Broadway Limited Imports Paragon2 HO scale AC6000CW diesel

Including a Digital Command Control sound decoder and dual speakers, this HO scale AC6000CW captures the rumble of its 6,000-hp prototype. The Broadway Limited Imports Paragon 2 AC6000CW uses the same tooling as the model we reviewed in the May 2006 Model Railroader, but includes a new dual-mode sound and control system.

Prototype. General Electric built 207 AC6000CW diesels between 1995 and 2000. Union Pacific and CSX were the only two domestic railroads to purchase the 6,000-hp behemoths. Eight AC6000CWs went to BHP Iron Ore in Australia. The Southern Pacific ordered three, but they were delivered to the Union Pacific after the 1996 UP/SP merger. (BLI sells a Canadian Pacific version, although the CP never owned any AC6000CWs.)
Union Pacific also purchased 107 AC6000CW “convertibles” from GE. These diesels were built with 4,400-hp 7HDL16 engines that could be replaced at a future date with a 6,000-hp engine. The AC6000CW has two exhaust stacks, and the convertible version has just one.
The BLI model is of a “true” AC6000CW and has the twin exhaust stacks. All of the HO diesel’s dimensions match drawings of an AC6000CW from the September 1996 Model Railroader.

Details and paint. Our sample represents Union Pacific no. 7511 in its as-built paint scheme. Paint coverage is smooth and the lettering placement matches prototype photos. Many of the warning stencils along the body and sill are readable under magnification, although a few were out of register and illegible.

The plastic body shell has crisp molded detail, although the pattern of the grid panels under the radiator intake doesn’t match prototype photos. The model has many separately applied details, including acetal handrails, hand grabs, and windshield wipers.

Our sample has detailed plastic truck sideframes that represent the high-adhesion trucks correct for the Union Pacific prototype. The CSX and BHP versions have the correct steerable trucks.

The model is available with high- or low-mounted ditch lights as per each prototype. The ditch lights alternately flash when the horn is blown. Headlights and number boards are also illuminated by white light-emitting-diodes.

Drivetrain. The can motor is mounted in the center of a die-cast metal frame. Two universal shafts and worms transfer power from the motor to truck-mounted gearboxes.

All-wheel drive and the die-cast metal frame and fuel tank give the model a drawbar pull equivalent to 70 free-rolling HO freight cars on straight and level track.

The Paragon 2 AC6000CW also performed well in our DC and DCC speed tests. The model creeps along at 1 scale mph without any hesitation and accelerates smoothly throughout its speed range. The model’s top speed of 69 scale mph (60 scale mph in DC mode) is a bit lower than that of its prototype, which can attain 75 mph.

A drawback for DC users is that the AC6000CW, like other sound-equipped locomotives, requires a lot of voltage to start moving.

DCC operation. The dual-mode Paragon 2 sound decoder is mounted in a plastic cradle above the motor. Two downward-facing speakers are enclosed in the fuel tank. The overall sound quality is excellent with no buzz or rattle.

I tested the locomotive in DCC using an MRC Prodigy Advance Squared. The decoder has 28 functions, including the horn, bell, coupler sounds, and radio messages. Functions 18 to 21 play random city, farm, industrial, and lumber mill background sounds. I found these sounds distracting, since they came from the locomotive and not the scene around it.

You can record locomotive operations, including specific sounds, and play them back using functions 26 and 27. I recorded and played back a sequence that included brake release sounds, radio messages, and a grade crossing signal. You can set the sequence to play back one to 14 times, or indefinitely.

I easily controlled the engine rpm sounds independently from the model’s speed, using functions 5 and 6. There are seven rpm levels.

I also set configuration variable (CV) 245 to 3, which causes the engine rpm sounds to automatically rev up before the model starts moving. The duration of the delay is adjustable by setting CV 248.

I programmed other CVs, including changing the locomotive’s long address. All the programmable CVs are listed in the included instruction booklet. An extensive technical manual is also available at www.broadway-limited.com.

Sound and programming in DC. At 6.5 volts the locomotive’s lights turned on and the sounds of a start-up sequence began. Engine rpm sounds increased as I advanced the throttle. The model makes squealing brake sounds when the throttle is rapidly decreased.

To trigger specific sounds or to program CVs you need to use a DC Master Analog Control Module, sold separately by BLI. The DC Master has a horn and bell button as well as an AUX button.

The default setting for the AUX button is the air compressor sound when the locomotive is still and the dynamic brake sound when the locomotive is moving. You can change which function the AUX button controls by setting CV 222 to a specific function number.

I programmed other CVs with the DC Master, including individual volume levels and starting voltage. A list of CVs commonly used by DC operators is included in the instruction booklet.

With its impressive sound and programmable features, the BLI Paragon 2 AC6000CW is a worthy depiction of this high-horsepower, modern-era thoroughbred.

HO scale AC6000CW
Price: $249.99

Manufacturer
Broadway Limited Imports, LLC
4 Signal Ave.
Ormond Beach, FL 32174
www.broadway-limited.com

Road names: (two road numbers) Union Pacific, BHP Iron Ore (blue or “bubble” paint schemes), Canadian Pacific, CSX, and Southern Pacific. GE “Green Machine” no. 6000 and GECX no. 6001. Undecorated versions also available.

Features
All-wheel drive and electrical pickup
Dual-mode DCC sound decoder with 16-bit sample rate
Five-pole skew-wound motor with dual brass flywheels
Minimum radius: 22″
Operating magnetic knuckle couplers at correct height
RP-25 contour metal wheels in gauge
Weight: 27 ounces