the reason why the ditchlights don't flash is because of how Kato do their lighting. There is a single LED with light piping connecting to the lights. This gives really nice appearance to the lights but causes them all to be lit by one light. The fix is to cut the light pipes shorter and attach individual leds to them and wire them up, thereby keeping the solid appearance but allowing more versitality with the ditch lights. It's a carry-over from Kato's N scale experience. It is the reason why in N gauge Kato almost always have the best and brightest lights while Atlas Athearn Fox Valley Bachmann just stick an LED near the light which doesn't direct it as well and therefore doesn't show nearly as brightly.
Thank you James for your excellent reviews! I pray your family has a happy and blessed New Year with joy and peace in your hearts once again thank you very much for all you do for the world's greatest Hobby!
I have an older model of the SD80MAC in a CSX and a NS scheme they will pull anything that you want I always run one with an ATLAS Dash9 they are amazing together. And thanks for all the reviews.
10:30 Oscillating ditch lights. The ditch lights will not light separately from the main headlight, and they are non-oscillating. This is because Kato uses a series of fiber optic light tubes to carry lighting from a single LED on each end of the motherboard. KOBO does not mess with lighting; they only plug in the sound decoder. It should be possible to wire two additional LEDs to separate ports on the decoder, which would allow for separate ditch light operation and even for oscillation if so desired. There should be enough lighting function slots on that decoder to allow for separately lit number boards and a beacon if you want it.
I'm 100% sure that Norfolk Southern's sd80mac units went up to the road number 7228. I went to Enola, PA and I have a picture of the 7228 which is a sd80mac. If you look up NS's sd80mac roster you'll find it goes up to 7228. Awesome review though! I gave it a like!
Where did they put the speaker in that model? It is not in the tank as some others. because of the plastic light tunnels, there is no flashing ditch lights, you must cut them and use separate LEDs to make them function correctly.
Its not the decoder, its the way KATO has their ditch lights set up, one bulb supplies the light for both ditch lights via light tubing. its the one reason that is keeping me from getting one, I don't want to mess with doing that myself.
+Texas T-Trakers Probably correlates to when the loco was first designed. The SD80MAC first came out in the late 90s, early 2000s perhaps. The SD40-2 was ca. 2010. Kato does improve their products with each new release, but they also do not do much updating to their tooling for older models. Paint improves with each re-release, and you see different roads and road numbers, but detail levels remain about the same.
Cool fact Conrail didn’t purchase the 80macs. Well they did but the 30 80macs were originally supposed to go to CNW but since they were bought out by UP Conrail got them instead. I’ve read that on multiple websites
CNW’s order of 15 SD80MAC’s were tacked onto the original order of 28 for Conrail. Conrail still would’ve gotten the SD80MAC’s had CNW still received theirs.
+SPnoza LA GOD DAMN IT! I wish I knew that!!!!!!!! I was this close to buying and sd90mac the other day, and elected to buy a c-44 after I saw those small parts that I thought would need gluing!!!! the sd90 is so much kewler...
I really enjoy your reviews! could you like put a one minute read after the review while you run the demonstration. it's hard to read all you put and pay attention to the review. at least for me.
Seems like I saw on TCS website that they have 2 decoders for the DC version of this Kato SD80MAC. One of them is kind of basic and the other supports advanced lighting functions, maybe. Here we go: tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Kato/EMD%20SD80MAC/EMD%20SD80MAC.html
+Guy Muffin Not ESU's fault. It's Kato's design, combined with only a very basic install by Kobo. The problem is, Kato uses fiber optic light tubes connected to a single LED on each end of the decoder. You have forward and reverse, and that's it. If you want separately operable (and flashing) ditch lights, you will have to remove the light tubes from the ditch light housing, cut them down, and attach one LED to each, wired to separate function slots on the card. It's not difficult if you know how to solder. The other option is to buy the DC version and either do your own sound card install or have it done custom. Both ESU Loksound and TCS Wow have 6 lighting functions (including forward and reverse) which should be more than enough to meet the requirements.
+Guy Muffin their SD40-2 has amazing flashing ditch lights. Only problem is that BNSF/ATSF/BN/CN/IC don't have flashing ditch lights. But they're nice. The SD80 needs them.
![Review: Athearn Genesis SD80MAC [HO SCALE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/cq8tG7LWQE4/mqdefault.jpg)
![Review: Athearn Genesis SD80MAC [HO SCALE]](/img/tr.png)
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Great review, I just bought a ho scale CSX SD80MAC for $83.00 on Amazon and I bought a NS SD80MAC last year.
the reason why the ditchlights don't flash is because of how Kato do their lighting. There is a single LED with light piping connecting to the lights. This gives really nice appearance to the lights but causes them all to be lit by one light. The fix is to cut the light pipes shorter and attach individual leds to them and wire them up, thereby keeping the solid appearance but allowing more versitality with the ditch lights. It's a carry-over from Kato's N scale experience. It is the reason why in N gauge Kato almost always have the best and brightest lights while Atlas Athearn Fox Valley Bachmann just stick an LED near the light which doesn't direct it as well and therefore doesn't show nearly as brightly.
Thank you James for your excellent reviews! I pray your family has a happy and blessed New Year with joy and peace in your hearts once again thank you very much for all you do for the world's greatest Hobby!
