Model Railroading > MRL 250 from Intermountain arrives

These models showed up at the local hobby shop today. These are nice looking models in the lion's head logo and front deck crossing lights. The Lok-Pilot DCC with no sounds is $199 while the Lok-Sound with DCC and sound sells for $299. Both versions are smooth quiet runners.

The only error is the SD40-2 cab on the SD40-2 carbody. All previous builders, Kato and Athearn have made the exact same mistake so IM is not alone here. In the prototype world, MRL 250 started out as BN 6377 which was sabotaged in a deliberate run away on the first night of MRL operations. The unit was laid on it's side at speed so damage was mostly sheet metal work with no mechanical issues. Still the cost of repairs exceeded the book value of the unit to BN.MRL bought the loco and did it's own rebuild. It was easier to replace the cab with a complete unit from a salvaged locomotive. MRL purchased a cab from a retired Rock Island GP40. The only visual differences between the two models are around the windows and the rear cab roof overhang. It would be possible to replace the cab with a non-2 cab from Athearn or KATO.

MRL 250 has been decorated with the W logo in the racing stripe, roaring lion and now redball versions.

So there it is, just in time for Christmas 2016.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/05/16 17:31 by fbe.

DCC no sound is 100$, DCC Sound is 300$.   Thats a 200$ difference.   

I could by a non sound, add a Loksound 4.0, speaker, AND a keep alive, and still be well under that price point!  

I sure hope those are list prices, because that math does not add up.   

Oops, my error, non sound is $199, I will correct that.

Isn't the long hood also from the GP40 with its different door arrangement than a SD40-2?

No, I have compared the MRL 250 SD40-2 carbody alongside the MRL 500 GP40 carbody and these are not the same. Even the cab base on the 250 is pure SD40-2 construction.

The tall doors under the dynamic brake areas do not change between models. It is the short doors under the radiators which are different. There are the same number of doors but they are grouped differently.