F40PH California Zephyr for Train Simulator Review

[Antwerp]

THIS REVIEW IS ENTIRELY MY OPINION! (Everyone is entitled their own opinions just don't try to force yours upon others.)

Overview: The EMD F40PH. This name is widely known around the railroading community. It pulled many passenger trains in the 70’s through the 90’s and in some places still takes passengers where they want to go today. Built by EMD from 1975 to 1992 then MK/MPI took over building of the F40PH from 1991 to 2000. RSC has created this model for their Donner Pass DLC. Does it match it’s Payware value?

Paint: The F40PH “California Zephyr” pack includes one F40PH in Amtrak Phase III Livery and two sets of coaches. One set is in Amtrak Phase III paint and the other is in Amtrak Phase II.

Lighting: The engine also has Strobe lights and a “MARS” Light, both are operable and are great to look at. There is a dial within the cab that allows the “MARS” to operate or to run the Strobe Lights, otherwise the Strobe Lights come on when the bell is activated.

Sounds: The sounds are great, The horn is excellent along with the bell. The engine sounds great, it really sounds like they put some effort into it.

Scenarios: This pack include five scenarios for the Donner Pass Expansion Pack, although I can’t say much about these scenarios as I don’t own Donner Pass.

Rolling Stock: This pack comes with two sets of Superliner cars, As noted before they come in two separate Amtrak paint phases. Phase III and Phase II.

Pros & Cons.
+ Great Engine Sounds
+ Great Cabview
+ Great Horn
+ Great Rollingstock
+ TSX and Quick Drive Compatible

Final Score
9.5

Amazing
Probably one of the best DLC's out there. It might have a few flaws, but this is a must-buy.

[Bananarama]

...may not be flawless...

Yet you gave it a score of 10.0?

FWIW, I believe the light on an F40PH is a Gyralight and not a Mars, but this is just picking nits.

[Antwerp]

...may not be flawless...

Yet you gave it a score of 10.0?

FWIW, I believe the light on an F40PH is a Gyralight and not a Mars, but this is just picking nits.

Nothing is without flaws, It's the fact the potential flaws are so minor it really doesn't effect the product.

[PapaXpress]

Not to criticize, but a 10 is the highest of perfection. If there is a flaw then it cannot be perfect, thus it cannot rate a 10. This is why we have 9.35 in the Olympics and other scored sports. We can even give half stars. But I digress. If you found problems which could be corrected, then withhold the 10 and give a more meaningful (and consistent) score.

[Antwerp]

Final Score
9.5

Amazing
Probably one of the best DLC's out there. It might have a few flaws, but this is a must-buy.

Happy?

[Chacal]

Thanks for the review.
What about the model? Physics? Controls? Does it have cab lights? Step lights? Instrument lights? Do windows open?

[Antwerp]

Thanks for the review.
What about the model? Physics? Controls? Does it have cab lights? Step lights? Instrument lights? Do windows open?

Well, I was having a rough week, so It's not complete I will probably re-do it over the weekend.

[Chacal]

Well you don't have to, I'm just curious.

[Antwerp]

[quote="Chacal"]Well you don't have to, I'm just curious.[/quote

I will keep your comment in mind next Review, I will also keep in mind, 10.0 doesn't exist.

[imphantum]

The F40 has to be my favorite Loco in Railworks, but one thing. Gyralight? What gyralight? I know about the strobes but did I miss the gyralight?

[jwtheiv]

Bah - I think if you say for a pinnacle of current standards a 10 is fine. Or just steal the system from Polygon - http://www.polygon.com/pages/about-reviews

eg - 10 doesn't mean perfect, but it does mean that it's about as close to a must have as exists.

[BNSFdude]

Lighting: The engine also has Strobe lights and a “MARS” Light, both are operable and are great to look at. There is a dial within the cab that allows the “MARS” to operate or to run the Strobe Lights, otherwise the Strobe Lights come on when the bell is activated.

Small correction here. On Amtrak Units, all the lights were strobes. Not MARS lights. Infact, by the time F40s were made, MARS lights weren't being made anymore. Only Pyles Gyralights.

The red light in the middle as you'll note, strobes, like the white ones.

[Bananarama]

Small correction here. On Amtrak Units, all the lights were strobes. Not MARS lights. Infact, by the time F40s were made, MARS lights weren't being made anymore. Only Pyles Gyralights.

Strobes were mounted on roofs of several roads, but the nose light in the F40PH's of Amtrak, MARC, Caltrain, Metra and others used the 20585 Gyralite. I believe the original F40, however, may have used either Gyralites or strobes in the nose due to relaxed FRA mandates at the time. It was up the the railroad on which to use. Strobes were cheaper, albeit less effective than Gyralites.

[PapaXpress]

More here:
http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/gyra_use.htm

[BNSFdude]

Small correction here. On Amtrak Units, all the lights were strobes. Not MARS lights. Infact, by the time F40s were made, MARS lights weren't being made anymore. Only Pyles Gyralights.

Strobes were mounted on roofs of several roads, but the nose light in the F40PH's of Amtrak, MARC, Caltrain, Metra and others used the 20585 Gyralite. I believe the original F40, however, may have used either Gyralites or strobes in the nose due to relaxed FRA mandates at the time. It was up the the railroad on which to use. Strobes were cheaper, albeit less effective than Gyralites.

False, the nose light is a standard Pyle headlight assembly. The cab mounted Red light is a strobe (look at any video of a P32-8BWH (pepsi can scheme) or F40PH with strobes working) and you'll see what I mean.
The difference being that a dual light Gyralight assembly is "rounded" like this:

Whilst the headlight in the F40 clearly isn't rounded and rather looks like the standard Pyle National (translite now) dual sealed beam assembly.

(See the headlight below the Gyralight assembly.

http://www.trainweb.org/gyra/strobe.htm
Scroll down to the F40PH part.
"Amtrak No. 273 F40PH with "typical Amtrak strobe setup" of 2 Star 200BC roof mounted
strobes and a center strobe between the numberboards consisting of a Trans-Lite
C-1785 housing and Red glass lens.
photo by: Dick Leonhardt "