EDIT 04/18/15 - I posted photos and videos as completed just now farther down on this thread. Just a totally awesome little locomotive now. I LOVE IT!
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Patrick's Trains was particularly quick in getting this to me after I ordered it on tuesday morning: it arrived this afternoon. I've been a fan of MTH's Euro series since getting a French "Chapelo" 241.A a few years ago, and this certainly lived up to my expectations, which were:
- It runs on standard O gauge track but is 1/43 scale.
- It runs and sounds as good as the best of the Premier locos.
- It has detail and finish as good as it gets: equal to 3rd Rail in my opinion. This loco has incredible detail.
- It has a spectacular whistle
- Being PS3, it smokes like a fiend
- Being European it was a very small loco, so even though the model is 1:43, its not that big compared to a lot of 1:48 steamers (pics in a moment).
- Price is really high: I paid essentially the same price for this loco alone, as for the entire NYC Niagara Premier set with five reefers and a caboose thrown in. If I had to choose between the two I'd take the Niagara set: it is the better bargain. You have to want the BR-44, but you can feel good that you get 3rd Rail detail for your money.
It arrived without any broken parts although it had some slight signs of shipping damage - the two elephant ears (smoke defelctors) are not perfectly symmetrical, one or the other is slightly skewed. Not sure which. It runs as well as any PS3 loco, has unique sound (video below does not do it justice) and whistle (also a video), and has very detailed, interesting lighting. It runs and pulls very well. Nice loco, if intimidatingly delicate given its many fine tiny detailed parts.
It was packed unlike any other MTH loco I have ever received, mounted "securely" to a wooden display base. What you see below is what I lifted out of the box after removeing the usual Styrofoam top. The loco and tender come coupled together with all couplings attached - I do not know if they detach, I did not try. Loco and tender are bolted to the wooden base with five screws. Two black wires stick out from underneath.
It comes with big (8.5 x 11 inch) instruction manuals in German and English. I was impressed at first, until I got into them: the font is bigger than normal and it appears to be the standard stuff as in the MTH PS manuals, no more. This manual is quite poor, in my opinion. I looked through the entire thing: no where could I find instructions on: a) what the two wires from the bottom of the base do, or b) how to unbolt and remove the locvo from the base. I could figure both out, but why should I have to? I also prefer a manual that has a section that, in one place, tells you where all the controls, switches, etc, are located and how to operate them. Here, the smoke unit adjustment is covered in the smoke section, the sound in the sound section, the DCS/DCC switch in the DCS running section.
I put the loco-tender combination on its side on a very big, soft piece of cloth and unfastened the five bolts.
There are five, four like the two silver ones shown and one green one to the tender. You can see the metal conductor plates that lead from the wires to the tender's pickups and wheels . . .
Even with a 10% boost in scale, it is not a big loco. Here is is facing off with: a Lionel Texas, A vision CC2, and a Lionel scale Atlantic.
But it is full of "gee whiz" detail. The red paint helps accentuate that, but the detail is there, and it is real, from many "Separated Applied parts."
Note the side marker lights, cool . . .
Here is is at rest - it sounds like nothing else I've heard, and running forward. Frankly I expected it to chuff alot more as if moved, given three cylinders and small drivers, but it sounds good (much better than in the video, but high and sharp, not a deep tone like a big steamer0.
Here is is running backwards, a bit slower. It is a steaming fiend . . .
The bell is generic toy-train bell as far as I can hear - do all the manufacturers use the same sound file - ding -ding-ding? But the whistle is very cool . . .
Overall conclusion:
- It is a neat model, really detailed, fantastic to look and marvel at.
- It is a great toy train, great lighting, great smoke, good sound, awesome whistle, runs smooth and slow, pulls well . . .
- It cost a lot of money
- It is a decapod. I've always wanted a decapod.
- I gotta get rid of the red. Yeah, I know, it won't be iconic German without the red, but, no . . . not on my layout.
- So I will repaint it, and either remove or fix the skewed elephant ears, too. Not sure a loco with a top speed limited to 43 mph in service needed are smoke deflectors, but hey, I like elephant ears . . . Maybe change the front "bumpers" out for more American hardware, etc.
- and relabel it in my fictional Canon City, Blanca and Glen Canyon Railroad: this would have been perfect, by the way, for a southern Colorado/northern New Mexico railroad.
- and, being its a BR-44, I will not be able to resist renumbering it BR-549
BR-549! He He He Haw Haw 
I am looking forward to seeing your report on the modification.
