Folks,

I would appreciate opinions of people who owns, have owned or have experience with the old Sunset steam engines, before it was acquired by 3rd Rail. I have the understanding that these engines were built by Samhongsa, but I may be wrong.

What do you think about their running capabilities, in comparison to the more modern 3Rd Rail engines or to the older USH/KTM engines. How about their reliability? What kind of motor are they equipped with (Pittman)?

How do they compare with modern engines, in term of details and precision?

How about their retail or used values, on the brass market? Are they keeping their value or are they declining?

Any comments you may have will be useful, and I would like to thank you in advance for your time and responses.

Yves

I have a Sunset K-28...2-8-2 in On3...Brass construction and about 20 or more years old. It is equipped with a can motor and runs like a dream. Loco is fully sprung and has full inside cab detail.

That's why I purchase mostly 3rd Rail products. You get what you pay for...in good operation and quality.....

I owned the Sunset USRA light Mike in mid 1970's. I am only going by memory with my comments.

This was very early Korean production so I do not think it was as robust or ran as well as the Japan built US Hobbys or Westside KTM's. They (early Korean) were prone to cold solder joints. I think it did have a can motor, though.

The main problem, if I remember correctly, was the shape of the car roof. It looked like they copied the HO PFM light Mike that used the shallow roof line of the first production versions used by the B&O. The majority of the light Mikes had a deeper roof crown, I think called the "tumble home". This would be the main problem with using this for, say, a UP version.

One point, 3rd. Rail did not acquire Sunset. They are the same company, just a name change when Sunset started to produce 3 rail models. Started by the late Mort Mann and now run by his son, Scott.

Jim J.

I bought one new back in the mid-'70's when they first came out. It was considered to be the first Korean made O scale brass. It is a very solid piece, better detail than the USH/KTM engines and way, way better assembled than some of the early Westside Korean brass.

It has a solid mechanism with a cast zamak gear box that is clearly a copy of the rugged KTM version and came with a decent but not overwhelming Sagami can motor. I remotored mine with a Pittman many years ago (fairly easy) and it did improve the low speed performance, but the original ran well. The only complaint was that the drivers were plated with shiny metal that makes it hard to get paint to stick really well.

Overall I think it compares well in detail and precision with modern engines. Price I can't comment on.

ray

quote:

Originally posted by torino:
The main problem, if I remember correctly, was the shape of the car roof. It looked like they copied the HO PFM light Mike that used the shallow roof line of the first production versions used by the B&O. The majority of the light Mikes had a deeper roof crown, I think called the "tumble home". This would be the main problem with using this for, say, a UP version.

Jim J.

I forgot about the cab roof. Jim is correct it is the original B&O 4500 cab (which is more like the USRA switcher cab I beleive), not the common USRA raod cab. But then I can letter mine B&O 4500........

ray

At the risk of digging up an old thread I just wanted to offer this additional information On the USRA cab designs being discussed. The 4500 B & O USRA Mike was Baldwin built. Baldwin had their own interpretation of how a cab roof should be shaped. The more common USRA roof design we see was an ALCO product with a more pronounced hump to it. Put these engines side by side and the difference is a very noticable and distinctive one. Okay that's all I have to add..thanks for the podeum.

Bob....

I have the Sunset USRA light Mikado 2-8-2 Custom Painted for New York Central and numbered 1852. While I can not tell you how well it runs or the technical aspects of the model, I can say that when held up against other models of this prototype I think it compares well. I believe this model and the New York Central K5 pacific were produced during the same time period late 1970's. Samhongsa made both of these models and I believe they also made these models for Sunset in HO scale. I purchase this particular model at a shop in New York on 45th Street (Roundhouse II.) The Model sold in 1979 for $550. Being strictly a collector and not an operator I've never run this model and still have it in almost pristine condition. I believe that Sunset also made the USRA Heavy Mikado during this period also but to date I've never seen it. I've heard a lot of verbal abuse about Sunset Models from the various model train shop owmers duromg the 70's and 80's, because the models usually were a lot cheaper than other manufacturers, and as a matter of fact I've had custom painters charge me an extra $50 to paint Sunset models because they said they had to do a lot of extra resoldering because the parts fell off. Funny thing is Sunset is still around after over 30 years. And that says a lot for their product......Karl

I have a Sunset NYC K-5 Pacific. It has the original mechanism but was super detailed and custom painted when I bought it. It runs fine. I've had no problems with it. My only complaint is the huge teather between engine and tender which I think the customizer may have used in place of the original, but I could be wrong