Finally got a chance Friday to open my new 3rd Rail T-3 that came last Monday.
It's beautiful and actually ran with no "problems" (see #5), so far:
1 - the brass castings are not up to Lionel/MTH standards of brass add-ons
2 - it runs very well; ERR Cruise is superb; sound is good
3 - whoever said above that the MTH P-2 looks "cheap beside the T" is wildly incorrect;
I have both (black) sitting next to each other and the MTH piece is also beautiful
(see #1)
4 - surprisingly nothing was broken out of the box; the piece feels more substantial
that many 3rd Rail pieces that I own and/or have handled
5 - there is a F/R/electronic orientation error on my loco, and I suspect on
all of them, judging by the photo on the front of the instruction booklet.
(It is a photo of the rear, prototypically.)
The "Front" of the loco as defined by initial start-up and Aux +0 and "F" coupler
and clear/red class/marker lights is incorrect; the "Front" is the end with the big
white "F" on the body, but this loco thinks that the #2 end with the steam generator/Run/Prog switch cover is the Front. It is not. When my "F/R"
couplers fire, the wrong coupler(s) open, as defined by the actual locomotive.
The end with "2" on it is the Rear, and should have the red markers, and other
features of the #2 end.
This is irritating, but not deadly. It has to matter to somebody, and I guess that
I'm That Guy. Changeable? Yes. Will I? Dunno.
If mine is the only one, well too bad for me.