Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Model Railroad News 01 2009


The model exhibits details galore with separately applied hand rails, coupler lift bar, train line air hose, LED-illuminated headlight and number boards, and all the steam, sand, water, electrical, and air lines visible on the prototype. Especially take note of the Alco builder's plates which, under magnification, read the construction number, 69343. and correct delivery date. October 1940. for our number 3006 sample. Also depicted appropriately are the rectangular-shaped Worthington SA feedwater heater atop the smokebox, compound air pumps behind the pilot deck shields, and see-through passenger-style pilot. Both the L3 and L4 classes were equipped with drop couplers, but MTH has provided a fixed working magnetic coupler allowing the modeler to double-head their Mohawks. MTH's intricately detailed eight-coupled driver set is shown in this photo. Rods, valves, alligator type crossheads. and guides are all made of metal, the Baker gear frames are molded in black plastic, and the scale 69-inch diameter Boxpok drivers are see-though. The brake gear actually has been replicated in full with the shoes visible and the brake beams and linkage continuing on underneath the engine. All that's missing down here are the sanding lines!