stangerdude posted:My understanding on the ditch light issue is that if the real deal prototype exist today such as UP 949 and the NS F7's that are run on tracks for excursion trains etc., they are required to have ditch lights. This is most likely the reason that MTH installed them on these fine locomotives. They (MTH) may be producing these locomotives as they look today in service. I may be wrong and someone correct me if I am but this may be the answer. I recall reading an article about this.
Well, yes, that's what all the discussion has been about. But who knows why MTH did what they did? It certainly wasn't what they had advertised. The pictures of the engines in the 2016 Vol. 1 catalog, where the pictures of the engines are on the cover as well as inside, show NO ditch lights on any of the engines. And while most of the engines ended up with ditch lights, yet the Wabash has none. (!?)
Also, the description of the engines in the catalog says: "The E8 returns to the Premier line for 2016 in paint schemes from the golden age of passenger travel. Protosound 3.0 brings you the authentic sounds of the E8s EMD prime mover and the ability to start your train so gently you won't spill the water in the diner - and then accelerate to scale speeds over 100 mph, just like the prototype."
So does all of this look and sound like they were intending to make modern excursion train versions, and not the prototypical original engines?
Nope.
