Front or Rear wheel drive

I can't think of any difference.

I have a couple of them, that I also obtained additional power trucks to apply.    So I have double powered mine.   A pair of them is a pretty good puller for me.

Randy, there's a bit more room at the rear over the power truck for weights and although the truck doesn't stick up far, leaving the cab area clear gives you less excuses for not having a cab interior module there! 

Those C-liners, being Italian produced were initially really cheap here in England and I had an A-b-B-A set on the go. The little 'b' was a Lionel FM Trainmaster shell I'd cut about on the Rivarossi trucks and the whole lot was going to be finished as Canadian Pacific, till the good parrot reminded me I was a D&H modeller and I sold them on.

Jason

Rear wheel drive on a locomotive makes a significant difference in traction, all other things being equal.  Just like a rear wheel drive car, you have more traction than with front wheel drive.  The only reason for front wheel drive preference is because it's harder to lose control with the power on the steering wheels.  Obviously, with trains, that's not an issue.

Thank you all for your insight. I couldn't see any advantage to front wheel drive either so I'm glad to see others agree. Perhaps a previous owner was merely experimenting.

Thanks again!

There may be additional advantage to running the power truck in the rear:  like the pilot truck on a steam locomotive, the unpowered truck might tend to guide the engine without power to climb the rails.