I think the best advice to give you would be to tell you to disregard everthing the engine manufacter says and do  a simple install in the tender only. Use reed switches for the whistle bell and chuff. The 2 tiny magnets provided can be super glued to a tender axle. I personaly do not like the little glass reed switch that comes with the system but it will do in a pinch if you can get it placed without breaking it. follow the sierra directions carefully. The only other thing I should say is that the sierra battery is not the greatest. I allways replace it with a nicad  battery pack as long as I have space. The sierra charger will work but I like to use a fast charger myself. The K27 has plenty of room to install everything just under the coal load so it can be easily reached without opening up the tender. Have fun. Phil    [ P.S. The chuff sensors in the engine I understand do not work]

You all seem to be getting all upset over something that is so easy to fix. I repaired mine today in less than 1 hr at no cost. I cut 1/8 x 1/8 shims from plastic and put them in very easily. the screws tighten up with no effort and the problem is solved. This is the engine we have been waiting on for so long. lets just enjoy it.

You all seem to be getting all upset over something that is so easy to fix. I repaired mine today in less than 1 hr at no cost. I cut 1/8 x 1/8 shims from plastic and put them in very easily. the screws tighten up with no effort and the problem is solved. This is the engine we have been waiting on for so long. lets just enjoy it.

Just make one out of brass . That is what I did and I think it looks better than the plastic one anyway.

I have been just putting a little grease on the out side of the connectors after while they get much easyer

I repaired my loose counter weights today. I tryed stryren shims and it worked great. The plastic slips right in and conforms to the space easily. It only took about 45 min to 1 hr. The engine runs smooth as silk and much quieter than it was.  I also removed the boiler assy and ran a couple of wires off the track power at the rear board forward to the smoke box for my aristo smoke unit. Worked great. I made up a snow plow out of brass the other day and put a few ozark min details on it, painted it flat black and rubbed in a little rust from my chalk box. I thought I would probably get old before we are able to get a plow thru bachmann. Good news on the boiler removal. The tiny screw on the rod from the johnson bar is magnetic on this one. 

I am getting a squeek on curves that I can not locate the source of. This is on our club layout with 11& 12 ft diamiters. Has any one else had this? I am leaning towards blaming it on driver flange squeell. If that proves to be the source I am wondering what will happen this summer when I put it on my home layout with 8 ft curves.