Less than a year ago I got this model of the New York Central L3A Mohawk #3005 from Lionel. For years I had wanted this model, but other models took priority so this one just sat in the back of my mind for a while until finally I got to it. This model, 6-18064, is known to have one major issue. That issue is that the motor driver board from the factory wasn't built very well and likely would go bad. It would leave the locomotive standing still or very rough in operation. I knew this from the beginning and luckily, Lionel had not only had a recall years ago, but still had a new motor driver board replacement available. I had replaced one of these before in a Century Club Hudson before so the installation was not a problem. I even bought the board before getting the L3A. I bought this locomotive brand new in the box. It had never even been taken out of the original shipping carton. It is always so interesting for me to open new old stock from years ago. Once out of the box I was astonished at the locomotives overall appearance. The L3A Mohawk with the smoke deflectors is just such a unique looking locomotive and being a NYC fan it was just amazing to look at. Before even trying to run the engine, I knew the old grease was likely gunked up and dry. I opened the engine up, cleaned out all the old grease, and greased, lubed, and tuned the drive gear to almost perfection in the world of AC pullmor motors. I also replaced the driver board, even though the origonal unit seemed functional (Just for good measure). From there I started up the locomotive with the tmcc system and wow, what a sound system. The hooter style whistle sounds amazing and the chuff sounds have lots of bass. I was then amazed at the smooth running and quiet sounding pullmor motor. A definite shock as they usual have a bit more noise and rough operation. I love the model and feel it it under appreciated due to some minor issues. I definitely recommend the model to anyone looking for a nice big locomotive or just a decent model in general. I did a review of the locomotive in the video below. Hope you enjoy
