Freelance 2012

[faraway]

Also don't neglect the remaining white Boley items at 3000toys.com. Walthers seems to have picked up mostly red items for its SceneMaster trucks, but there's other Boley colors and body types kicking around, especially at 3000toys.

Also, Bachmann announced an HO powered/DCC hi-rail truck at the NMRA annual. The make is apparently generic, leaning toward GMC. You can download their new product announcement pdf at <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.bachmanntrains.com/NMRA_2012.pdf">http://www.bachmanntrains.com/NMRA_2012.pdf</a><!-- m --> This could be enough to make me start converting to DCC, considering the extra operating possibilities something like this provides.

The Bachmann hi-rail truck looks very good indeed!
Going DCC with Bachmann is ok if you know
- 1a the plain DCC decoders are very old Lenz decoders with no BMF and create the worse noise I have ever heard
- 1b you get a nice running engine if you replace it with a quality DCC decoder. Just add that cost to the bare engine price. It will be still acceptable.

- 2a the some what limited DCC sound decoders sold at very attractive prices in the newer engines are a real bargain if you are a sound lover
- 2b visit a friend with sound equipped engines and operate an engine with sound for more then an hours. Do you still love it? ok, you are a sound lover ;-)