It's easy to add a light to the slope-back tender. My dad did this with our little MPC-era 8300 when I was a kid.
The 1615 is loosely based on the PRR B6 or A5; as such it's slightly LARGER than 1:48 scale. The body may be close to Q-scale (17/64" to the foot.)
I've been waiting 30 years for someone to offer a slow-speed retrofit for Lionel's 4- and 6-wheel parallel plate motors. I know for a fact that a couple different folks have come up with something like this for American Flyer steam. Why not Lionel!
Lionel redesigned these motors at least five times since 1970, and took the easy way out every time. Yes, I know they're "toy trains." But these 0-4-0's have a high center of gravity, and many examples bear the scars of a trip off the table. I'm not a kid anymore, and I would enjoy it more if it ran slower, especially for those of us with small layouts and sharp curves.
Maybe Neil Young will read this, and make a 'Signature Line' version of the 1615 with Legacy features and performance (as he did with the Texas Special F3 some years ago.) I doubt it, but I'll never give up hope!
