Mdc 2-8-0

zedob

Member
I just recently purchased one of the MDC 2-8-0 RTR Oldtimer locos off of ebay. I've been eyeing it and the 2-6-0 mogul for some time at the LHS, but couldn't move myself to dump $139.00 bills for either one without any knowlege of thier characteristics.

I picked up the one on ebay for $50, so I wasn't worried if it wasn't too great of a runner and not at all concerned about the amount of detail because I am planning on yanking the junk the factory stuck on it (from across the room I may add).

I slapped a test track together and ran the loco. Before I even cranked the throttle, I envisioned a gear grinder, but to my joy it wasn't. Smoooooth. I could hardly hear the motor and geartrain even though my test track is mounted directly to foam (no roadbed material). It was a little jerky at slow speed, but feel that will be worked out after break-in.

The detail work is , umm, sparce. No injector lines, no sanding lines, no pilot support bars, cheesy bell and whistle, and brake cylinders to no where.

Good thing is, I won't have to file off a bunch of molded on piping.

The headlight and back-up light are white LEDs and switch on/off depending on direction, but they don't look too good.

I already removed the headlight housing (this was definatley thrown on, that, or someone broke it off and glued it back on. not a good job), which I plan on replacing with a Pyle type from cal-scale or Kemtron. The rear light on the tender is already a pyle, but I have 3-4 nice castings I'd like to replace it with.

There was a wooden barrel on the tender and for the life of me I cannnot figure out why. Water? Anyways, off it came. I have some brass cast tool boxes from an old c-16 that I'm going to put in place of the mystery barrel.

I still have to purchase some more detail parts, but for the price, smooth running and the basic nice small loco look, it's a winner.

I highly recommend them, if you can find them.
 
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