Tim the Trainman posted:Finally, back to my original post: Most of the first series freight train sets (released from 1986-1991) included a MP15 locomotive with yellow side rails. However, there were a few (what have been described to me as) "factory mistakes", where the side rails were black. I have one of each as you can see in the pictures. The boxes were labeled with the same part number, so I believe that they were indeed "mistakes". However, I would like to know how many of the black rail lMP15's exist. I've been told "5" by one person and "around a dozen" by somebody else, but I really don't know how credible either source is. Does anyone have any reliable insight on this subject?
I'm not sure I'd get too excited about the version with black handrails. First, because it's easy to switch from just about any other MP-15. Second, a good friend of mine, the late Aaron Needham, obtained several (10-12) Yuengling MP-15 cabs from the K-Line Service Department in the mid-1990's. He built them into complete locos by switching cabs with a regular production MP-15, making a "black handrail" version. Given that you appear to have original boxes with each of your units lends a possibility that a few came this way from the factory, but again, it would be very hard to prove.
TRW
