MTH-DR/DB 44 Class"Jumbo"Questns

In question number 1 what's the difference between the 2 choices??

Hi-Rail wheels are the typical wheels for 3-rail 0 gauge trains, with deep flanges. If you are using Fastrack, that's the kind of flanges you want. Fine Scale wheels have a scale profile. The flanges are shallow and work well only on scale type track.

MTH rates this locomotive for 0-54 minimum curve. I am surprised that it is even rated for 0-54; I would have guessed 0-72. It is a very long locomotive with 10 driving wheels and I would consider it unlikely that it would run on 0-48, although it might work. I suspect if it did run on 0-48, it would slow down badly in curves because the flanges would drag. 0-36 is out of the question. 

I am prepared to re-do our first line on our table which is the outer line I could re-do it with 0-72 to accomodate that loco

Thank you for the help and heads up!!!!!!!!!!

As said previously by S.H., Hi-Rail is for 3 rail track and Fine Scale is for 2 rail scale track. If you re-work your track to O-72 you should be good for running anything made for 3 rail track so far to present times.  

I don't know much about the MTH European trains, or the real European trains themselves, so can't help there.

According to the Busch [ the MTH dealer for Germany etc ] website:
 The Epoch 3 model = circa 1960 appearance

 The Epoch 4 = circa 1970

The only difference mentioned by Busch is that the later version has computer numbering [ eg, 044 xxx - x ].  If there will be other differences, I imagine we'll have to wait for the models for the definitive answer.

Hope that helps.

SZ

Thank you 

Every bit helps!!!

Wish I could buy both!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Since we are on the topic, does anyone know if it will have a proto coupler as an option? I don't see any mention of it anywhere.

I called MTH to ask the question and the person in the sales dept didn't know as she said these engines are mostly for a European market.

That being said

I hope they have the coupler anyway for us "Yanks" it still would be great to hook up our American RR or Passenger cars to these engines!!

My "hunch" about MTH is I think they will!!!

I don't know about the German 2-10-0, but the three MTH Euro locomotives I own all have operating Proto-Couplers. However, all the Euro rolling stock has non-operating couplers. You can substitute European-style couplers for the dummy Lionel-type couplers, which I have chosen not to do because it's too much work, both to make the change and then to couple and uncouple the cars when setting up. 

You do know that much of this information is in the MTH Euro catalogue ("Eurologue"?),

available online.

The gray 44 appeals to me, but I don't intend to buy it, even though I said for years that "if they ever do this one...".

Thanks didn't know about all the info being in the Euro Catelog.

I am somewhat new to MTH. I knew they existed but didn't really get more into them until I discovered they were going to produce this BR-44.

The more I study them the more I like them!!