Recently Model Railroader senior editor Dana Kawala had a chance to examine and operate a preproduction sample of Walthers new HO scale Plymouth ML-8 switcher. The model includes a SoundTraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) motor decoder with a CurrentKeeper capacitor system. See the switcher in action as it works a yard on the Model Railroader staff layout.
Video: Walthers HO scale Plymouth ML-8 switcher
By Angela Cotey | April 21, 2017
| Last updated on February 11, 2021
Get a sneak peek of this pre-production Walthers HO scale Plymouth ML-8 in action
first look at it in the magazine, thought nah I’ll pass but after seeing it run and the ‘mod brain’ kicked in’ yup it screams DETAIL ME…. I see this in my short line Dardanelle & Russellville as #13 said to be unlucky we shall see..
If Andy were here it would be right at home on his Santa Fe layout.
Neat loco! Does it look under the bottom of the locomotive you might have a chance to narrow the wheel sets?
Like turning it into a HOn3 loco?
Reminds me of the old Penn-Line Whitcomb.
James,
Everyone knows the engine will fall off the edge of the earth.
this loco seems well engineered. the noticeable wobble seems out of character with that engineering. Would like to see more small locos and layout plans to go with them.
Neat. Too bad they didn’t add sound.
Wonderful guitar background picking! Soothing!
What happens if your blue tape leads off layout or into the turntable pit?
I Love it and I’m buying one as soon as it comes out! The current keeper is the decider for me. I have a EMD 40 critter, a Trackmobile, and a 0-6-0 tank engine. All had pick up problems until I show horned Keep Alives in them. Now they run great. Should be standard equipment in all small engines.
Great little loco.
Hi guys,
For more information on the switcher, such as road names and paint schemes offered, please see my First Look Review. It’s the first item under “Related Articles” above.
Thanks for watching!
Dana Kawala
Senior editor
Rear axle is out of round.
For Joseph Toth, Hollywood Foundry out of Australia has a conversion kit, DCC, DC, various gauges, etc. I just got the kit, have to figure out what decoder to use, but the Soundtraxx keep alive and a small decoder out to be fun. Maybe I can develop some skills and add lighting too.
Wonder if Athearn will bring back the classic Hustler as an upgraded model to compete with WKW’s Plymouth ML-8? WKW should consider offering this neat little locomotive in a Nice Price starter set much like Athearn did with the Hustler in the early 60s!
Note to Brother Smith, the load looks strangely like a Chooch load I have on a Athearn pulpwood flat. However if you have the patience of Job and a fruit tree or two you could do a little trimming and cutting and glueing. And after that the local animal shelter can put you in touch with the seeing eye dog people. And they are smart too, mine can run both Digitrax and NCE throttles.
I noticed the wobble in the loco but not the cars. Is this something that will not be present in the production run? Is it going to be possible to order it with the built in wobble, imitate not so well maintained track. I could one one on my giant ten square foot switching layout as I have exactly four customers, but spaces for seven cars. I have a pair of Kato NW-2’s, AT&SF & SP, plus a Key 0-6-0 that runs even better. There is only one playing-er-working on the switching district at a time. I might consider getting them another play-er-stablemate.
Heh. Dan: Ever see an actual two axle Plymouth or similar “critter” in action” ? That is pretty much what they do- waddle. That demonstration of it running over perfectly “dead” track is very effective. Very impressive. It is a long time (the Penn Line Whitcomb D1? the AHM MiniTrains HOn2 1/2 Plymouth which could be regauged to HO?) since anyone has come this close to scale size for a “critter.”
It’s nice to see a good operating small end-cab switcher coming out in HO. Rather than the class-1 railroad it is lettered for, I would like to see it released in a few private names for various types of industries found along the tracks.
Wish they’d make an O version of this. I’m on the verge of deciding whether or not to go from HO to O and something like that might be a deciding factor.
I would like a more prototypical headlight. Blue hue LEDs are truly old school. This lil’ critter really deserves a yellow glow lamp system. I hope it is not too late for same to be accommodated in the production.
I like the idea of a “current keeper”, which would be a boon to N and Z scales where the diesels don’t weigh much and have limited contact patches. Now to make this technology available in dummy B units, GP’s, and/or U-Boats with plug-in connections to the actual power units.
Well, let’s get passed the prototype and get to a production model with all the problems resolved.
It is excellent to see small motive power finally given the attention it deserves. This unit is ideal for industrial, shortline and tourist operations. An equivalent quality small 0-4-0 steam loco would be nice to se as well.
I agree with Dan, the wheels need to be round or the whole loco is diminished.
The “Current Keeper” feature is very impressive. Now that you’ve proven the technology, Walthers, let’s see that feature on some other small locomotives. Have the patents/copyrights run out on the Dockside (0-4-0T); it would be a natural to have this feature.