditioned (yay!) streamliner running eventually between St. Louis and the Gulf Coast (Mobile and New Orleans). The Rebel was a better design than most early streamliners, like the Zephyr, as it was sleek but not articulated, and cars could be changed out at will, which would make the model easier to deal with, too.

(The Rebel ultimately became a "normal" passenger train, with regular equipment and pulled by Alco PA's) 

VistaDomeScott posted:

The way the MTH Aerotrain was designed and made is how they should have made the TurboTrains.  The nightmare 10 pin lines tethering through the train is the major weakness of the TurboTrain, be thankful they simplified the Aerotrain. 

Well, the Aerotrain just has the engine and what passes for normal passenger cars, so no need for a tether.  They did cry out for LED's, so I did that to my ten cars.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

VistaDomeScott posted:

The way the MTH Aerotrain was designed and made is how they should have made the TurboTrains.  The nightmare 10 pin lines tethering through the train is the major weakness of the TurboTrain, be thankful they simplified the Aerotrain. 

Well, the Aerotrain just has the engine and what passes for normal passenger cars, so no need for a tether.  They did cry out for LED's, so I did that to my ten cars.

Good point.  However they could have had the rear TurboTrain power car start independently just like two E-8 locomotives do.  I want to have the Turbotrains reworked somehow, so far some big names in train repair have decided to not attempt a rework.

I really like the Aerotrain.  I am somewhat biased in my affection.  I would see it  every afternoon on The Mainline during it's brief stint going from NY to Chicago.

I have the first model with all of the cars,TMCC and EOB.  It runs very well.  I guess that it is semi scale.   I would go for a scale Aerotrain.

Norm

I believe the RK version is supposed to be scale, but I can't find any specifications for the real locomotive.

What model came with TMCC, and who made it?

John,

I converted my engine to TMCC and EOB from the PS2.

Norm

That makes sense, I'm going to do the same thing with my second one.  I'm also going to see if I can add smoke.

You can fit people in the cars easier. I used 1:43 people and most of the time they lose their legs in regular cars. I had little to no leg cutting with these cars.

Absolutely love the Aerotrain!!  It's photo was on the cover of a book titled " The Wonderbook of Trains " which I used to check out of my elementary school library often.  ( So often, in fact, that my teacher would not let me check it out until I checked out at least 2 other non train related books. )  I would just stare at that beautiful locomotive and dream.  At the time I thought it was the coolest train ever!  Obviously the General Motors auto designers had a large hand in creating this train.  One would have to admit the designers of this train were thinking outside the "traditional" locomotive/train design box.   Too bad GM did not work out the bugs with the original train sets and improve the design ( basically the suspension system )  to operate the Aerotrain as originally intended.  Seeing one of those babies jet down the mainline at 100 mph in the late 50 thru the 60's would have been a beautiful sight! ( at least to me )  Perhaps the Aerotrian with its futuristic aerodynamic styling ( resembling space age tech, and sleek automobiles ... both of which were  the dominate cultural craze at the time ) could have lured some of the traveling public back to the passenger train.  I'd like to think that this train could have had the potential of becoming a real high speed train of its day .. capable of 125 mph or even more ... if GM had kept improving upon its original overall design.   My guess is that GM didn't sense there was enough demand by the railroads and general public to warrant any further development.  

Of course when I discovered that MTH made the Aerotrain, I had to have it.  So I bought one with Pennsy markings.    If one were ever produced in scale I'd definitely pull the trigger and buy it!

Tim, how do you get the figures in ok where you can see their heads when you look through the windows? Every figure I have tried sits "too tall" and you can't see their heads through the windows. I use the MTH passenger figures and they are fairly small.

Here's one with the commonly available Chinese figures.  I find the GG Little People or the Lionel people are similar sized.  The BEEP people are too big.

They fit in without having to cut off their legs or drill out the seats?

Were you able to put any people in the back of the last car (the seats that look out the back window?