MTH Premier ACL 4-8-4???

IIRC, the first offering MTH made minor adjustments to the Santa Fe casting to more closely represent the true ACL engine. The second version was made from the Santa Fe casting unmodified so it has different number boards and the large pipes on top of the boiler.

Thanks!  I see now the 1st one doesn't have the top piping.

Interesting. I have threatened to want one of these. I knew that it was ATSF 2900-class tooling with a different (borrowed, I'm sure), non-ATSF tender. Striking loco, and a fair stand-in for the ACL. I have seen both versions in photos and though that the detail was more accurate on one that the other, but I saw them years apart and assumed I was mis-remembering. Was the headlight on the first one more ACL-like...it seems...? Can't tell from the photo.

Odd that MTH "dis-improved" the offering by making the second version just a paint job (tender excluded). Something to watch for.

There was, indeed, a RailKing version, I seem to recall. Haven't looked it up. 

Here's the Railking, 30-1264-1:

Not sure what the differences could be, shorter?

Here's the real deal:

And a drawing:

None of the models have the "correct" running boards, but they can be reworked.

The models do have the "sport" cab with the slanted front.  The 8-wheeled tender trucks are nice, from what I've read the R-1s were the first engines to be seen with these.

I've gotten so spoiled with older brass a diecast version would have to come at a pretty good price for me to bite.  If someone has a non-working one (don't need the electronics to work, but the mechanical stuff should) let me know!