Product Review HO ScaleTrains C44 9W Locomotive

The new ScaleTrains Rivet Counter HO scale C44-9W (Dash 9-44CW) diesel locomotive in Santa Fe warbonnet colors is the subject of this review by Dan Cortopassi. This model train has all the detail you would expect from a company like ScaleTrains. Dan evaluates the model's packaging, prototype accuracy, paint & detail, and how well it operates and conforms to applicable standards. If you like modern diesels or are a fan of the ATSF you won't want to miss this one!

[@nsmodeler24]

Excellent review! Thanks for taking the time to share! Regarding the incorrect details, I assume it's just an era/time frame difference. A quick google search of 642 reveals the prototype with the same type of trucks and air filters that are found on the model. Take care :) - Josh

[@DanielCortopassi]

I found photos of 642 with the other (rounded) style of truck between 1998 and 2005. I have photos from 1994 and 1996, also, but they're inconclusive due to the angle or because the engine is too small in the frame to see much. I haven't found any photos of 642 with trucks that match the model. Thanks for watching!

[@thomasavensjr.2790]

Very impressive and handsome cw44-9 model from Scaletrains, the Santa Fe warbonnet paint scheme is very attractive applied to this locomotive. Despite the presented flaws this model is possibly the best cw44-9 model available in ho scale and Scaletrains has produced another popular and successful GE locomotive model.

[@DanielCortopassi]

These are really nice. I have several of the ScaleTrains SP versions plus a UP unit, too. I reviewed those as well if you haven't already seen them. Thanks for watching!

[@hyperian_one]

Your reviews are excellent! Better than Consumer Reports. And I'm not even sure what to say about some of the old industry standards (such as the many heralded magazines) that many moons ago, provided the objective, high quality review that you produce. Thanks!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks so much. I miss those old, realistic reviews. Someone has to, right? Thanks for watching!

[@albertofranchi6408]

SUPER BEAUTIFUL MODEL

[@DanielCortopassi]

Santa Fe's red and silver is one of my favorite paint schemes. Thanks for watching!

[@struck2soon]

Whilst not a fan of modern diesels I have to say this model looks great...and that sound!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@rolpfeiffermuller935]

Thanks airing and sharing the outstanding video.Endeavors/exertions are prominent. Elation to the Railfan Viewership. Bliss

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@Midway_CV-41]

Ooh I've been waiting for this! Great review Dan!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@SGTGhost]

Model look nice and this is a great review model

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@mgr_video_productions]

Great review Dan!

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@paulkirkmanMYTRAINS]

Very nice locomotive and review.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@ciaranburke3243]

Very impressed, beautifully presented loco 👌

[@DanielCortopassi]

Glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@AlikStansberry]

This model of ATSF 642 is all around pretty good, but a little disappointing with the issues pointed out. It’s paint also appeared a little faded to me, but I’m guessing the same thing about the real 642 having its paint fad after a while. Little things like the incorrect trucks being fitted and the ditch light not working were clearly an oversight. All in all, a good model of the dash 9 if you ask me.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Someone else suggested pressing the shell down tighter onto the frame to fix the ditch light issue, and that worked. There are contacts between the body and frame that complete the circuit to the ditch lights, and I guess if they're not really close together they won't make contact. Thanks for watching!

[@fostoriadistrictrailfan3907]

E X E L E N T Video! These are the b. e. s. t. reviews out there! Keep it up!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for watching!

[@WhiteRiverRails]

Great review! I also got a model of 642. It had the correct trucks with the rounded truck frame on the time. I’m guessing it was a mistake they put the wrong trucks on yours. The ditchlight problem was an easy fix on mine. I tightened the coupler box down all the way and it appeared to fix the connection issues between the frame and the shell for the ditchlights. Before I would push down on the shell to get the other to light up.

[@DanielCortopassi]

You're probably right, it was just a goof up. Maybe mine was built on a Friday afternoon or Monday morning. Haha. Thanks for watching!

[@skillium1300]

You can fix the ditch light be reading the decoder and then changing its address with a lokprogrammer of the current version. It will update the firmware and fix this issue. I had an ns model with a rear ditch light that wouldn’t turn on till I updated the firmware

[@hyperian_one]

That's one heck of an expensive repair if you don't have the lokprogrammer.

