I had been wavering on these units because the Big Boy was originally due at the same time as these were scheduled and the train slush fund couldn't take that kind of hit. The rescheduling of the Big Boy opened the door for these and Nassau Hobbies had the last two available. Being a Santa Fe fan, I was figuring these would be pretty generic and I would have to add/change some details. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised.
First, they had pre-installed a rooftop air conditioner and a safety light (which works). Second, the horn was in the correct place. I initially thought I'd have to paint them, but apparently the prototypes had unpainted horns -- at least for a while. Being the rivet-counter in training, I checked the prototype numbers (2376 & 2380) and MTH did very well on these units.
The safety light flashes. I'll give them a pass on this because having seen how the prototype works, it would require four LEDs filed down, installed corner-to-corner, and a "chase light" circuit to get the ATSF safety light "rotating" sequence down. Too expensive and complicated.
MTH has started including "region data" which is a nice touch. Also note the improved truck side frame detail, though it looks like the brake shoes are set in too far (may be my cell phone camera angle).
Beauty shot on the club layout.
The good:
- Detail has improved, even over the earlier Proto-3 releases of GP38-2's from a couple of years back. (See my CNW GP38-2 videos)
- More fidelity to prototype, even some road-specific items.
- Smooth operation right out of the box.
The bad:
- I'm actually thinking about trolling eBay to see if a couple more pop up. Like I need more locomotives.
- One of the "AGHR Kids" is trying to con me out of them.
The Ugly:
- The trucks still sit too far out, but this is a necessary compromise to support the truck design's ability to support hi-rail wheel sets. Mike Pitogo did post a thread on how to move the side frames in, but the precision required for this is above my skill/patience level. Three-foot rule will cover this.
- It's going to hurt weathering these.
Will post an operations video when I get back in town. Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend.