It is not an accurate representation of either a VGN or N&W locomotive, so why would I want one.  The VGN did have one Triplex, bigger than the Erie's and not the one MTH letters VGN,  for a short while before they sent it back and had it FIXED into a 2-8-8-0 and a 2-8-2..

Okay James, you are correct, BUT
1) it would cost more money.
2) the loads are so light it usually doesn't matter.
3) we would have to train umpteem assemblers who have zero idea what a thousandth even is.
4) most buyers who take apart their locos would screw it up when they did.

Solution - just keep on keeping on, and the folks like you and me who are troubled by such things will fix it themselves.  Ditto for the little motor armatures.  Let us concentrate on more important things like making some people very rich pimping alcohol as a lovely shade of green, even though it results in a huge increase in "greenhouse" gasses per mile driven.

Throw the "fluid" in the trashcan.  Put the engine on the track and see if it runs nice and smooth or not.  If it runs like I suspect, when it dies, hold a short service, and go look for a Spectrum or BLI version.

Speaking strictly to successful reciprocating steam locomotives: The Union Pacific Big Boy was the longest, The C&O/VGN Allegheny/Blue Ridge was the heaviest, and The Norfolk and Western Y6b had the greatest tractive effort..... after the VGN 2-10-10-2.     I don't count the Triplex because it was not successful.

And people ask why so many manufacturers build Big Boys. 

It'll be fine.  It is the load on the track (i.e. Number of engines) that determines the load on the powerpack.  Theoretically, you could run the train that came with it around your house with that samepack.

At least on the ones I have seen, the PRR versions have a little roof overhang at the top rear, that is supported by the side panels angling back down from the end of the projection to the rear face.  N&W has no projections other than a vestigal overhang all the way around.  I don't know about PRR, but the top of the N&W doghouses was curved at what appeared to be a radius that matched the older tender rear decks.
Details West or somebody who made details also used to have both styles available.

Neolube is the easiest thing around, but I have found you don't need a rag or solvent... just your fingers will take it off just fine.  It is not a paint, and will easily rub right off.  It doesn't dry, per se.  If you can be careful you'll be okay.
I have found, in order to get Gun Blue OR Blacken-It to work well, you need to take the rods or wheels off the engine, thoroughly degrease, and immerse or constantly keep wiping with a wetted Q-Tip to get an even tone.  As far as I know they only work on iron or copper containing alloys.  400 series stainless will darken, and that is usually what you are dealing with, as the 300 series is more expensive.
I do not know what chemical reactions are taking place, but on really stubborn stuff running the bluing or whatever on with a small piece of 00 steel wool has worked well for me.
They say do not get this stuff on your skin.  I have gotten this stuff all over me for 45 years and have never suffered any OBVIOUS ill effects.  Your results may vary, but I sleep okay at night.

You might check with BLI/PCM, or Walthers (Life-Like) as well since they both have also done N&W steamers with doghouses on the tender.  The Old LL ones are the easiest, and get the glass for it too if you can.  (I would not be above fibbing about what it was for, but I would pay for it.)

Actually, Blacken it is a salt.  Gun blue will often get things started a lot faster on alloy that doesn't really want to turn black.  Also, it adds some tooth to the metal so paint will stick a whole lot better.

You can take the drawbar assembly apart, polish (not sand mind you, polish) all the edges and bearing surfaces, and re-assemble it and lube everything with plastic compatible oil.
Or cut a new drawbar with a hole on each end out of a credit card, and then drill a little hole thru the old drawbar covers and pin the new one in place.  After a bunch of fiddling around with it, I replaced mine.  I can't run on 18" radius curves now, but since I don't have any, I don't care.  In my opinion, the drawbar design, which is supposed to allow closer coupling and still make it around rather small curves, is a good idea that did not work out too well in practice, because of the relatively small loads developed thru the components, and the need to control manufacturing costs.  I have no doubt a full sized similar arrangement with roller bearings on the pins on the 'Y's would work fine.

The little fold down platform is NOT supposed to fold down.  It is supposed to be a footplate and rest on top of the opposing and slightly lower plate on the tender.

There are no instructions, or a power supply, inside any HO scale locomotive I have seen.

The radar scope on the U-boat in "The Enemy Below" was an accurate rendition of a German (I forget exactly what they called it !) scope.  If I remember correctly, the early British radar units, circa Battle of Britain time frame,  had a similar display.  Basically, if you took a round scope screen and cut it from the center to the top (although some may have been from bottom to center) , and then 'unwrapped it' counterclockwise to where it then ran straight out to the right, you would have the linear scope display.  You could adjust the range setting and the blip showed intensity and direction if I remember right.  All the old sets took a whole lot more skill to read them than (most of) todays computer readouts.
It's all in what you get used to using.  I had an early Loran with no graphical display, but I got so used to looking at latitude and longitude numbers and course tracks that I could look at the numbers and my brain did the math and I knew exactly which way to go to get somewhere.  A couple of friends had the graphical display style units on their boats and they were totally lost with my stuff.
Thaks for the reminder.  "The Enemy Below" is one of my favorite flicks.  One of Mitchum's best efforts.  Up there with "Thunder Road" for entertainment value.
Oh Gene, once upon a time a Va. Nat'l Guard battery, newly converted from a Nike missle battery to artillery, dropped a WP round in a motor pool because of the military's liking for zero to 3200 mils twice, rather than zero to 6400 mils.  It was not my battery, because at the exact same time I was arguing about the basic geometry of the situation with two lieutenants.  I believed some people learned something about turning people loose with artillery, live rounds, and a bunch of instruction books that day.  Just lucky they were 'only' 105s instead of the 155s they went to two months later.

While I do model Virginian, I do not model that specific 180 day period when they actually had a Triplex on the property before they gave up and shipped it back for re-working into a 2-8-8-0 and a 2-8-2.  The MTH model is not a faithful recreation of the VGN 2-8-8-8-4 anyway, just a re-badged Erie as I understand it.