Padre,
No warm and fuzzy feeling? Sheesh! 
All,
What are you reminded of when looking at the wheels of the engine?
Oh gosh, golly gee, do you mean, wait, no way, are those NEWQIDA wheels?
Just kidding! No first had knowledge, but as far as I know the PIKO wheels are blackened metal.
Nice try, but not what I see. Next!
The question is, do we really want to share the visions in your minds eye?
You probably wouldn’t, it would be too much of a reality jolt! 
Well if I ‘squint’ I like the engine, but then I re-focus and lose interest pretty fast. I’m not a big fan of MDC, so the ore cars kinda ruin it for me. I think it’s on par with the cheap bachmann battery operated sets and maybe the “new” Lionel Large Scale but nothing I’d go for. The track looked good!
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Again in your dreams or is that nightmares? Such hubris!
it would be too much of a reality jolt! :P :)
The wheel weights are all the same size. On the proto the wheel weights are different for each wheel. On my 2-8-8-2 the wheel weights are all different as well. Is that what you see HJ?
You like the valve gear?
How about that pesky upper headlight?
Or the generator mount?
Interesting observations I am hearing.
Jack Barton said:Poor Jack, out of the loop again. :lol: :lol:Hans-Joerg Mueller said:Again in your dreams or is that nightmares? Such hubris!
it would be too much of a reality jolt! :P :)
Very interesting and a sign of things to come. With silvergate as Piko distributors, then we can expect a similar pricing level when the Marklin largescale distributor is announced. As an exercise, do an eBay search of Piko products. Amazing that everything available is at full retail pricing level on eBay. Firesales and inventory clearances are a dim past memory now.
The pricing on the ex-MDC tooling, now Piko branded, is unbelievable - $60 - $80 each for a 1/32 scale boxcar/reefer and around $50.00 for an ore hopper. Who is kidding who??? The MDC inventory stock was dumped on the market, over the last 12 months or so and sold for a pittance.
My opinion on the BR80. It looks like the battery-operated locomotive one purchases in the local supermarket for around $30 a set. I am a fan of the Taurus and the BR218, but how could they get the steamer so wrong???
Three questions----------
Are the other two “western” 0-6-0 versions any different in running gear?
Any to the suspicion that these three locos are actually being made by one of the newly combined Chinese mfgs?
Is the PIKO track being made by the same source that LGB used? If so, does this production feature lock out Marklin from making the same track from the same source?
Wendell
Wendell Hanks said:
Three questions----------Are the other two “western” 0-6-0 versions any different in running gear?
Any to the suspicion that these three locos are actually being made by one of the newly combined Chinese mfgs?
Is the PIKO track being made by the same source that LGB used? If so, does this production feature lock out Marklin from making the same track from the same source?
Wendell
Wendell,
Which other two western 0-6-0s? To me they look like different paint and lettering jobs, no more than that.
According to PIKO all their “G” stuff is made in Sonneberg!
Piko make their own track. As far as I’ve read so far, LGB, PIKO and TrainLine45 use the same brass profile from the same producer. PIKO has enough “pride” in their product that they moulded their name on top of a tie at the end of the track pieces.
HJ-
My error. I was referencing what you conclude: All three locos shown on the PICO site have the same drive train – just changes in the cosmetics.
Good to hear that PIKO actually is using their own ties in assembly of the rail for their own brand of track.
Meanwhile, Bachmann’s new loco captures interest with their “proof of running” video. No more static promotions when runability remains suspect.
Is their video persuasive in assuring prospective buyers?
I’m curious as to your take (please see my posting).
Thanks,
Wendell
Wendell,
If I were interested in 1:20.3 to the point of running some of it, then I would patiently wait for the first production run of any item being Beta tested by the “Bleeding Edge” crowd.
Image files, some days it works, some days it don’t. Sorry
Jack, you should use a more common quote from Louis Hector Berlioz:
“If the Emperor of Russia wants me, then I am up for sale”
I am fairly certain that could be modified as needed.