US $5.95 • Can $7.95 - O scale trains

Product News & ReviewsReview: PRR K4 4-6-2, $699.95 2-Rail, $779.95 3-RailSunset High Iron SeriesSunset/3rd Rail, 37 S Fourth St, Campbell, CA 95008, 408-866-5764,www.3rdrail.comreviewed by Joe GiannovarioA Bit ’o HistoryIn 1914 the Pennsylvania Railroad (The “Standard Railroad of theWorld”) rolled out the first of a new class of passenger locomotive, 4-6-2, K4s #1737. The K4 shared a common boiler design with a new classof freight locomotive, the L1, 2-8-2. This K4s’ was superheated andcarried a new standardized grate area of seventy square feet.A three year hiatus followed before another K4s was built. Duringthat time 1737 underwent exhaustive tests, but the real delay was dueto production of L1’s. In 1917 the Pennsy began to produce K4s’ inquantity with a first batch of 41 engines. All totaled, the PRR built 425K4s’ and the design was so good from the outset that only minor alterationswere made to the basic locomotive throughout its 14 year productionhistory.The ModelI was fortunate to have both a pre-production model and a productionsample to work with for this review. Sunset is offering their K4 inPre-World War II and Post-World War II trim. The Pre-War version hasa slat pilot and the headlight mounted high on the smokebox front withthe turbo generator behind it in front of the stack. The Post-War versionhas the “modernized” (ugh!) front end with drop-coupler pilot whilethe headlight and generator have swapped locations. Each version isoffered in two different numbers and the 3-Rail version can be hadwith sound and TMCC® command control.I took the pre-production model of #1737 (Pre-War version) out toGordon Whitlock’s C&O Boyertown Division layout (OST#6 - out ofprint) for a test run. Gordon’s layout has 64” minimum radius curvesand lots of long curved switches. Sunset says the minimum radius forthis 80” drivered racehorse is 56” for the 2-Rail version, and O-42 forthe 3-Rail version.The locomotive ran smoothly in both directions. At 3 volts and 800mA, the markers, class lamps and headlamp came on. At about 4 voltsand 900 mA, the locomotive began to crawl slowly. At 5 volts and1000 mA the locomotive was rolling smoothly. At no time did the currentdraw exceed 1000 mA. This is great for an O Scale locomotive.The pre-production model had a buzz in the motor but the productionmodel ran flawlessly on my own test track.This is Sunset’s first steam locomotive built for them in China. Inmost respects, the Chinese got it right the first time. This is the firstimported PRR K4, to my knowledge, that has a correct boiler. Thecourse diameters are correct as is the taper. The model is built like atank from heavy gauge brass and the paint is virtually scratch-proof.The cab windows slide and have real glass in them. There are alsoworking wing vents and a sliding roof hatch. The water cistern hatchopens, as well, although there is no detail below.The tender is a very nice representation of a 130-P-75 “Kiesel” tender.The prototype held 22 tons of coal and 13,475 gallons of water.There is a coal load installed. The underframe carries a scoop andsome brake components but there is literally no other detail. Really,who sees that anyway when the loco is running?The mechanism is nearly perfect and runs like a fine Swiss watch.All chassis dimensions checked against the drawings in my MR LocoCyclopedia, Vol.1. While the finish on the lead truck wheels may bea bit bright for most, a little dab of paint will fix that easily enough. Iliked the finish on the rods, too. I’ve seen some criticism of the rodsonline but they look perfectly fine to me compared to the photos inPennsy Power 1 (by Bert Pennypacker and Al Stauffer). The trailingtruck looks dead on to me, right down to the lower springs being realsprings and not cast on. The trailing truck buffer plates on the frameare where they should be, a very prominent detail often overlooked onearly imports.I especially like the matte finish paint Sunset uses on its models.Almost everyone knows that PRR steam engines are not painted black,but Brunswick Green. Sunset’s model paint is as nice a rendering ofBrunswick Green as I have seen (and I’ve seen the prototype). You mayneed to take it out into the sunlight to see the green sheen, but believeme, it’s there. The cab roof is a nice oxide red as is the tender waterdeck. The keystone on the smokebox is Toluidine Red as it should be,not Tuscan as some think.Okay, by now you’re wondering in what respects it misses the mark.There is a mis-match in fonts between the cab numbers and the tenderlettering (post-war cab numbers, pre-war tender lettering) . The injectorsunder the cab are conspicuous by their absence. The pipe from theengineer’s side of the cab to the power reverse is not there althoughthere is a hole in the front cab wall and a bracket on the running boardso you could install one yourself. The handrail posts are circa-1970spindle and ball rather than the U-clamp we’re used to seeing now andthe handrails don’t curve up into the junction boxes on the front cabwall. The bell is not mounted correctly either, but then no import hasdone that right, yet. To mount it properly a hole needs to be punchedinto the brass and a plate soldered from below. The bell should mountflush with the lagging because Pennsy mounted their bells directly tothe boiler, not the lagging. However, to do this correctly would havemade the model more expensive because it would require more labor.There are two more items to note and both have been noted beforeon every review of any steam engine made for both the 2- and 3-Rail46 • O Scale Trains - Sept/Oct ’04