Aristocraft: Dash-9 (Santa Fe) - Photo and Video page:

9/04/04 -  Photos taken soon after acquisition.

03/18/05 -  Photos taken after the engine body was lowered on the trucks 1/4".

Here is the 1/4" lowered Dash-9(1:29 scale) up against the 1:32 scale MTH Challenger.

For more information on the lowering project, please see:

Aristocraft Dash-9 Lowering Project

__________________________________________________________________________________

07/12/05 -  Night Photos taken with the new Canon Digital Rebel XT.

07/27/05 -  More taken with the Rebel XT.

                                              Click the Link to play video

    -  Video #1 - 0:50 mins  -  Pulling Heavyweight passenger cars - YouTube

    -  Video #8 - 1:40 mins  -  Test run of three newly converted NS Dash-9s to DCS - YouTube

                                             -  Video #9 - 2:24 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

                                             -  Video #10 - 2:25 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

                                             -  Video #11 - 2:14 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

                                             -  Video #12 - 2:42 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

                                             -  Video #13 - 1:05 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

                                             -  Video #14 - 3:41 mins  -  4 NS + 1SF Dash-9s pull the 60 car coal train - YouTube

100ft Coal Trains (x 2) - MTH Big Boys & Aristocraft Norfolk Southern Dash-9s:

                                             -  Video #1 - 4:27 mins  -  3 Big Boys and 5 NS Dash-9s take on their own 100ft coal trains - YouTube

                                             -  Video #2 - 1:56 mins  -  3 Big Boys and 5 NS Dash-9s take on their own 100ft coal trains - YouTube

                                             -  Video #3 - 4:31 mins  -  3 Big Boys and 5 NS Dash-9s take on their own 100ft coal trains - YouTube

                                             -  Video #4 - 2:13 mins  -  3 Big Boys and 5 NS Dash-9s take on their own 100ft coal trains - YouTube

                                             -  Video #5 - 3:42 mins  -  3 Big Boys and 5 NS Dash-9s take on their own 100ft coal trains - YouTube

__________________________________________________________________________________

Product Review/Comments:  (*Updated 08/25/2013*)

Overall:  (Aristocraft Dash-9   --  1:29 scale)
Of all the G scale diesels produced (includes MTH 1:32, USA Trains 1:29, etc) this is hands down my favorite.  The detail on this engine meets or exceeds all other similar offerings by the other companies.  You can see from the photos above, the Pdetail, paint, finish and overall look of the engine is just excellent and is everything you could want or expect from a model train.  The engine runs very smooth and pulls very well (around 5lbs pulling force).    

Pull force: 

• Aristocraft Dash-9=5lbs
• Aristocraft Mallet=2.5 lbs
• MTH Big Boy=7.5 lbs
• USA Big Boy=8 lbs

Engine Weight:  (excluding tender)

• Aristocraft Dash-9=
• Aristocraft Mallet=15 lbs
• MTH Big Boy=18 lbs
• USA Big Boy=45 lbs

Performance/Construction:
 

Detail:

.

Drivers:
.

Connecting rods:
.


Suspenion:

.

Conclusion:
.   
 

__________________________________________________________________________________

Read about the modifications done to these engines at the Modification link below.

Garden Railroad Modification, Repair & Maintenance

__________________________________________________________________________________

Return to the Garden Railroad 2004 page.