For the budget conscious modelers out there, I submit for consideration some of the overlooked MPC/Fundimensions products. The 8300 steam switcher, brought out starting in 1974, was a nice introduction to the low end product line. Unfortunately it only had a manually operated reverse via a switch lever in the cab.
I swapped out the motor chassis with one from a 4-4-2 steamer with a DC can motor: That's an advantage of large, long production runs of multiple products sharing similar parts.
Since I have the option of running my layout on DC current, I didn't worry about trying to cram a circuit board reverse into the loco itself or making a tether wire so the board could be in the tender. Instead this allowed me to add self-adhesive weights to the engine itself, making it a very respectable puller for such a small loco.
For a low end starter product, there is a respectable amount of molded in detail to the shell, some of which I could highlight. The design of these locos doesn't allow for a typical Lionel puffer smoke unit, never mind a fan drive one.
And the Seuthe smoke units are not reliable for any length of time. As a side note, Model Power made one very similar to the Seuthe type, but I have gotten much more use out of the Model Power ones. Still, for a loco with a plastic shell, the heat from the Model Power or Seuthe one would probably damage the smoke stack. So I use the batting material from a typical bedroom pillow, which looks better than using cotton.
I added a mini bulb socket into the decorative non-functional headlight, so that I could change the light bulb without having to pull apart the engine. So you might notice a rubber washer over part of the light bulb, since the T1-3/4 socket takes up the entire fixture space.
On my layout, I have a modern-produced air whistle unit mounted inside an SP caboose shell, which serves as a yard office. I also have a MRC Sound Station, so I can have some sound effects if I wish.
