MTH Swiss Crocodile Locomotive

Has anybody purchased the MTH Swiss Crocodile Electric Locomotive # 20-5637-1?

I recently got mine and was wondering since I operate on Lionel 0-48 curves and the box flap says minimum curve 0-54 will it make the 0-48 curves. At MTH I was told last week that they do not have 0-48 curve track to run the locomotive on but last year Rich Foster of MTH said that it should run on 0-48 track when he called me back after I had first phoned and spoke to him. Either way I want to keep the engine because it looks great and is so different from any other engine that I have ever purchased.

Ed G. (Along The New Haven Line in New York State)

To SJC:

I have not even taking the engine out of the box. I am safe either way. If it gets around 0-48 curves fine if not Rich Foster said that I can return it to him since he did have their engine run on that track by someone in his company and he was told that yes it would but since their curved track goes from 0-42 to 0-54 that don't want to mention any other companies track.

Ed,

I had one on order because it originally was catalogued as operating on O42 curves. When that changed on MTH's web site to 072 curves, I asked MTH to find out for sure if it woiuld do O42 or not.

After testing it for simple forward and reverse operation on O42 curves, no "S" turns or fancy stuff, I was told by MTH that it derailed its leading wheels on O42 curves.

I subsequently cancelled my order.

I have one but haven't run it yet. Beautiful engine, of course I had to buy the beer cars to go with it (Biere Beauregard; Brasserie du Cardinal, Fribourg and Brauererie zum Loewengarten, Luzern).....having lived in Europe for a number of years and ridden the Swiss rails, this rolling stock is familiar. The brewery cars are expensive but very nicely detailed. Running the engine is not an issue as my mountain pass will have 072 and 082 curves. The real crocodiles were articulated so that they could handle the tighter curves and steep grades in the mountains. I don't know why the "articulation" in O gauge can't achieve the same objective....... I guess 048 is a reasonable compromise but not enough for Barry....

Mike

Mike,

I guess 048 is a reasonable compromise but not enough for Barry....

My layout has 3 mainlines, all interconnected.

Two are O54 and the third is O42. However, the upper level O42 and O54 are interconnected and, due to the low clearance on the lower level with its lone O54, I only would be able to run the Croc on the upper level, where I ned O42 operation in case the engine strays onto the O42 loop.

FYI, the problem with O42 operation is due to the Croc's coupler pockets.

Thank you for the input regarding the minimum curve that the engine can operate on. I still be several engines waiting to be run before I get to the Crocodile but I plan to move it up to second in line. I will let all know if it indeed does operate on 0-48 curve track.

The only locomotive I have on pre-order now is the 3rd Rail FL 9 which is due around the the 2nd or 3rd week in February. Now that is suppose to run on a minimum curve of 0-54 with some modification to the coupler shaft operation as the pilot is part of the engine body and the opening in the pilot for the coupler shaft is small. I plan to try the engine out at the hobby store that I help out at two days a week.

Ed G.