UPDATE: Heard back from Weaver with a few suggestions. Will try this week. Weaver's response was friendly, timely and informative. I will update later, but wanted to make sure Weaver got a shout-out for the great response.
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Finally got to give my Weaver Lehigh Valley 4-6-2 "The Black Diamond" a workout today. Was hoping for perfection, got close.
As far as appearances go, Otto Kuhler himself would be impressed. This model is simply stunning. The satin finish and rich colors are executed perfectly.
Running on TMCC it responded as I would expect. The sound is average overall. There's some constant hissing which I suppose is meant to be generic locomotive background noise but it is a bit much. Of course, Weaver uses Lionel sound so it is what it is. Programmable sound a la DCC would be a great addition to a loco like this.
One of the red LEDs for the front classification lights is out of place. I am awaiting word from Weaver on how to get in there and fix it.
In TMCC operation she can roll 5-8 freight cars without much of a problem. The drive is noisy. With more cars the noise is much louder.
So with my hoping the locomotive would be almost perfect, it is. And yes, if you are a LV buff it is worth it.
Rob
PS to all mfgs can we please stop with the class lights being lit red when moving forward? Prototype lighting is simple and verrrrrry cool.
