I have a local model train friend, Ed, who simultaneously bought this same Legacy model when I bought mine, from the same vendor: Tom's Trains of Ardsley, NY
Ed claims that he heard a click when he applied the Rick Squeeze firmly connecting the tether plug into the locomotive receptacle.
I never heard that click when I applied the Rick Squeeze to my model. It may be that my model is missing a tiny piece of plastic that might have helped fully seat my tether plug into my receptacle.
Our Forum professional engineers (not me - I almost flunked Calculus as a Columbia College Freshman) might chime in here on this issue. IMO, this very fragile tether, which is a bundle of 20 very fine wires, tether plug with 20 tiny pins and a receptacle with 20 tiny holes, is WAY TOO FRAGILE!
So too is the decorative deck plate between the back of the locomotive and the front of the tender.
Moreover, that decorative deck plate is ever so slightly too short.
IMO, the above flaws are mechanical engineering design flaws, flaws in the manufacturing process and/or flaws in the quality control process.
However, notwithstanding that I paid $750 for this toy/model with all its flaws, masochist that I am, I STILL LOVE MY SALLY THE YARD GOAT, and thank Lionel for creating her. LOL, Arnold
