Hello Boomer........
Then explain why i had big blisters on the boiler casting of my #30-1156-1 railking 2-8-8-2 mallet ? I bought it new in the box back in 2000 and in 2007,i found big blisters on it (the side piping areas and few on the top) as i thought they were paint defects but it wasn't and is hard so it couldn't be paint. I don't store my trains in the attic because we live in a apt. The another down side of die-cast engines are the wheel sets with flanges, they are made of die-cast too which means the flanges are soft and worse for wear and tear. There has been past posted threads of the die-cast flanges wearing out and becoming sharp edged like knife is after long running hours. The sunset 3rd locomotives have "coined" brass centers which are harden and the tires with the flanges are one piece carbon steel machined with grooves for traction tires on the rear and none on the front, try it with a magnet. The steel flanges lasts longer on the sunset engines and that is a hard fact, ask the other sunset 3rd owners........even as yourself have some of the sunset engines too so you would know this. Don't get me wrong,most of us like die-cast if it is "cast" right then it will last as i will still buy passenger cars with die-cast trucks and couplers and when they go bad, it is easy to replace them but not expensive modern day die-cast locomotive bodies which requires a exchange with paying for replacement and shipping with lionel and mth. I suggested that you check your die-cast engines CAREFULLY and CLOSE, you might find a few but if not then your'e one lucky guy and your word of "99.99%" stands high and mighty.
the woman who loves the S.F. 5011
Tiffany
