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This one came today from ebay. I got a great deal on it IMHO. Box was rough but intact....I'm not a box collector anyway. I have a MTH RK PRR Mike and it's nice....but as I am replacing my traditional locos with scale I had been on the lookout for any scale PRR Mike. Waited long enough and got what I wanted......I think it's actually nicer than I thought. 

 

PRRMIKE3

PRRMILE1

 

For some reason any PRR loco with the short tender or long haul tender I just really like. Different I guess. 

Very nice detail overall......

 

PRRMIKE4

 

The great loco had only one disappointment.......when I pulled it from the box.....placed on test track...DOA.

Not a huge deal...these older conventional locos are pretty bullet proof....and even if I had to replace the DCRU I'd still have a great loco at a low cost. Took her apart and cycled the DCRU  by itself.....it worked. Got out my voltmeter and started checking the wiring. No connection between the tether and center rail pick ups. Found a loose wire....re-soldered it......hooked up power....smooth as silk!! Got a full check up while I was in there. Any doubt about who made this?? The gear box tower has a big 'SAM' cast in it.   

 

She will get the neo-lube treatment, slight weathering and put into freight service!! Another great scale loco!!!

Thanks

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Originally Posted by AMCDave:

There is some piping missing from below the running boards on each side. They may or may not get fabricated and installed. She does have the nice husky look I wanted. A war time workhorse. But used MTH RK Mikes cost more than this one.....so I'll make it work!  

Well, Dave, while you're at it you may as well replace the smokebox front number plate with the correct black background one. That'll make it even better.

But not a PRR Mike.  I could be wrong, but I think you need to go to a Deck, Pacific, or Mountain to find the long distance tender.

 

Probably Samhongsa.  All of these Williams things are rugged, well-detailed, and inexpensive.  The 2-rail versions typically had the extra piping.  My collection includes three B6sb, and one of those came in the door 3-rail, with fewer details.  Much better locomotive models than the flimsy 2-rail Gem models.

 

Opinion.

 

Dave, I'm glad you like your "new" Williams L1s.  They were built in Korea by Samhongsa, hence the SAM on the gearbox.  A few years after this one was built, Samhongsa built an L1s for Weaver which has quite a bit of the piping that the Williams lacks (also brake shoes, lighted markers instead of the unlit jewels on the Williams, etc.).  I have both Weaver and Williams PRR Mikados and although they were built by the same builder, I actually prefer the mechanism in the Williams.  They seem to run a little smoother in conventional mode than the Weaver.  I put ERR cruise in mine and they both are wonderful with that board.

 

It's easy to make the boiler front number plate more prototypical.  It is etched brass so the numerals and the outer circle are raised slightly.  I paint mine with a thin coat of Testor's gloss black enamel (numerals and all).  After the paint is dry, a few light swipes of 400 to 600 grit emery paper will remove the paint from the raised areas.  The raw brass is close enough to the buff gold paint used on the prototype.

 

Here is a 3rd Rail PRR decapod that came with a red number plate.  It has had the black paint/emery paper treatment.

 

 

number plate

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Originally Posted by bob2:

But not a PRR Mike.  I could be wrong, but I think you need to go to a Deck, Pacific, or Mountain to find the long distance tender.

 

Opinion.

 

you're probably right on that. I seemed to remember reading where the Coast to Coast was tried on a few K4s, but I wouldn't swear to it. I figured that a Mike might have had one depending on the assignment.

Let me add my congrats.  I have always liked the PRR Mikes.  I don't know much about the Weaver and Williams models except what I read on the forum.  I am curious about the sound system and chuffs on this engine.  Adding ERR as Bob did makes it even more attractive.  But I don't have to have one I keep telling myself.  Its enough just to see yours.  I have enough candy.  Still . . .

Originally Posted by AMCDave:

 

PRRMILE1

 

She will get the neo-lube treatment, slight weathering and put into freight service!! Another great scale loco!!!

 

She does have the nice husky look I wanted. A war time workhorse.

 

Neolube- yes!  Great stuff.  She is already handsome but I must say she is a loco after my own heart.  Wartime workhorse indeed.  And a good one!

Originally Posted by pennsynut:

Let me add my congrats.  I have always liked the PRR Mikes.  I don't know much about the Weaver and Williams models except what I read on the forum.  I am curious about the sound system and chuffs on this engine.  Adding ERR as Bob did makes it even more attractive.  But I don't have to have one I keep telling myself.  Its enough just to see yours.  I have enough candy.  Still . . .

This one is DCRU and smoke unit only. No sound. Not an issue with me. When 5-6 locos running at once.....too much sounds at times.....Thanks

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