They are great. A workhorse. Ive got 6 of these, non xmas versions. Obviously I like them. Only 1 of mine has a sound tender. It was an "add on". They can take a lot of running, and are foregiving of rough track, sharp curves, and careless handling.
Personally, i cant think of a more functional lgb offering.
Strong pullers, bullet proof, a 2 motor version (tender and loco).
Use the tether between loco and tender for flawless electric pickup.
On the flat, will pull about 24 axels, possibly more.
Curves add drag, obviously.
Should have 18 or 24 volt smoker, depending on when made.
No sound.
Will smoke modestly at a pretty good clip, less at realistic speeds, if at all. Ditto the lights. Pale , dimmish yellow when slow, brighter at an unrealistic clip.
These benefit a lot by adding a bit of weight to the loco. I stuff lead wool or auto wheel weights into the bunker area ( have to remove the cab shell) , into the hollow domes, and, as i recall, even the hollow steam chests will take a bit.
Btw, if you grossly over weight the loco, so much so that it cant slip under a heavy load, you WILL eventually wear out the axel gears. So, a little extra weight, maybe 4ozs, is helpful. Or, more simply , dont over do the load.
