Pfiffi with Zimo - huge discount at Modell-land

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Modell-land have reduced the price for a fully DCC zimo fitted Trainline 45 Pfiffi - with pulsed smoke generator - by 249 Euro.

www.modell-land.de
 
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That discount price is round about what I paid for mine earlier in the year (from Hunti's Modellshop) - shortly afterwards I noticed how much they'd gone up (and not just because of the plummeting pound either!) so was very glad I'd bought when I did.... it's a lovely loco and at the offer price it isn't THAT much more than a comparable LGB offering.... you thinking of taking the plunge, Alan? ;)

Jon.
 
err, might have!.
Huntis are at 1,179 Euro today Jon. But I have added them to the 'LINKS' section for easy future reference.
 
Yes, Huntis' price for them went up by a couple of hundred Euros just after I bought mine! ;)
At the time, they did me a very good package price on Pfiffi plus the Traditionszug coach set.

I think that TL45 must have significantly raised their price to the stores.

If you have got one on the way, you won't regret it - lovely little loco, with (so far, anyway) none of the annoying teething troubles that affected the early TL Mallets.

Jon.
 
Well it arrived on Wednesday, having been ordered from Germany late on Friday. Not bad delivery really, is it?
First impressions were pretty good. The roof manhole cover was loose in the box but that clipped back in place easily and reasonably securely.
The loco is mounted sideways in a one piece polystyrene insert with the usual Trainline two piece box (a tray and a lid). Under the wheels is a piece of corrugated cardboard which stops the flanges eating into the polystyrene - a nice and simple touch.
There is a bag of some small detail parts that you fit yourself and as usual, once fitted, the loco wont go back in the box! and also some plastic coal!

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So, what do you get?
A nice, medium sized, 0-6-0 with quite a lot of detail - especially on the boiler, most of which is separate molding, not just a bulge on the boiler barrel. The smoke box door also looks good, also the brake shoes are out-set from the frames to be in line with the tyres of the wheels.
And so far nothing has come loose or fallen off.

By 'medium sized', it is larger than a Spreewald but smaller than the Harz Ballerina
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The printing is very precise, including the makers plate set high on the cab side. Probably a lot sharper than my crap photography.
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So, out on to the track. It runs backwards! but it does run nice and smoothly and the electrical pick up (from 6 wheels and 2 skates) seems very good - no problems on my dirty track, nor over plastic frogs. Found the button to switch on the sound (F8) and the smoke (the inside cab switch - like LGB).
The whistle on start away is a brilliant recording and I remember the original being the same. It is very wet and takes a moment to clear before the whistle blows clearly. The exhaust beat is timed by the axle sensor and this also puffs the smoke - the best I have seen outside of YouTube. Each puff is discernible up to quite a reasonable speed.
 
The F buttons to trigger the various sounds work differently to my usual Massoth ones. Press once to switch on and again to switch of. The whistle plays and stops but when you press for it again nothing happen (because your switching it off) press again and it play again. The bell keeps ringing on a loop until you switch it off. Not a problem - just a bit different and there may well be a way to auto stop the sound playback in the CVs anyway.
There are three whistle recordings, the wet one I mentioned earlier , a long blast and a short toot. Nice - I like the options.
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I compared the motion with pictures I took when on the Harz in 2014 and the re-creation is pretty good. Also, finished in a matt grey colour rather than silver.

Back to the sound. The chuff cut off when coasting is very good - the best I have heard, and it lasts a good length of time before a reduced chuffing starts again. The brake squeal also comes in about right and just a bout every time you slow right down or come to a stop - neat.

I pulled the gearbox base plate and its much like we are all used to - including a Buhler motor too. Just a smear of grease on the worm gears - sufficient but not too much.

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You probably get the idea I am quite pleased with it. The reverse running was changed on my 'Sprog' programmer whilst I changed the address code to 101.
It does not seem to present any issues (so far) as were experienced with the early Mallets from this company.

It is a lot of cash, and even more with the Zimo soundcard, but I wanted one even before we traveled behind her from Wernigerode, And, of course, the green Harz coaches were what we rode in. Sometimes one has to jump in with both feet!

Your a long time dead!
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Excellent. Recommended.
 
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Alan, pleased to see that you've got your Pfiffi, it certainly does look good and it seems as though the sound functions are quite extensive.

Be good to see your Pfiffi on the EG&SNNR next year and see how it compares with my Pfiffi, certainly think it will beat mine on sound functions!!
 
A very informative review for anyone thinking of buying one. Does it have the full load /partial load sound on F15 which the mallet has? I think this sound is very realistic . Also how is the volume control? On my Mallet it is a bit temperamental.
 
I had not found the F15 function - it is very good. (for those reading who don't know - it increases the tendency to coast rather than chuff).
The volume control works well but all the adjustment seems to be at one end of the dial.
 
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