MTH PS3 Galloping Goose EDIT: answer to my questions found, brief review, additional question

Can't say yet because I was just notified yesterday that my Alaska version arrived.  Probably won't get over to pick it up until next week.

I got mine PS3 version yesterday (photo below).  The answer to my question about if it runs on DC and AC seems to be NO.  If there is an AC/DC switch, etc., I can't find it. The only Owner's manual included was no help: mine came only with a generic "MTH Diesel" set of instructions that seems to cover all MTH low-end diesels, but I looked over the whole unit and there is nothing but a volume control to adjust. And it doesn't run on DC when I tried it briefly (I thought it was vaguely possible it figures it out itself even though inspection indicated what did happen was likely - the transformer indicated a short circuit when I tried.  

But enough negativity: this is a nice little unit, of something that is way "different," which makes it fun in its own way.  And at $229 (M. B. Klein) while not a stupendous bargain, it's good value.  The body is ABS and not terribly detailed, but certainly okay.  SOUND is what impressed me most. There is LOTS of volume (I had to turn it down more than half-way.).  The sound is quite good: it sits there silent when started and then you hear the starter engage and fight with it for a few seconds to start the diesel before it grumbles to life.  Nice variation in tone and rate as it runs: I would like it if it revved up more with speed - I had to get the thing to about 100 mph hour (way too fast) before the diesel sound really sounded like it was working hard - but I am being a nitpicker.  I ran it only in conventional, but runs well: smoothly, good linear control, nice and slow to warp speed. Does it pull well?  I don't know: there is no rear coupler and I doubt it was designed to pull anything but itself.  Very much fun, if very weird looking!.

I DO HAVE A QUESTION: Am I correct in concluding this is way bigger than scale?  MTH's catalog claims no scale for it, and it looks closer to 1:32 scale to me.  The cab is supposed to have been "constructed in 1931 with a 1926 Pierce-Arrow engine and car body for passengers."  As one can see from the photo below, head to head with a modern 1:48 rig rig cab (a Peterbilt, I think), if it is scale, that was a monstrous Pierce-Arrow car!

Lee,

All MTH PS3 engines will operate on either AC or DC, as will 3 volt PS2 engines.

I have the very first version with what must be loco sound IIRC so no answers on operations.

SIZE......MTH blew the scale of the prototype Goose from very small 3 foot gauge to a rather large standard gauge Goose. It's almost as if it's 1/32 scale or so.....I have not brought out the ruler and checked it....I don't really care...it's a cool little loco.

If I can ever get time and ambition I'll pull out my SCALE Goose and photo it beside the giant MTH version.

Thank you AMC Dave.  I agree it is a lot of fun even if not scale.

Barry B: I should have been clearer on exactly what I meant by "running on DC.".  Yes, my Galloping Goose will run on 3-rail DC: with on one-leg of the DC fed to the center rail and the other to the outer rails.  But my other PS3 locos have a switch underneath so they will run on two-rail DC.  I was hoping this puppy might do that, but I can't find the switch and I don't think it's there.

Anyway, it will run - move under its own power - on three-rail DC, and the sound will work if I do one work-around (see text below), but the e-unit functionality (F-N-R cycling) does not work.  

The sound will not function unless I fire it up initially at full throttle - about 16-18 V.  If I fire it up at 10 V, there is no sound but after about ten seconds it ambles off in one direction or the other depending on polarity of the DC.  

When initially fired up at 16-18 V, after the sound starts it will immediately jackrabbit off so fast it will de-rail on the first curve it hits, but I can then reduce voltage to around 1/2 throttle just as the sound starts and about two seconds later if starts out as in the video below.  It I reduce voltage to about 8 V the sound will stay on but it will stop moving and then I can increase  voltage to about 10 V and it will start off nicely again.  I can use a direction button or cut and return power to try to toggle the e-unit but it has no effect.  I cannot get e-unit functionality to work.  Here is is running on my 'Streets country road, which is 3-rail DC, powered by a CW-80 feeding through a 10A full wave rectifier.  I also tested it with a TechIII DC supply and get the same results.  To vary direction, I have to reverse polarity (the switch you see me throwing in the video below).

For a scale perspective, here is a picture of RGS No. 2 with a Shay (which is a small engine itself) in the background.

Here's some pictures of the actual RGS 7.

Lee,

Many (if not all) of the current Premier diesels have a 2-Rail/3-Rail switch, however, I've yet to see one in a RK product.

A web search found this picture of Goose #7 with Burlington O5b 5629 behind for comparison:

Rusty

I went over to Dave Minarik's Mercer Junction to pick up my Alaska "Goose" yesterday.  We gave it a spin on the store's layout.  Sounds and operation were fine (running with DCS), but there's a bit of a wobble in the motor truck.  Dave changed the traction tires and tightened the motor mount (which was loose) by using a slightly shorter screw, but there still was a bit of a wobble.  Dave ordered a new truck assembly and I left the unit with him until such time as he can get it fixed to his (and my) satisfaction.

Interesting, too, that the spoked wheels on the front truck (the one with the motor) are different than the rear set of spoked wheels.  Not sure if it's like that on any prototype or not.