My review of the MTH RK Imperial Y6b (with pics and movies!)

[vbkostur]

If you already read this on "the other forum" it is the same  I was looking for a review before I bought mine and couldn't find one so I thought I would put one out there...

Let me say first of all, this is by far the most expensive and elaborate engine I own, so of course I am impressed when compared to my few diesels and other RK steamers. This is the first time I have done a review of a product and I hope this is not far after the release date of the product to do a review, but here it goes.

justrains and jimtrains shop have(or had recently) these for under $550 delivered. i think $535 and $539. those were the two best prices i found by far.
msrp 699 from catalog 2007 vol1 30-1438-1

Here are some thoughts on detail, smoke and sound, motor strength and smoothness, lighting, appearance on the layout, and what I would have liked to be different.(along with movies and pics!)

1. Good amount of detail. I see that added advantage of "REAL" coal load! If I could change 1 thing, I would want to get rid of the tether that I think can draw you attention away from the great detail.

2. Smokes excellent(of course!). Sound is very good. Closing the gap between them and Lionel's Railsounds(still not on the same level as RS though). Freight sounds are clear and loud although I never was a really big fan of MTH or Lionel crewtalk/freight sounds. They are a nice extra though that amazes kids and non-train people.

3. Runs very smooth. Very strong dual engine. Nice smooth control. I bet this could pulls 150 cars on a flat surface.

4. Light are nice and bright. Because of the cab light, the firebox glow is a little hard to see. I like the firebox glow much better than my other PS 2 engines that have the fake looking flame that the light shines through. This just has the reddish light shining through the firebox.

5. I have mostly 0-72 curves and it opperates extremely well and looks excellent. I have tested it on 042 tubular and I was surprised at how well it looked and ran. Not nearly as awkward as I expected. I would net hesitate to get this for a layout with 042 curves. I have yet to get out the realtrax 031 to see how the overhang looks.

6. Overall I am very happy.  WhaI don't like...
I would change is make it just a bit longer. I know they made it semi-scale for railking, but at times it does seems just a little stubby for a 2-8-8-2. Coming in at about 25+ inches with couplers(what would 1.5" more hurt?). As mentioned before, I hate tethers, especially on this one because it distracts from all the detail it has to show. Lastly, I recommend to have RK rolling stock(or very close to scale rolling stock) behind it, as it seems big for lionel 027. I am no expert on what is prototypical and how the hoppers looked behind it back in the1950's, but because of its height and width, I don't think the lionel 027 hoppers look good. I sometimes put them near the back of the train and they seem to be fine.
I did need to slightly tighten one of the hex screws on the side rod right upon opening to get the side rods working properly. That was the first mth engine i have had to do anything to before working 100% perfect. It is a very minor fix even for my extremely limited train mechanical skills!

Ok, if you are still reading(or if you scrolled down skipped my longed winded descriptions) here is the important stuff  :) Video's...

Here is s video of the engine by itself, this one had the engine sound turned way down as kids were asleep. i had to get so close to hear the sounds you can even hear the fan to smoke unit. It sounds loud but is never noticeable when more than 2 or 3 feet from the engine or when sound is up a little more
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jd_GYNSRjpc

pulling freight.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmXYR-hztww


and pics...
      
      
      
      
      

[johnandjulie13]

Vbkostur:

Thank you for posting such a thorough review.  She looks like a beauty.  I have a 6-8-6 turbine from MTH's Imperial line and agree with you about the additional detail.  The Imperial engines are great for those with smaller layouts or tighter turns.

I also agree with you regarding the tether.  I recently purchased the Premier 0-6-0 from MTH because it has the wireless drawbar.  I would have been happy with the RK version, but I could not get past the tether, especially on a smaller engine.

I am glad to hear that the Y6b ran great right out of the box.  MTH had some real quality control issues for a while (as many on this forum will be quick to point out).  However, it seems over the past couple of years, their quality control has greatly improved.  I was told that since their own factory in Korea has been up and running, they are doing a better job ensuring the products have minimal defects before shipping them to the states. 

Thanks again for posting the review.

Regards,

John 

[fifedog]

* Better be careful, BK, vbkostur is gunning for your job!

Very nice review.  I like that Y6 just fine (tether and all)...