AristoCraft 0-4-0 Switcher, New Style

[Hutch]

Received my new style AristoCraft 0-4-0 Switcher Wednesday. Still looks just like the old one, very American. After a couple of days of operation I think it is a vast improvement over the original. The new style drive train in the locomotive allows low speed operation that the original would either stall out or overheat (my old style is fitted with a very slow self resetting thermal fuse). Under control of Grandchildren the original 0-4-0 had a top speed approaching a DeLorean, if your trackwork was adequate, mine isn't. The new one is actually still a little fast for a prototype, 65 scale mph or so, but will even stay on my track. It may be the fact that the drivetrain is new, but it is extremely quiet at all speeds, cruising, accelerating, and decelerating. All of the electronics are in the tender with an RCC socket for the Revolution Radio unit and a pigtail for a trailing battery car. I have told that other remote units may fit, but at this point I am not into DCC etc. so I cannot say for sure. All of my opinions are to be taken with a sip of mellowing juice, as they are written with one.

 

[The Devonian]

An interesting report Hutch. Of course this product is not with the Aristo UK importer just yet; the one listed on their web site is the old one and is out of stock.
Maybe some brave soul will take advantage of the offer price shown on the Aristo web site. But, sadly shipping is rather expensive nowadays plus, of course, the taxation once on our shores. I will await my preferred dealers price when available.
I

 

[Hutch]

Follow-up
After running at Christmas and Halloween since September 2013, at Christmas this year the motor has developed an intermittent short that makes it run very hot and after about 20 minutes either stall while drawing 5 or 6 amps or trip the 8 amp overcurrent sensor on the power supply. I truly wish I had logged the hours that it ran. Haven't taken the motor apart yet, but assume a new one is in order.

 

[stockers]

New motor is quite likely but have a look for too much grease in the brushes.