[@espinozajos]

@@hyperian_one Why would anyone buy a LokSound decoder without buying the ESU programmer?! That would be like buying a car with no tires :D

[@hyperian_one]

@@espinozajos Ah, because the locomotive model only comes with that brand of decoder. Besides, one can use JMRI for free.

[@markestrada8247]

Ditch light problem straight out of the box is a result of the under frame power pin not contacting the LED plate on the body. There is no direct wire from the decoder to the LED. If you push down on the cab to the left or right, it may allow contact of the pin to show the light working. I had to file off the excess flashing on the bolster that secures the front underframe and coupler box to the body.

[@DanielCortopassi]

@Mark Estrada Thanks for the suggestion. I pushed the corner of the cab down and the light came on. I can understand the need for a detachable connection, especially on a mass produced model, but it would be nice if it were a bit more reliable. Thanks for watching!

[@Benjamin-David]

I’ll gladly buy it from you if you’re looking to get rid of it. This is my favorite model.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Keeping it for now, but thanks. Thanks for watching!

[@jayfiore8395]

Hi Dan, I ordered the same road number, #642, as well as #666. After your review I checked my units and the #642 has the bulge on the trucks, the #666 does not. After checking the usual sources on the web, rrpictures and railpictures. it seems the "as delivered" units had the flat trucks when delivered. According to the ATSF All-Time Diesel Roster, #642 was delivered March 1994 and #666 was delivered Sept. 1994. I found a photo of 642 dated June of 1994 with the flat trucks and another dated Jan. 1996 with the truck bulge and the swapped out AC unit (in BNSF orange). However, although dated 01 Jan. 1996 and taken in Wisconsin, the photo doesn't appear to be taken in winter, so the date is suspect. There are some earlier photos but there is not enough clarity to make out the trucks. Similar findings for #666. So, if Scale Trains is marketing these units "as delivered," there is obviously some discrepancy in the finished products. Thanks for the great review and I'm glad I found you back on KZbin after leaving the other channel.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I could be that they were swapped at some point. I have a photo of 642 from 1994 but the engine is so small in the frame it's hard to make out much detail in the trucks. Thanks for watching and for finding my channel!

[@Trainsbigandsmall]

Good one Dan! I do believe quality needs some improvement!

[@DanielCortopassi]

I'm glad you liked the review. Thanks for watching!

[@nickodell6193]

Nice video! I believe the factory mistakenly put the wrong trucks on your model. An email to customer support will likely fix this problem. I’ve seen photos of other models of 642 with the correct trucks. As for the air filters and the air dryer on the engineers side, these are correct for as-built. When they were built they came with the 975 twin tower air dryer behind the fuel tank, and the small 975 final filters under the battery boxes. BNSF removed these and added 824 filters with 580 drain valves under the battery boxes due to the lack of the air dryer. I’m unsure why BNSF does this, but their Dash-9s typically do not have air dryers so it is likely they are trying to make the ATSF units fit their standard fleet equipment arrangement.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's good information, thanks! And thanks for watching!

[@railfanowen9372]

I’m thinking about buying one!

[@DanielCortopassi]

It's a good model. Thanks for watching!

[@ericmarc7529]

This is why you go to your dealer and unpackage and test it there. That way if there are any defects, they can replace it for you instead of taking it home and finding out that its broken.

[@DanielCortopassi]

That's a good idea, though in this case the model came direct from ScaleTrains. Many modelers buy online, either out of convenience or because they don't have a hobby dealer in their area. Thanks for watching!

[@HolyOrangeJuice]

If your ditch light doesn't come on, just do a decoder reset. Worked for me.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I got it to work by trying someone else's suggestion and pressing down on the front of the engine. I suspect something wasn't making good contact. Thanks for watching!

[@JosueRodriguez-kk6wn]

You can also fix it with washers put about 3-4 washers on the pins and it'll work.

[@Jabond07]

🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩👍

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@pliskein]

The back jumper cable is missing; looks that it is tangled in the upper piping of the back truck on the conductor side. Great review.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Good catch. Thanks for watching!

[@PFR1]

I like your reviews. Thank you. No rear number boards? Not even numbers? Is that prototypical? On SF as well as other road name C44-9Ws? I’ve ordered a UP #9594. What should it have? Thanks.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Rear number boards seem to be a railroad option. Some railroads order their engines with them, and some don't. Usually the locomotive will at least have a painted number on the rear end somewhere. I checked my photos of UP C44-9Ws and it looks like they didn't have them. Thanks for watching!

