...... With a BRB (Big Red Box)!
Of course, it had to be opened to check it had travelled OK and that it all worked.....
Via German eBay, one of the first two that popped up just before the weekend (obviously, the cheaper of the two that were on offer - 1620 Euros, which worked out at about £1425 before shipping and currency conversion charges). I didn't mention it on here earlier because I didn't want to jinx things before it arrived safely!
Only tested on analogue so far - seems to work nicely, sound is good with a very nice "bark" to the chuff - testing on DCC (Massoth) to follow later. This is my first MFX-chipped loco, so we will see whether all the advice about changing the loco address works....
First, the obligatory BRB pic......
"Open the box!"
The "extra" bits - bag of the usual coupler parts, TWO crew (which will probably be replaced with Preiser ones and the LGB guys consigned to the spare figs box) and a bag of extra detail bits to be added....
Out on the bench.....
On the track, under analogue test.....
One interesting random snippet - when placed on the track and the analogue controller knob turned for the first time, sod all happened; once my heart rate was back to normal, I turned the controller a second time and the loco came to life! I think the MFX decoder was "thinking about" the power it had just been fed, and then decided that it was being given analogue so shifted into that mode.
Hopefully when I put it on a Massoth-powered track it will do something similar and shift into DCC mode...
Expensive? Yes, unquestionably, especially for a plastic loco. This is the second-largest price I've paid for a loco after my secondhand LGB/Aster Wurttemburg Mallet (which is, of course, all metal). But I know that many on here have paid that and much more for a Live Steamer, and I could have spent much more on fags and booze (or expensive cars and/or wimmin) and have nothing to show for it except maybe a nasty disease or two (from the booze and cigs, of course). This way, when I do pop my clogs then at least the Memsahib can get some of the money back....
Jon.
Of course, it had to be opened to check it had travelled OK and that it all worked.....
Via German eBay, one of the first two that popped up just before the weekend (obviously, the cheaper of the two that were on offer - 1620 Euros, which worked out at about £1425 before shipping and currency conversion charges). I didn't mention it on here earlier because I didn't want to jinx things before it arrived safely!
Only tested on analogue so far - seems to work nicely, sound is good with a very nice "bark" to the chuff - testing on DCC (Massoth) to follow later. This is my first MFX-chipped loco, so we will see whether all the advice about changing the loco address works....
First, the obligatory BRB pic......
"Open the box!"
The "extra" bits - bag of the usual coupler parts, TWO crew (which will probably be replaced with Preiser ones and the LGB guys consigned to the spare figs box) and a bag of extra detail bits to be added....
Out on the bench.....
On the track, under analogue test.....
One interesting random snippet - when placed on the track and the analogue controller knob turned for the first time, sod all happened; once my heart rate was back to normal, I turned the controller a second time and the loco came to life! I think the MFX decoder was "thinking about" the power it had just been fed, and then decided that it was being given analogue so shifted into that mode.
Hopefully when I put it on a Massoth-powered track it will do something similar and shift into DCC mode...
Expensive? Yes, unquestionably, especially for a plastic loco. This is the second-largest price I've paid for a loco after my secondhand LGB/Aster Wurttemburg Mallet (which is, of course, all metal). But I know that many on here have paid that and much more for a Live Steamer, and I could have spent much more on fags and booze (or expensive cars and/or wimmin) and have nothing to show for it except maybe a nasty disease or two (from the booze and cigs, of course). This way, when I do pop my clogs then at least the Memsahib can get some of the money back....
Jon.
