I picked up an Accucraft C-21 at Diamondhead. (#18)
Appearently the shipping container it and several others were shipped to the states in took a hit, as many engines had loose tires and some had more damage. Cliff from Accucraft was there and fixed all the engines.
That said:
The front coupler is too high. There are two slots in the coupler pocket, and it is an easy thing to pull the pin holding the coupler in and move the coupler to the lower pocket.
Do not, as some recommended, lift the engine by the opening in the rear cab wall. This is a bridge of metal held on by rivets, and will eventually come lose under this kind of stress. (Mine did, fortunatly I was not carrying it at the time.) I now try to carry it by the cab floor. I am working on building a carrying case for it.
Over all it runs well when both burners are going. You can tell when one or the other goes out as it loses ALL its power. I followed the recommendation of several people and removed the thread tape from the gas jets. That has helped, but if you add a Goodall, it seems a large injection of cooler water adversely effects the burners as well as the boiler pressure. The gas tank holds enough to run for over an hour, but you will need to add water after about a half hour. I’m toying with adding an axle pump and converting the electronics bay of the tender into a water tank. (The water in the water bath gets COLD from the evaporation of the tank’s contents. Too cold to inject into the boiler.)
This is my first LARGE engine. (Rubys and a Lady Anne) I’m sure as I learn how to operate it the performance will get better.