and it could be missed. If you start looking around under the model you see that the air lines to and from the main reservoirs are represented. They are small in size and very accurately modeled. The same goes for the sand lines. Even the bell under the rear pi- lot is next to the coupler draft gear where it belongs. Okay, so the model looks great. I
think I have made that point. Well, this engine sounds as good as it looks. My sample models were equipped
with Soundtraxx Tsunami sound de- coders. I applaud Athearn for getting together with Soundtraxx for their diesel locomotive models. The Tsuna- mi sound is just great! I am a sound nut when it comes to the prototype. I also love railroad audio recordings and am fanatical when it comes down to locomotive sounds. If you care even a little about how your model engine sounds, you will be interested in Tsunami sound. Soundtraxx captured the EMD 567 prime mover spot-on, and all of the 567 goodness that we all love is faithfully captured in this sound decoder. There are a few different horns to
choose from, and the EL’s Leslie A200 is one of those that is supplied. I al- ways install Tsunami decoders in my models and being able to buy a model that is prototypically correct for my railroad with that decoder already in- stalled is a huge plus for me. The engine also runs as well as it
sounds and looks. After programming my model with a few of the usual CV’s I found it started to run around the 1 scale m.p.h. mark. Incredible! No jerk- ing, either. Acceleration was smooth and steady through the entire speed range. The Erie Lackawanna GP9’s were geared for 65 m.p.h., so I knocked the top speed of my model down a little to reflect that. Some peo- ple feel that the Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders have poor slow speed opera- tion. Not true. After adjusting a few CV’s, I had the model’s low speed per- formance dialed in perfectly. It does
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Potted Ornamental Plants pkg(9) 949-1081
take a little bit of programming time, but the effort is well rewarded in the end. After all, this is what DCC is all about and does so well. This engine can pull, too. I was haul-
ing a 25-car train around on level track with no trouble at all. The helix caused the engine to slip, so I just added more locomotives. You can’t get much more prototypical than that. Seriously, a low horsepower locomotive like this would not be expected to drag long freight trains up and down hills by itself. The model also made it through No. 4 switches and 18″ radius curves without any trouble at all. You really can’t ask for more than that from a model. I think it is obvious that I am in
love with this model and highly rec- ommend it. There is one detail that I don’t like, though. The headlights con- sist of bulbs poking through the hous- ings and there are no headlight lens- es. If the bulb matched the housing opening exactly I would not say any- thing, but the bulbs are smaller than the housing openings. The result takes just a little away from an other- wise perfect model. Athearn does this on all of its engines, so this is not unique to this model. I will correct this by adding clear lenses, but it would be nice and would really take this model all the way into the end zone if I didn’t have to. This is a small complaint, and not everyone will feel this way, of course. The Athearn Genesis Erie Lack- awanna GP9 is a must-have model for anybody remotely interested in the Erie Lackawanna. Sound or without sound, this engine is packed full of features and details that no other models on the market come close to. Buying the models with Soundtraxx Tsunami sound pre-installed at the factory just makes the model that much more appealing. The Erie Lack- awanna GP9 is currently available. The d.c. non-sound equipped version sells for $189.98, while the Tsunami Sound equipped version sells for $289.98.–SCOTT LUPIA
www.allenkeller.com
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33” (12) pack... $25.35 36” (12) pack... $27.60
Potted Flowers pkg(9)
949-1082
Potted Foliage Plants pkg(9) Availability and price shown were accurate at press time, for updates visit
walthers.com. ©2012 Wm. K. Walthers, Inc. 87
949-1083
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