MTH HO K4 - Mixed feelings?

pawlowsk002 · 2006-06-22T01:46:08+00:00

Folks:It's unfair of me to say this. I don't own it, nor will I, given its$400 list price. Still, based only on the review in the July MRmy feelings are indeed 'mixed', to say the least. And you know,most of these aren't unique problems, just rather extremeexamples of what I consider common features of modernHO steam.1. What happened with its speed? Indeed, what happenedwith the 12v HO standard? MTH says it runs 70 @ 12v, MRsays 13 SMPH...what happened? Anybody else there got thismachine yet? Did somebody calculate wrong? Not so muchoverthinking here, really, but perhaps a little too much voltagedrop through diodes? Too much electronic complication?2. Power pickup through tender, automagically switching toengine when required? Why not just pick up through the lokeyall the time and eliminate the committee of vigilance? There'sa triumph of overthinking for you.3. 10 car pulling capacity? Seems a little low on the level.My MDC 2-6-0 can probably do better than that. Tractiontires really aren't an elegant solution...I hope there's a wayto add weight.4. Puffing smoke...nice for a show, and the puffing featureis ingenious, but you know, the Reynolds number just isn'tright on any smoke unit I've ever seen. Perhaps if it wereejected at 87 times the real velocity? :) Perhaps they coulduse hydrogen-based smoke ? :D5. Yellow LED -- almost rather have a jewel. They just don'tlook like a headlight. Headlights look yellowish but not likean LED...That's all. I'm not saying it's a bad engine, just that I'd like tosee more opinions. Care to comment?Cordially yours:Gerard P.

Jun 22, 2006 40 Replies

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mark_newton 20 years ago

Well, I certainly do. But then I grew up with a railway that used Belpaire fireboxes almost exclusively!

Cheers,

Mark.

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MTH HO K4 - Mixed feelings?

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