Test Track: MTH NYCTA R142A Subway (ten-car train) 1 of 2

After a two-year wait, the MTH R142A subway cars have been delivered, and I got mine on the test track just as soon as I got them home. Unlike many of my videos, this train is a brand-spanking new product that is just hitting stores as of a week prior to this video being uploaded. Thus, you can find it at your MTH dealer (assuming they carry subway trains--you might have to look around a bit if you don't live in the Northeast), or Ebay.

Although Protosound2 doesn't yet have a program for direct-drive electrics (like older subway sets, it uses a diesel program (albeit with more memory for the station stops), which explains why traction motor sounds often rev up and down independent of the train's actual speed), the MTH sound engineer did a fine job working around the limitations, so as long as you accelerate at a prototypical rate, the AC propulsion sounds will play just like the real thing. I'd advise turning off the speed control (one long horn, two short bells) if you run these with anything less than a big transformer (I'm using a 100-watt Z-1000).

Details MTH included include:
--Accurate A and B cars
--Underbody detail unique to both A and B cars
--Separate air spring/shock absorber details on the trucks
--Trip cock details on the proper location on the trucks
--Separately applied grab irons and storm-door chains.
--Car numbers printed on their roofs
--Short-shank couplers installed

In the second part of this video, I attempt to demonstrate a station stop sequence, but ended up piecing together footage of various attempts to get both trains to perform the routine in sync, as I allowed them to get out of sync, and since each stations' routine is a different length, the trains would not only announce two different stops at the same time, but one would try to start up several seconds ahead of the other. I elected to re-create it in post-production because the daylight was fading fast.