Nice job!! I was never a fan of that K-Line arrangement. I can't understand why they mounted the motor that way, what was the benefit? There's definitely more "shoulder room" for a larger motor in the firebox area. I always loved the looks of the Lima A-1 and its historical significance. But I passed on the K-Line version because of the tiny backwards motor, and based on your video I was wise to wait; I wouldn't have been satisfied either. I was so happy when Lionel did it "the right way" in their reissue.
I also like the looks of the USRA Heavy Mikado. But all of Lionel's recent Mikado chassis were made from K-Line tooling, and inherited the same tiny, backwards motor arrangement. I tested one and it runs ok under Legacy (better than the Berk in your first video.) But you've got me curious... what are the chances of transplanting the Lionel Lima Berk chassis with a rear-mounted motor into a Heavy Mikado!?
