One of my LHS owners ran an MTH K4 for me today and I had a couple of questions. It had some toy train like features that I wouldn’t use but I have a pretty nice Walther’s circus train that I like to run at module meets. The kids get a kick out of it and I thought the K4 with the smoke and loud speaker announcements etc might be good for that. My questions are:
Does anyone make the smoke product that doesn’t stink? I don’t like going to Lionel O events because of the smell of the smoke.
The one I saw today was in the PRR Tuscan Red but the MTH website only shows them in black. Did I see a special paint job?
We use Digitrax at module meets and from back-dated threads in this forum, it appears that would be ok for the basic functions I would use at the meet. Any known problems with using Digitrax?
I’m not interested in the DCS system or anything like that. Just the K4 with the smoke and sound. Thanks.
The smoke is one thing that I (as the resident Crazy O scaler) can’t understand either.
The HO market is very anit-smoking locomotives, yet MTH chose to include it.
Anyway, from what I have read in the book The Many Faces of the K-4s the Tuscan is pure fantasy, most of the K-4s were black.
I also know that many swap meet venues are banning smoking locomotives, from the liability standpoint (asthma sufferers, the smoke residue getting in to stuff, as well as the risk of setting off smoke alarms) and from the potential of complaints from other attendees.
For the answer to the first query, there is no commercial smoke product that doesn’t stink. Sorry.
(As an aside, I’m putting together a swap meet for my club, and I’ve been told by the venue, as well as some of my vendors “no smoke please”. )
From what I’ve been told, the DCC compatability is not across the board on the MTH K-4 It works in DCC, but some functions are not on standard functions. Best advise, try before you run one in a public enviroment. Saves embarassment!
There are believed to have been several Tuscan K4s, in the early 1930s. I think there were 5-10 of them, and they were believed to have been used on the named trains.
You casn hit the voice announcers, whistle, smoke on/off, bell, and the good stuff on DCC, I;ve seen one run. I’ve seen smoke engines from Bachmann HO to Livesteam G, this is the first engine, or for that matter, anything to set of my Athsma in YEARS. You can find “better” smoke fluid, but it comes down to how well or not the unit burns it. In an open barn like a lot of shows are, tyo might be okay, the kids shouldn’t be sniffing your steam locomotive anyway.Tuscan I’m not familiar with on the MTH schmes,
You can by smoke fluid now that comes in “flavors”…I have seen them sold at shows…you can get everything from evergreen to cinnamon…or just turn the smoke off…
I have a Bachmann HO 0-6-0 that smokes. I don’t use it as I don’t like the smell and I’m severely asthmatic.
Smoke looks neat and I loved it as a kid in my o guage trains, but I choke cough hack at meets where smoking trains are run.
I have never known any smoke stuff not to stink, and don’t imagine you will find one. Smoke is smoke, regardless of its source.
I have been looking at the K4’s and drooling. Have yet to decide which I will get when I can afford one, but it will have to have DCC. I think the K4’s are fascinating machines.
Yes. JT’s Mega Steam isn’t oddor free, but several of the scents are quite plesent. People with real prpblem, like athsma, may still have issues with any smoke, but the anti-smoke ninnies will stay quite as long as it smells good. For a public setting I’d suggest the “cinnamon role,” “coffee.” or “baking bread” scents.
Yes. You saw item #20-80006H which was part of the 2006 Dealer Appreciation Package. The MTH DAP engines are un-cataloged special items done in limited numbers. I have one of the these engines. I believe there are only a couple hundred of each DAP engine, and this is the only K4 MTH did in tuscan.
You’ll be fine with Digitrax. Just remember that you must do all programming on the main. The MTH engines require more juice than most programming tracks will provide.
Thanks very much for the replies. I really liked the look of the smoke unit but am not sure if I can justify the cost of the MTH to that. I am pulling the circus train with a BLI light mike now. Come to think of it I guess I always end up justifying the cost if I really want something. [;)] The cinammon roll or bread baking scents might be pretty good actually. Programming on the main is no issue with me. Now I don’t know if the dealer was trying to sell me the Tuscan one or just using it for a demo and expecting me to buy a black one. I guess I’ll ask.
Let’s back up a little bit on the color. A few (very few) old timers at one point thought they could remember a couple of tuscan K4s. However no proof has ever been found that they existed. Some people have tried to claim that photos in black and white that show a lighter locomotive than normal could be proof but since there were no color films then it remains speculation. There has never been PRR documentation or anyone associated with the PRR or the PRRT&HS that has ever found one shred of evidence. At this point the majority of serious PRR addicts seem to believe that while proof would allow acceptance of the idea it remains questionable at best.
Thanks for the info. I was more referring to the fact that the Tuscan wasn’t in the catalog or website. The dealer appreciation explanation makes sense to me.
The official PRR passenger color for steam locomotives was Dark Green Locomotive Enamel (DGLE) which looked almost black. According to Stauffer’s Pennsy Power, “in the early 1930’s a few K4s were painted tuscan”, but again, no proof. The smoke boxes in most photos I’ve seen appear to be a flat black, though a few appear to have been graphited.