MTH’s Premier Line is first to offer an O gauge rig designed for this function, and it gets saluted for originality. The powered unit looks like a souped-up boxcar. The driver, prime mover, and pumps are in the “box,” while the rear deck has valves and piping.
The powered unit has a single can-style motor, and it has a die-cast metal frame for weight. The “train” consists of two Amtrak scale-size tank cars to carry the weed killer. I imagine you can look around your local hobby shop and find a few other Amtrak track-maintenance cars to tack on to the end of this rig.
When you power up the unit, you get a vehicle starter sound followed by internal combustion noises similar to those of MTH doodlebugs. The flat nose of the powered unit has a bright assortment of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to warn people ahead that they’re about to get doused with Roundup. Operated in Digital Command Mode, the idle and engine sounds consist of a chatty crew discussing – what else, weed spraying and sprayer equipment. I half expected spray arms extend from the sides to simulate dousing the dandelions.
Since drawbar pull and high speeds are irrelevant to this model, I only timed it at low speed. I clocked it at 4.4 scale mph in conventional-control mode, to which seems realistic enough for weed spraying.
If a layout is a stage for three-rail drama, the MTH weed whacker is a nifty outfit that has the potential for a scene-stealing role.
It's good to see eclectic items like this in the marketplace. I like unique products like this. They add character, realism and drama to a layout. MTH seems to be the leader in this aspect of the hobby as well as others.