• Walthers F40PH Coaster - Unabashed Review

  • Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.
Discussion related to everything about model railroading, from layout design and planning, to reviews of related model tools and equipment. Discussion includes O, S, HO, N and Z, as well as narrow gauge topics. Also includes discussion of traditional "toy train" and "collector" topics such as Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and others. Also includes discussion of outdoor garden railways and live steamers.

Moderators: 3rdrail, stilson4283, Otto Vondrak

  by glennk419
 
After anxiously awaiting the release of this loco to go with my Athearn Coaster coaches and cab cars, I was sorely disappointed when it arrived today. While the photos on Walthers website showed paint colors somewhat lighter than the prototype and Athearn colors http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/931-344, I had been hopeful that the color shift was due to photography and/or computer generated images but unfortunately this is not the case. While the lines and graphics are close enough, this has to be one of the worst color matches I have ever seen on any railroad model with the teal more like a baby blue and the dark blue on the roof closer to Conrail blue (I think they got the white correct). The color matches on their first run of this loco were almost perfect which makes this all the more astounding. For anyone considering buying this loco, please be warned. Even TYCO used to do better.

On a positive note and in the interest of fairness, the model has good weight, directional lighting, runs very well and is quiet out of the box.
  by Backshophoss
 
Paint can fade in strange ways when exposed to all kinds of weather, you can always say the engine spent some time in
storage somewhere in the desert(Mojave?). :)
Or mask and repaint the affected colors.
  by glennk419
 
Backshophoss wrote:Paint can fade in strange ways when exposed to all kinds of weather, you can always say the engine spent some time in
storage somewhere in the desert(Mojave?). :)
Or mask and repaint the affected colors.
You know, I actually thought about that BUT........

I have not nor do I plan to let the rest of my rolling stock roast in the sun just to meet a poor representation.

Sorry, Walthers = FAIL on this one and I'm sure many other SoCal modelers just might agree with me. They messed up.

Oh, and by the way...........the cheap Chinese coupler failed on the third coupling.
  by Backshophoss
 
Time to put in the KD's,the plastic ones are junk like the Hornhooks.
Coaster F-40's may just work certain trains by now on am/pm peak times,
or cool their heels in work train service.
Having it do a short 2 car train,or run as a 2nd unit behind a F-59 with more cars will be ok.

(trying to find a way to make "lemonade" out of a lemon bodyshell ;) )
Have a happy and safe holiday season.
  by glennk419
 
Backshophoss wrote:Time to put in the KD's,the plastic ones are junk like the Hornhooks.

Have a happy and safe holiday season.
Yep, I always keep a couple dozen #5's on hand just for this situation. I also had a couple LL Proto units bad ordered for the same problem, all are now back in service.

Thank you, same to you as well.