Walthers Life Like 0-8-0 Nice but with one Fault

[Nato]

 Recieved a United States Postal Chuck Pack yesterday with my Northern Pacific Life Like  / Walthers       0-8-0. Wow! what a nice model, beautifully painted and detailed,but there is one big Flaw. They should have sold the locomotive connected together in a longer leingth box and protevtive plastic storage sleeve. The tender is packed seperately from the locomotive. at first glance this seemes ok, to connect it to the locomotive you have a micro fine size connector like a scaled down computer cable end with pins that fit into openings across the rear of the lower cab. Now here is where the problem is. instead of one large solid cable (wire) with branches at the end and the plug on the end we have individual wires (very thin and fine) running into the plug, each covered by a small plastic tube. Even with an Opti Visor on it took alot of work to aline the plug and insert the fine wire prong ends into the loco. after making sure it was snug put the loco on the track with the plastic drawbar that has a loop in one end  fittted over a post on the cab frame bottom . Then power it up. only it didn't run,zippo, da nada. So I figured I had the plug inserted upside down . Carefully un plug it, to turn it the other way involves twisting the already tangly-looking small black wires re plug it, no power ,unplug again, this time one of the wires going into the plug end comes out, geese very hard to push the wire back through the small tube and then re-insert into the plug rear. I finally got everything plugged in again, finally had power. It must be handled carefully or all those fine wires might break. No way will I ever want to take it appart and store it back in the box thats for sure. Like I posted up front. It should have come connected. Now for the most asked question. How does it run? Quite nicely, but it will require several hours of break-in running in both directions. There is a working Accumate front coupler which is only appropriate since it is a switch engine. Undec hasn't be released yet, thats the other loco I ordered,                                                                                                                                 Nate Goodman (Nato).

[Mark5]

thanks for the review - I have an undec with front steps on order (this is 2nd run).

[3rdrail]

Got mine from Chuck earlier today and went upstairs this evening and put it together. That tiny 00-90 sized screw and washer are bound to be trouble for the casual r-t-r types.

Can't figure what the complaints are about not pulling. I had a 14 freight car and cabin car train on the layout with an MDC 2-8-0. I took the 2-8-0 off and substituted the Walthers 0-8-0, which pulled it without slipping. I'm happy with mine. 

[Lucas in Alaska]

It seems on some of the other boards others have been wanting to add weight to theirs to increase pulling power. Here is a link for tungsten weights. It comes in cylinders, cube, plates, disk, spheres, granules and powder and should work great for adding a lot of weight.

http://www.derbychamp.com/v/vspfiles/weight.htm

Lucas in Alaska

[Mark5]

Got mine from Chuck earlier today and went upstairs this evening and put it together. That tiny 00-90 sized screw and washer are bound to be trouble for the casual r-t-r types.

Can't figure what the complaints are about not pulling. I had a 14 freight car and cabin car train on the layout with an MDC 2-8-0. I took the 2-8-0 off and substituted the Walthers 0-8-0, which pulled it without slipping. I'm happy with mine. 

I love it. Max over on the A-Form could only get his to lug 3 cars.

Also complaints that the harness was too stiff to negotiate curves - Gregg: I know you have some tight curves - no problems?

I have a vested interest in that I have a "stepped" undec on order from the second run.

It's hard to make heads or tails from all the feedback - I have a 1st run LL Y3 that supposedly can't pull its tender but mine can pull 30 M-T boxcars on level track ...

I am a bit pissed at Walthers for advertising it as 5 pole and delivering 3 poles. Especially with a switcher where slow speed "creep" is essential.

[3rdrail]

Got mine from Chuck earlier today and went upstairs this evening and put it together. That tiny 00-90 sized screw and washer are bound to be trouble for the casual r-t-r types.

Can't figure what the complaints are about not pulling. I had a 14 freight car and cabin car train on the layout with an MDC 2-8-0. I took the 2-8-0 off and substituted the Walthers 0-8-0, which pulled it without slipping. I'm happy with mine. 

I love it. Max over on the A-Form could only get his to lug 3 cars.

Also complaints that the harness was too stiff to negotiate curves - Gregg: I know you have some tight curves - no problems?

I have a vested interest in that I have a "stepped" undec on order from the second run.

It's hard to make heads or tails from all the feedback - I have a 1st run LL Y3 that supposedly can't pull its tender but mine can pull 30 M-T boxcars on level track ...

I am a bit pissed at Walthers for advertising it as 5 pole and delivering 3 poles. Especially with a switcher where slow speed "creep" is essential.

First, I tried the 0-8-0 on my new layout, not the old portable one, so the minimum radius is 22 inches. I do have a glimmer of an idea why the pulling power varies so widely. I suspect the wiring harness on some is transferring some of the locomotive weight to the tender. The plug will go partway in and make contact, and not be properly inserted. The drawbar screw will also do this and strip the threads  - I had to back it off twice before it threaded properly.

As to the five pole vs. three pole, look at the statement from the CEO of Dapol, Walthers may well have specified a five pole and the Chinese factory substituted a three pole, as it is obvious the Chinese factory tried to "sneak one over" on Dapol. I don't care how many poles a motor has, only how it performs and how long it lasts.

[Mark5]

I don't care how many poles a motor has, only how it performs and how long it lasts.

I'd be fine with 3 poles if they geared it to run at slow speeds properly. Some of the feedback indicates otherwise. To me a loco (especially a switcher) should be able to crawl one tie at a time without DCC or any other kind of smoke and mirrors.

Hehe, so I sent a message this morning asking them if they intend to correct the motor for the second run, as the copy clearly indicates:

Five-Pole Skew-Wound Motor

But seriously, I'll be happy 3 pole or 5 pole as long as performance is good.