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proto 2000 heritage 0-8-0

  • Has anyone ever experienced having trouble plugging in a decoder into the DCC ready p2k 0-8-0. 

    Recently I bought one on Ebay new in the box and while working fine on DC plugging in a decoder

    made the engine a run away. To make a long story short it tuns out that the insulating tab between the negative motor contact and the frame was damaged. So manufacturing error. I contacted Walthers who distributes and repairs p2k and asked if they would fix it. They refused because I did not buy the engine from an authorized Walther's dealer. They wanted 60 bucks to even look at it. 

    This is my first experience with a p2k product and I am turned off to ever doing any business with them again. As for the engine itself I attempted to do the repair myself. To get at the problem the entire engine had to be completely disassembled to get at the negative motor contact. Do to the complex detailing and the very fragile nature of the plastic parts I couldn't get the thing back together to where it would run properly. Broken parts are almost impossible to glue back together and once broken lose all integrity. While I will admit that the detailing is terrific the engine has zero durability and because nothing is glued in parts fall off with little encouragement. The engine and tender lights are pathetic on DC and you have to replace them to go to DCC. While it may run reasonably well and look really good, from and engineering standpoint it is a piece of junk. Any engine with this kind of detail should be made of brass or something more durable than the very cheap plastic that represents the majority of the detail on this engine. Seriously, it's hard to find a place to pick it up where you are not in contact with a easily breakable part. Given enough time something will eventually fall off and I can tell you some of the pieces that do readily fall off are a female dog to get back together. As I said nothing is glued in. Brand new DCC ready these engines are running around two to two hundred fifty bucks.  The cost is just not justifiable . If you really want one you had better see it first hand and actually examine it, and make sure you buy it from a authorized dealer as Walther's wont stand behind the limited lifetime warranty even if the defect is their fault.

    TJ

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  • I own 7 of these and never had a problem, 4 are the 0-8-0 and 3 are 0-6-0. Ebay price for used is about $75 for DCC ready. Never had a problem with the detail either. All of mine are second hand off e-bay.

  • Thom1951

    Has anyone ever experienced having trouble plugging in a decoder into the DCC ready p2k 0-8-0. 

    Recently I bought one on Ebay new in the box and while working fine on DC plugging in a decoder

    made the engine a run away. To make a long story short it tuns out that the insulating tab between the negative motor contact and the frame was damaged. So manufacturing error. I contacted Walthers who distributes and repairs p2k and asked if they would fix it. They refused because I did not buy the engine from an authorized Walther's dealer. They wanted 60 bucks to even look at it. 

    This is my first experience with a p2k product and I am turned off to ever doing any business with them again. As for the engine itself I attempted to do the repair myself. To get at the problem the entire engine had to be completely disassembled to get at the negative motor contact. Do to the complex detailing and the very fragile nature of the plastic parts I couldn't get the thing back together to where it would run properly. Broken parts are almost impossible to glue back together and once broken lose all integrity. While I will admit that the detailing is terrific the engine has zero durability and because nothing is glued in parts fall off with little encouragement. The engine and tender lights are pathetic on DC and you have to replace them to go to DCC. While it may run reasonably well and look really good, from and engineering standpoint it is a piece of junk. Any engine with this kind of detail should be made of brass or something more durable than the very cheap plastic that represents the majority of the detail on this engine. Seriously, it's hard to find a place to pick it up where you are not in contact with a easily breakable part. Given enough time something will eventually fall off and I can tell you some of the pieces that do readily fall off are a female dog to get back together. As I said nothing is glued in. Brand new DCC ready these engines are running around two to two hundred fifty bucks.  The cost is just not justifiable . If you really want one you had better see it first hand and actually examine it, and make sure you buy it from a authorized dealer as Walther's wont stand behind the limited lifetime warranty even if the defect is their fault.

    TJ

    I have not personally had problems, I have one of each of the 0-8-0 and 0-6-0. The lesson here is to send it back to the ebay dealer if there is a fault before you attempt to install a decoder. A short circuit would have easily been found with a multi-volt meter.