My wife says that she likes the look of this engine; we have a chance to pick one up second-hand. If it makes her happy and she therefore allows me to spend a little more, well . . . .
But will it make her happy? What kind of runner is it? Anything I need to be wary of?
Thanks!
Its known to have a weak drive train. Don't pull more than a car or two with it.
http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips4/columbia_tips.html (http://www.girr.org/girr/tips/tips4/columbia_tips.html)
-Brian
(http://www.largescaleonline.com/eimages/lsolpics/Team_Member_Pics/jlsrails/2004_TBTO_Holiday_Train_Show/Day4-The_White_Train.jpg)
Here's a picture of the locomotive. It has been decorated for use at Christmas time. In order to get it to pull three coaches a power block was added to the tender. The power block was tested and found to run at the speed as the locomotive.
The engine has over 150 hours of run time, almost all of it on our club's Holiday Train Shows.
As Brian mentions, the drive train is weak. The drive axle is split and the halves are insulated by a very fragile plastic piece that is prone to break. Trying to repair a broken drive axle is next to impossible. Also, it's not that great for power pickup. You've got to keep the wheels clean on this one.
Might be a good purchase if you can buy it for little to nothing.
One of the "Enthusiastic Children"
JD
Thanks for the info, guys! We'll see how it works out, but I am reluctant to get her an engine that she will disappointed with: that won't buy me any goodwill!
I think the last version (has smoke unit) worked ok but was a very weak puller and I did I did end up selling mine.
The similar Indy 2-6-0 has much better detail and the drive train problem is fixed on that one. However, it was never made with UP markings.
Peter.