I finally bit the bullet and upped what I was willing to pay on Ebay and picked up an older RR 2-8-8-2. It was even in the right road name, although it will probably be repainted to be a little more accurate. I took a chance on an auction that had a very vauge description and got very lucky. It is an original version (plastic box) with a standard, long distance, tender with dog house (not prototypical as far as I know). I am breaking it in right now as I type. This thing was brand new in the box. It showed no signs of previous running. It took a little help to get it rolling at first. I removed the motor enough that it could freewheel and let it run like that for about 5 minutes till it smoothed out. Then reassembled the loco, put a second engine behind it on the test loop and let it help it around for a few minutes. After that it seems to be running just fine. I have gone about 15 minutes in each direction around the loop, both forward and reverse. It now runs very smooth and the startup voltage gets lower each time I try so I think I have a winner. (Knock on wood)
For those with experience, is there anything else I should watch out for?
For those with experience, is there anything else I should watch out for?