What you need to know is there are no cab lights on analogue or a driver in this locomotive. I am sending it back as advice from Bachmann as far as fitting a driver is concerned is best to leave well alone as there are so many screws, its not that simple as in the warship model. Also I resent having to pay another £38.00 to have cab lights, and this is only on digital. Also you have to buy a special chip to operate the Pantograph. The real dinger is even with digital operation the cab lights only work in the station. As soon as the loco moves the cab lights go out. This is supposed to be realistic, well it is not, the driver turns off the cab lights they are not automatic. For those that do not know cab lights also represent sun light going into the cab and the warmth of the instrument binnacle lights. How can a loco be realistic without a driver ?.

Here is the letter I have sent to Bachmann.

Dear Sirs,

After eagerly opening this loco, this eagerness turned to disappointment when i discovered there is no driver nor cab lights.

I called your service department and they informed me that the cab lights only work on digital and even then only in the direction the loco is going, while this maybe more realistic, both cabs are normally lit up on Bachmann diesel/ electric locos.

After asking is it complicated fitting a driver, I was told this was probably best left alone as there are numerous screws that need to be removed to fit one.

I then asked why? when in the diesels they have cab lights and drivers, the reply was, this is an electric locomotive.

My reply, 31-677 and 31-679 are electric locomotives and they have cab lights on analogue, but not just a driver also a mate too in the cab.

I feel Bachmann have got it wrong with this loco big time, the servo pantograph while a great gimic, how often is this going to be used.

The money would have been better spent on a driver, (being as it is a chore to fit one). and cab lights on analogue.

There are still a lot of people who run analogue layouts who do not have the funds to spend £100.00's on locos.

Not everyone is over 50 with masses of disposable income.

If I was a young teenager and I had saved for this and found the aforementioned subjects I would
be unhappy.

However, this does not take away the fact that this loco runs well, looks amazing and is very realistic.

Best regards,

Paul Briden.

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