Model Railroading > DCC/Sound system in older Athearn Genesis B&O F-3 diesels

I have the chance to buy an older set of F-3 A&B Athearn Genesis diesels with factory DCC/ Sound per the boxed set sticker. The box label does not say Tsunami .
Would appreciate any comments  or recommendations on these locomotives as far as the sound quality. THANKS !  



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/02/19 02:17 by UP951West.

If possible, have the seller do a thorough test run for you before putting your $$ down. If you can’t see the units in person, have the owner send you a video that verifies functionality. I have several older Genesis F7’s / GP9’s with various sound and performance issues and have read similar accounts over the years from other fellow modelers. On one of my GP9’s, I can’t even remove the shell to get inside to take a look - it seems to be glued from the inside. I guess my advice here is “buyer beware”.

If it doesn't have Tsunami, I believe the only other factory sound system Athearn put in these was MRC.  I wouldn't pay more for these than I would a non-decoder unit because the MRC units need to be gutted and replaced with whatever your favorite sound system is.

Nathan Beauheim
Loveland, CO

nathan314 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If it doesn't have Tsunami, I believe the only
> other factory sound system Athearn put in these
> was MRC.  I wouldn't pay more for these than I
> would a non-decoder unit because the MRC units
> need to be gutted and replaced with whatever your
> favorite sound system is.
>
> Nathan Beauheim
> Loveland, CO

This is good advice..

nathan314 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If it doesn't have Tsunami, I believe the only
> other factory sound system Athearn put in these
> was MRC.  I wouldn't pay more for these than I
> would a non-decoder unit because the MRC units
> need to be gutted and replaced with whatever your
> favorite sound system is.
>
> Nathan Beauheim
> Loveland, CO

Thats good advise.  I think it was around 2008 when Athearn started switching to Tsunami decoders and discontinuing MRC.  I avoided buying any Genesis sound equipped engines before the switch because I read a lot of very negative feedback about the MRC decoder sound quality.  The difficulty is sellers may believe their MRC equipped Genesis engines are worth charging for the sound feature.  I wouldn't pay more as Nathan recommended.  Stand your ground on that.

I want to thank each of you for your advise !!   --Kelly  UP 951 West

UP951West Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I want to thank each of you for your advise !! 
>  --Kelly  UP 951 West

If you buy any get the decoder that Soundtraxx sell for them not the one that is custom by them for Athearn it looks the same but is diffrent and has more features.  It also mounts in place of the existing unit without any mods.  Did that on my F9 units.

Be sure to get a decoder with current keeper/keep alive.  Some older Genesis F units had power pickup issues
and if yours is one, the sound will cut in and out without these current capacitors installed.

This comes from personal experience with older Genesis F units.