We have had plenty of snow so I didn't expect to get the new 2-6-6-2 very quickly. Very pleasantly surprised to get home from work today and find it had arrived.
There is a few things on this that are something of a surprise. First of all, there's no draw bar. The engine and tender wiring plug snaps together tightly enough with small lock tabs that a draw bar isn't needed. You get a plastic rail guide with it to simplify putting it on the track and it works great. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping it can be used with some of the other steam engines also. The front and rear trucks on the engine are spring-loaded electrical pickups, along with the tender trucks, so it's getting plenty of juice.
It runs great, has a good slow speed, and the articulation is cool to watch. One thing I want to ask some of our steam experts, the compressor pipe comes from the front of the cab, along the left side to the dual compressors on the front. The front of the pipe has a 90 degree so that it points to the compressor, but the end just hangs in space. Not connected to the comp. I realize that in taking a curve to the right, this line would have to flex, but it did on the real one. Would this have been a rubber hose, connected to a metal line on the prototype? If so, I'll figure a way to connect to the compressors. Any suggestions?
There is a few things on this that are something of a surprise. First of all, there's no draw bar. The engine and tender wiring plug snaps together tightly enough with small lock tabs that a draw bar isn't needed. You get a plastic rail guide with it to simplify putting it on the track and it works great. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm hoping it can be used with some of the other steam engines also. The front and rear trucks on the engine are spring-loaded electrical pickups, along with the tender trucks, so it's getting plenty of juice.
It runs great, has a good slow speed, and the articulation is cool to watch. One thing I want to ask some of our steam experts, the compressor pipe comes from the front of the cab, along the left side to the dual compressors on the front. The front of the pipe has a 90 degree so that it points to the compressor, but the end just hangs in space. Not connected to the comp. I realize that in taking a curve to the right, this line would have to flex, but it did on the real one. Would this have been a rubber hose, connected to a metal line on the prototype? If so, I'll figure a way to connect to the compressors. Any suggestions?