MTH SD70ACe BNSF 9370


BNTorsney

Member
I pre-ordered this locomotive in April of 2009. In the nine months it took it to finally get here, I almost canceled it twice. But now that it finally arrived, all I can say is "WOW;" I am so very glad I didn't cancel, it definitely was worth the wait!
The only other sound locomotive I have to compare it to, is my Athearn Genesis F45. In my opinion, there is no comparison possible. I was basically happy with the Athearn, even thought it had to be returned TWICE for repairs, until I received this MTH. They advertise "Trains that do more" and this SD70 convinced me it is true. The Athearn turns on and off the sound, this MTH has both a engine starting sequence and a shut down one; it sound like the massive diesel engine is acutally starting and shutting down. It's the only locomotive I have that starts immediately and steadily when the DCC controller hits 1 SMPH. The DCC controlled couplers are GREAT!
I had read on Internet forums that it's DCC address could not be re-programmed. On my MRC Prodigy Advance 2 controller, I have two options for programming a locomotive. When I used the special "Program Track" I wired, it would not accept the new 9370 address. When I switched to program on the "Main Line," which requires the loco's "default 3" address be entered first, it accepted the new 9370 address.
I was so impressed with this locomotive, I just ordered a second one; I was lucky to find BNSF #9371 and it should arrive just before Santa!
 
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It was about the same for me when I put a pre order or reserve on it through Walthers, I was debating if I should have cancelled the order when a Walthers rep contacted me twice via email and phone, the third phone call from Walthers confimed that my MTH was in and is in the mail and it will be delivered here at home while i'm at work on the real railroad.:D

I'm also looking foward to the Sergent couplers when it arrives sometime this week or next week and i'll try to have it installed and post some pics here on the forums.
 
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MTH, Thank you for getting into HO diesels!

I only touched on a couple of the differences between this any ANY of my Kato, Walthers, Atlas or Ahearn engines. This locomotive does it much better than any of them could and they did ALL this for less than $10.00; that is what I call VALUE! One more example, the railings on ALL my other locomotives are one piece plastic. On this MTH they are ALL metal and INDIVIDUAL! By individual, I mean EACH upright rail brace snaps into the frame of the locomotive AND the railing. It has stereo speakers inside the fuel tank facing down, with metal grills. On my Athearn the speaker lays on top of the decoder and sound escapes through the plastic frame.
This MTH is SO much better and they do it for about the same price! Do you think it just may be possible that the other manufactures are OVER charging for their products?
I can't wait for MTH's next diesel locomotive, I plan on purchasing TWO of each for as long as I'm here! I don't need any other NEW locomotives, with VALUE like this, I will gladly pre-pay and wait.
 
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Can somebody explain to a DC'er what this means?

It means you can open the coupler on the engine using your DCC or DCS throttle.

Unfortunately, you have to slam into the cars at about 22mph to close the coupler again, so I don't think it is all that great a feature. Maybe a few more years of development and it will work better.
 
The only "problems" with the MTH unit in DCC is the lack of advanced consisting, and the requirement to program on main. According to the Jan 2010 Model Railroader, MTH will be releasing, a free, user installed upgrade to fix the problems in DCC, and future releases will have it installed (Whats this make, protosound 3.1?)

It'll be nice to have advanced consisting and the ability to edit some of the more essential CV's.
 
I've tried them out although I don't own one. Besides the microwave ovens on the front deck, it's a sweet engine!
 
No Such Problem with mine

It means you can open the coupler on the engine using your DCC or DCS throttle.

Unfortunately, you have to slam into the cars at about 22mph to close the coupler again, so I don't think it is all that great a feature. Maybe a few more years of development and it will work better.
The couplers on this locomotive open and close by remote control (function #7 is front, #8 rear) on my DCC controller.
When I back this MTH into any of my freight cars, it is usually coupling to a #5 Kadee coupler. I NEVER go faster than 1 (scale) MPH to have them hook up perfectly; so far it has worked every time with the loco's coupler open or closed. The other great feature of this MTH locomotive, is the realistic "un-couplings" sounds coming from the speakers while all this is going on.
This product is about as good as it gets in 2009 and I would highly recommend it to anyone in this hobby!
 
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I can only to speak to what is mine

BNTorsney, so you're saying the MR product review, might have a overly sticky coupler?

