MTH’s HO scale Pennsy K4 4-6-2
Model Railroader has just received a production model of MTH’s first HO scale locomotive, the Pennsylvania RR’s K4 4-6-2 passenger steam locomotive. While we are in the process of putting the new engine through its paces for a future review, we thought you’d like to see the new model in action on our club layout, the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy. (Executive editor Andy Sperandeo even contributed some Pennsy passenger cars for the video.)
The K4 has many exciting features, making it great fun to operate. We especially enjoyed the smooth-running mechanism and the smoke effects. The best part is that the model will work with conventional DC, Digital Command Control (DCC), and MTH’s own Digital Command System.
Look for a review of this engine in a future issue of MR. For more information about the K4, visit MTH Electric Train’s Web site at
www.mth-railking.com.
All videos may take several minutes or more to download depending on your connection speed.
I recently purchased the MTH HO scale K-4. I bought it in the unlettered scheme so that I could letter and number it for the Lehigh Valley. Although I am pleased with the general operations of the locomotive, I was concerned that the unlettered version of the engine contained Pennsylvania railroad specific passenger sequence sounds.
When I contacted MTH to explore possible solutions to this problem, they informed me that there was nothing they could do to retrofit the model and the only way I could remedy this was to "not use the passenger sequence". Not a very satisfactory remedy to say the least.
It goes with out saying that to manufacture an unlettered version of an engine which contains permanent features specific only to the lettered version does not make much sense. My advice: if you do not have a Pennsy pike, do not buy the MTH K-4. It will not make much sense to those who see my Lehigh Valley/reading club layout for a k-4 lettered for the Lehigh Valley to sound out "Now arriving from New York City, on track one, the Manhattan Limited."
The K-4 looks great and sounds great but I found the front drives lift enough at times to derail on the curves without the tracting tires ,I added 200 grs of lead to the front and that seems to cure problem I e mailed MTH but they did not gey back to me
I like this one it has passenger sequences and properly timed smoke
Wow. Its hard to belive this is just a small pacific. MTHs K-4s are a masterpiece of relism and fun. I cant belive this is also in HO scale. Whoever can afford it must be the luckiest man alive. 5 stars! Definetly!