So, I just bought a little loco and I’m surprised. It’s a 4-4-2 bearing the number #8602, which looks very similar to the Scout 2-4-2, sixty five years on.
It runs very smoothly, the tender whistle doesn’t work but makes the “coffee-grinder” noise, so I have it on my bench for servicing. It seems to be fitted with an electronic reverser. It smokes vigorously!
Is this a new, or near-new loco? It was cheap by UK standards if so!
A couple of questions...
1) would it be safe on 12v DC? I’m guessing not, because of the reverser? There’s a switch underneath, which appears to turn the reverser on and off. I was intending it to be a replacement for the Scout at running days, but I’ll keep the Scout (which runs fine on DC) if needed.
2) is it possible to turn the smoke off? I was thinking of it as a Christmas-tree loco, but I don’t want the smoke on for that and anyway, I prefer the “bells and whistles” on the Hudson...