I'm saying no such thing, ALL "I" can speak to is to what is MINE; this MHT product has worked flawlessly since I first put it on the track. In MY opinion, this locomotive is the best thing to hit HO since the introduction of DCC. All of the other top locomotives on MY roster, including Atlas, Kato, Walthers and Athearn can't come near to the realism this locomotive brings to the table; the operation of this locomotive is so much better, so much more REAL. For ME, I'm so impressed with it that I going to be purchasing a third, the EMD Demonstrator model. After that, over time I will sell all of my locomotives and exclusively run MHT. ANY company that produces QUALITY like this, things that make this wonderful hobby so much more fun, is going to get my support!
Bruce
 
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I'm glad you like your loco. How would you rate it with your Atlas when it comes to consisting it with them (Atlas or any others)? Do they even consist together if you have 2 MTH units running DCC? Do all of the sound functions work with DCC? Do they offer replacement couplers for when one fails open and how much does it cost?
 
I got the Sergent type F couplers today and I replaced the automatic ones for the Sergents with the supplied draft boxes that came with the SD70ACe, it was very easy to replace and it looks awesome:cool: the only draw back on the Sergents type F is it's not compatible with any other couplers, but it looks good and prototypically correct.
 
Bruce, let us know how your MTH engine works if you try to consist it with another non-MTH DCC engine...or you want to remap a function button. Any engine, no matter how nice it is otherwise, is a disaster in this day and age if it can't do simple DCC functions.
 
My SD70ACe with the Sergent coupler.:cool:
It's a but fuzzy due to the fact that my camera won't focus up too close.:rolleyes:
 
De Ja Vue

I'm glad you like your loco. How would you rate it with your Atlas when it comes to consisting it with them (Atlas or any others)? Do they even consist together if you have 2 MTH units running DCC? Do all of the sound functions work with DCC? Do they offer replacement couplers for when one fails open and how much does it cost?
Most of your questions I can't answer yet, I just got the locomotive.
In 1980 I received my first Atlas locomotive. It ran circles around all the cheap Tyco units I had; I couldn't beleive how much more this locomotive could do. Now in 2009, it's the same thing all over again. In MY opinion, the MTH is so far superior in EVERY respect to anything else I have, I want more. I would hope MTH can produce a new diesel every year.
The original Atlas engine is much more powerful than any of my newer Atlas or Kato units. They just don't make things like they use to, UNTIL I discovered MTH.
The only thing I have consisted so far was two Atlas units. In the future I will try it with this MTH and let you know what happens.
 
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The coupler does make it look better and yes, the ditch lights are way too big,, the ditch lights on the Athearn Genesis ditch lights on the SD75's looks a whole lot better.
Am I the only one that thinks those ditch lights look like big versions of the old Deitz railroad lanterns? They sure don't look much like the real thing at http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=291558&nseq=2. And are those MU cables molded on to the pilot or are my eyes deceiving me? That Sergent couler is sure a big improvement over the monstrosity it came with.
 
Camera "Macro" setting

My SD70ACe with the Sergent coupler.:cool:
It's a but fuzzy due to the fact that my camera won't focus up too close.:rolleyes:
Most digital cameras have a "Macro" setting, it's for taking close-up photos.
Take a look at the two attached photos, taken with and without the Macro setting.
 
MTH is generally a pretty polarizing company. You either love 'em or hate 'em from what I've read. One thing I would change on the comparison though, compare it with a Genesis loco that has a Tsunami on board, NOT the MRC garbage they were initially putting in them. The Tsunami will have all of the sound features that the MTH unit does, except what many call "circus sounds" such as cab chatter, and in some models a train wreck sound :rolleyes: (three railers really like the crew sounds though)

Not to dis your new loco...all,that matters is that you enjoy it.

MTH could be a great company if they would:

Stop thinking that all of us are three railers just playing with smaller toys. Prototype modelers tend to be a fussy bunch :)

Address a few issues with their products like better DCC cross compatibility, and something more prototypical in the way of drawbar spacing with their steamers.

The corrrect sound in the correct model (for example, a N&W whistle in their GS-4/psuedo 6 when a working prototype is available for the recording?...eeechhh)

And stop it with the constant lawsuits. They have alienated many prospective customers with this tactic.
 



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