I still have no decided what to bash it into, but "it" arrived on Monday. However, I did not get to open it until this morning: as usual it works perfectly. All six LC+ steamers I've bought were.
The delay in even checking it, m uch less getting to the project (not yet) is because this has been a rather intense week with my employment (normally I work only one day a week but this is actually going to be the equivalent about four or even five) and a domestic project (adding the elevator shaft to our house required removing eight feet of my wife's favorite built- in cabinets and counter from our hallway, and I promised her I would move them to our breakfast room - Ugh).
Anyway, my research found a slew of interesting tank engines that this LC+ engine could match to scale in driver size and wheelbase, etc, including 2-6-2, 2-6-4, and 4-6-4 tanks, but I'm thinking of trying to lengthen it about 1 to 1 /12 inch. I will not get to start this until the weekend, and have to drive six hours Friday to a meeting and back: this will give me something fun to think about then . . .
Here is it out of the box while I tested it. It's upstairs now doing a four-hour run-in.
This comparison is essentially before and after. My LC+ tank engine was a NYC LC+ Hudson when I got it. Beyond the conversion to a tank engine, note how far forward I "moved" the cab, and that its roof is a scale 16 inches higher overall and that the boiler I added is scale one foot larger in diameter. On this next project I am thinking of moving the cab rearward about half an inch, and making it longer by 1/2 inch (thereby getting me an inch in total length) and installing a larger boiler and extending it forward 1/2 inch. Have to relocate the stack though - have to think about that . . . anyway, a fun project to think about until I get to it, then even more fun.