I have an older model of the SD80MAC in a CSX and a NS scheme they will pull anything that you want I always run one with an ATLAS Dash9 they are amazing together. And thanks for all the reviews.
Those are one of my favorite locomotives. I was looking into a Kato Union Pacific C44-9W.
10:30 Oscillating ditch lights. The ditch lights will not light separately from the main headlight, and they are non-oscillating. This is because Kato uses a series of fiber optic light tubes to carry lighting from a single LED on each end of the motherboard. KOBO does not mess with lighting; they only plug in the sound decoder. It should be possible to wire two additional LEDs to separate ports on the decoder, which would allow for separate ditch light operation and even for oscillation if so desired. There should be enough lighting function slots on that decoder to allow for separately lit number boards and a beacon if you want it.
Your outstanding review is appreciated, thank you!!!!
i may sound biased, but the reviews with the lok sound decoders are the best :)
Great review James ! Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work.. Lance 🚂 makes me want to check into Kato engines
I actually caught this unit in the review. It looks a lot different from what Kato shows here.
What do you use to install your sound and ect? A
I got a DC csx and switched it to dcc. You said it had barely any noise but mine has a bit of rumbling.
Kato is the best
BNSFfan2373 only if they lower their prices
Have you done a review on the inspection car in the background
If I could have only one locomotive on my layout, it would be this one! I love the SD80MAC! My TH-cam profile picture is a Norfolk Southern SD80MAC.
I'm 100% sure that Norfolk Southern's sd80mac units went up to the road number 7228. I went to Enola, PA and I have a picture of the 7228 which is a sd80mac. If you look up NS's sd80mac roster you'll find it goes up to 7228. Awesome review though! I gave it a like!
TheAmtrakRailfanner 6275 they bought the remaining sd80macs from csx
Finally! Love it.
Awesome locomotive!
Where did they put the speaker in that model? It is not in the tank as some others. because of the plastic light tunnels, there is no flashing ditch lights, you must cut them and use separate LEDs to make them function correctly.
Its not the decoder, its the way KATO has their ditch lights set up, one bulb supplies the light for both ditch lights via light tubing. its the one reason that is keeping me from getting one, I don't want to mess with doing that myself.
+Paul Stamp huh. My SD40-2 has flashing ditch lights from them. I wonder why they didn't do that on the SD80MAC.
+Texas T-Trakers Probably correlates to when the loco was first designed. The SD80MAC first came out in the late 90s, early 2000s perhaps. The SD40-2 was ca. 2010. Kato does improve their products with each new release, but they also do not do much updating to their tooling for older models. Paint improves with each re-release, and you see different roads and road numbers, but detail levels remain about the same.
Who’s watching this 2020?
Now Norfolk southern has all for conrail sd80mac the 12 or 13 from csx
+Ryan Ryan well it would have been 13 if CSX hadn't wrecked 4594
+Dylan Ruppert 4594 could've easily been fixed. CSX just hated them so much that they needed an excuse to scrap them.
Great review.
How much money was the locomotive
can you do a video on bli plymouth switcher
Cool fact Conrail didn’t purchase the 80macs. Well they did but the 30 80macs were originally supposed to go to CNW but since they were bought out by UP Conrail got them instead. I’ve read that on multiple websites
CNW’s order of 15 SD80MAC’s were tacked onto the original order of 28 for Conrail. Conrail still would’ve gotten the SD80MAC’s had CNW still received theirs.
All the details on Kato models snap in, no need for gluing anything... God forbid someone in this hobby may have to put a model together :/
+SPnoza LA GOD DAMN IT! I wish I knew that!!!!!!!! I was this close to buying and sd90mac the other day, and elected to buy a c-44 after I saw those small parts that I thought would need gluing!!!! the sd90 is so much kewler...
All you need on there now is an RS3L
I really enjoy your reviews! could you like put a one minute read after the review while you run the demonstration. it's hard to read all you put and pay attention to the review. at least for me.
Seems like I saw on TCS website that they have 2 decoders for the DC version of this Kato SD80MAC. One of them is kind of basic and the other supports advanced lighting functions, maybe. Here we go: tcsdcc.com/Customer_Content/Installation_Pictures/HO_Scale/Kato/EMD%20SD80MAC/EMD%20SD80MAC.html
good review nice and good price
nice review!
good job
nice locomotive
looks similiar with kato SD90/43MAC
I think i will get one soon.
ESU is the best
Rip 7210
Unit’s cab burnt 😢
one thing I hate about ESU and Kobo, no flashing ditch lights.
+Guy Muffin Not ESU's fault. It's Kato's design, combined with only a very basic install by Kobo.
The problem is, Kato uses fiber optic light tubes connected to a single LED on each end of the decoder. You have forward and reverse, and that's it. If you want separately operable (and flashing) ditch lights, you will have to remove the light tubes from the ditch light housing, cut them down, and attach one LED to each, wired to separate function slots on the card. It's not difficult if you know how to solder.
The other option is to buy the DC version and either do your own sound card install or have it done custom. Both ESU Loksound and TCS Wow have 6 lighting functions (including forward and reverse) which should be more than enough to meet the requirements.
+Guy Muffin their SD40-2 has amazing flashing ditch lights. Only problem is that BNSF/ATSF/BN/CN/IC don't have flashing ditch lights. But they're nice. The SD80 needs them.
Jesus Loves You
Wow that horn is wrong lol. Should have an RS3L.