[@08trader]

Taking 5 points for the coupler being a tad lower is too harsh. Now the red color being off should warrant some points being taken off.

[@DanielCortopassi]

One of the reasons I try to show all the tests that I do is so that people can draw their own conclusions. I have strict standards for my own equipment, and my reviews reflect that. So whether the coupler height is off by a lot or off by a little, if I have to fix it, then it gets points off. Thanks for watching!

[@projimoproductions6379]

Hey Dan C., my question os ehh Ian't there a y módem locomotive oerfect without a y clase? Luis Urbieta.

[@DanielCortopassi]

Catching up on comments... Sorry, I don't really understand the question. Thanks for watching!

[@floridianrailauto9032]

Have you ever reviewed a model you gave a yellow/red signal?

[@DanielCortopassi]

Yellow, yes. No reds so far. Thanks for watching!

[@espinozajos]

Good review, the model are spectacular! But the paint is horrible on the ATSFs, BNSF and UPs. Also aren't the bottom tips of the stantions along the hood supposed to be red?

[@DanielCortopassi]

Good catch. Somehow I missed the stanchions. Thanks for watching!

[@jacobr1341]

I have the same ditch light problem with my Atlas Santa Fe C40-8W. Is there any way to correct this?

[@markestrada8247]

The ditch light problem occurred on my newly purchased SF 600 DCC w Sound and on another youtube reviewers SF DCC w Sound. The problem on mine was a failure of the body pin to make contact with the round plate that connects to the LEDs in the body. Push down on the left and right of the cab while it is on the track and the light will probably work. The solution seems to be to file down the extra flashing on the bolster that accepts the front coupler box screw, then screw it in a little tighter to make sure the pins contact all 3 LED plates. Graphite on the plates or thickening the plates should work. Also seems like the silver color is a little dark and the reds are a little duller and more orange than bright red War Bonnets from Bachman, Athearn, and Lionel.

[@DanielCortopassi]

The Atlas units have contact strips under the sill that have to touch contact pads on the top of the frame. If these get dirty or bent out of shape, or if the shell is not properly seated on the frame, they might not be making good contact. Rubbing alcohol or some electrical contact cleaner might help. On some of my units I've rewired the ditch lights with 36 gauge solderable magnet wire, though this can make it tricker to get the shell on and off. Thanks for watching!

[@NicksCollectableCreations]

I am sure Shane would send you another model if you asked him. Those are really good people at Scale Trains.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I've been meaning to contact them about it. Thanks for the suggestion and for watching!

[@Denniss7420]

Silver is too dark (same as Athearn SD75M). I prefer the silver on Athearn FP45 & GP60M locos.

[@riogrande5761]

Agree

[@markestrada8247]

Agree, the silver is too dark resulting in the santa fe lettering not popping out as well as on other War Bonnets from Athearn, Lionel, and Bachmann. The Red is also dull and seems a little orange and not bright like other War Bonnets.

[@DanielCortopassi]

One disadvantage to having most of my stuff in boxes right now is that it's hard to compare a new model to one I've already got. I dug out one of my Atlas C40-8Ws and the silver on that is brighter, and the red is more saturated. It looks more correct to me. The ScaleTrains unit isn't so far off that it's unusable (I had an Athearn ATSF SD75 once that looked almost pinkish). It would probably be a good candidate for some heavier weathering. Thanks for watching!

[@boylesterminalshops6841]

I'd contact ScaleTrains about the discrepancies, that's uncharacteristic of them.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I may do that. I like the model. Thanks for watching!

[@MyKokushiboDrawing]

Donyou think you can review an HO scale UP big boy?

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have an Athearn Big Boy from a couple years ago that I could always re-review. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for watching!

[@epacm50]

The bottom line is Athearn Genesis makes a better ATSF Dash 9 than Scaletrains. I would pass up this loco and stick with either Atlas or Athearn Genesis.

[@DanielCortopassi]

I have some of the Atlas Dash-8s and they're nice models. I don't have any of the Athearn RTR Dash-9s, but I do have an old blue box SP C44-9W that's waiting on time to be a detailing project. I also have some Kato C44-9w that I need to work on. Thanks for watching!

[@epacm50]

Intermountain is supposed to release their version of the "Dash 9" soon. I would say you will also have better results with them. Plus they use Kadee couplers.

[@kamalapatel5303]

Bbbbbbbbb,

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!

[@train-addict4656]

Great review Dan !

[@DanielCortopassi]

Thanks for watching!