The shiny focus of our attention is the O gauge Coors Silver Bullet train by MTH Electric Trains. The fact that I’ve started writing the review less than 24 hours after receiving the product suggests how much I like it.
I’ve always believed that three-railers are a bit more fun-loving, a bit more mentally agile than guys rooted in HO or N scale. They know that the hobby is founded on fun. How you get that fun is up to the individual; whether you have a basement-size empire or a 4- by 8-foot loop is irrelevant. The focus is on enjoying the trains.
One of the most creative (and fun) modern-era trains was Lionel’s Phantom. It was a high-concept train that failed to be received by hobbyists, in part, because of poor execution – it had little gusto and lacked suitable rolling stock until long after its moment had passed. But while the Phantom wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it got some buzz!
Fast-forward a few years and you have the transformation of a clever marketing image (a high-speed robo-train delivering a fresh load of cargo to persons of legal age) to the toy train world.
The effort to get trains into homes that otherwise might not purchase them has been firmly embraced by both Lionel and MTH. Offerings based on movies, major corporations, and cultural icons translate into sales from outside traditional markets and help the manufacturer’s bottom line while expanding the hobby’s base.
Without introducing too much social commentary, this product’s marketing is aimed at adults, not youths. Why?
If kids play with this train, apparently they will fall into a life of substance abuse and wake up 25 years later in a Shanghai gutter. In all seriousness, I suspect parents (and kids) have more to worry about than an electric train. We’re talking about a toy here, not flaws in human nature. Now, on to the train!
Opening the box
I love the packaging and graphics, which make the set look like something right out of the grocer’s cooler!
The locomotive and the three refrigerator cars come in individual boxes that mirror the Coors Light graphics.
The chrome-on-plastic effect is terrific, resembling a highly polished mirror. If you have a pair of clean cotton gardening gloves or latex surgical gloves, I suggest strapping those on prior to removing the gear from the boxes. The finish will capture fingerprints better than Sherlock Holmes.
The locomotive is one of the strangest, most futuristic rigs I’ve ever seen. It has a bullet nose evoking a Dreyfuss Hudson, but with a large red headlight. Several spots on the body look like “funkified” air intakes, but the most distinctive elements of the shell are the large “paddlewheel” drivers located on the sides. They look like they were taken from some sort of futuristic version of a British 4-2-4 steamer!
The pilot has three axles – two are powered and have side rods and the third axle is unpowered and has flangeless wheels that might not always touch the track. Mechanically, you’d expect the large paddlewheels to provide some oomph, but they’re just decoration. Although they do rotate in sync with the locomotive’s forward or backward movement, they don’t contact the track.
There’s a single geared axle nestled under the paddlewheels that freely rotates and uses gears to keep the paddlewheels in sync.
Personally, I envision the Silver Bullet as a robot train, probably propelled by a beer-powered fusion plant. The rear of the locomotive doesn’t have a cab – but it does have a ladder, small deck, and a cast-in door.
One point to note is that you’ll need to take care when removing the shell – don’t forget to disconnect the handrails from the lower part of the shell, or they may bend. The steps may also bend, so caution is warranted.
The shell itself is plastic with a chrome finish. In the center of the rounded nose is a most unusual headlight. It is colored red, not the traditional yellow or white. I figure that it is really supposed to be a laser to blast Budweiser trucks off the right-of-way.
The refrigerator cars have a somewhat familiar shape, evoking a sort-of car that moves aircraft components. The cars are also plastic with a chrome finish. I was surprised to see an add-on brake wheel.
Each car contains a pair of blue LEDs, a smoke unit, and simulated pallets of Coors Light. When triggered, the lights come on, the smoke unit powers up, and then the doors rise, which allows a swirling cloud of “frosty” air to escape. After about 30 seconds the doors shut, and the train is ready to go.
Exclusive to subscribers, check out a video of the MTH O gauge Silver Bullet train running on our test track.
On the test track
Operation of the train can be accomplished in either conventional or command-control modes. Conventional is just a wee bit clunkier than in command mode.
If you use DCS, you’ll need to download software version 3.11 to get started. I learned the hard way after loading the train to 3.0 and discovering that none of the train-unique functions worked. After loading the new software and re-adding the Coors train to the locomotive lineup, it worked just fine.
The software update adds soft key commands for functions like the delivery sequence and door open/close sequence.
The train startup sounds are pretty neat, recalling the winding up of a jet turbine. Once the train is rolling, the whistle projects a steam-locomotive type of sound.
Hit the bell button and watch out – the party begins! You get a thumpa-thumpa-thumpa beat, full of bells and rhythm that will make your toes tap.
As with a regular model locomotive bell, depressing the bell button causes the music to continue playing until commanded otherwise.
What is neat about this infinite sound loop is that when you depress the button to turn it off, it just doesn’t cut off. Instead, it cycles through a conclusion to the beat and it fades out.
You can use the DCS soft key codes to identify a special function.
CDS is “Coors delivery stop.” With this function, the train plays the sound of the wind whistling through the mountains. It then delivers a mechanical door-opening sound. The door-open/light/smoke and the door-close functions happen automatically.
CDO is “Coors door open,” where the mechanical doors open and make a door-opening sound. The hatch reveals a blue light and intense levels of smoke. The door remains open until you command it to close, but the smoke unit has a three-minute shutoff to prevent low smoke-fluid burnouts.
CDC is “Coors door close.” The mechanical door-operation sound broadcasts, and the smoke unit and interior lights are turned off.
The locomotive has all the typical ProtoSound 2.0 features, such as remote-coupler operation. The smoke unit is robust, synchronized, and blowing full-tilt. The smoke units in the refrigerator aren’t as powerful, but they don’t need to be. They just need to project the image of frosty air. Nevertheless, as our online video shows, the smoke units have plenty of capacity to generate the white stuff.
Locomotive operation was smooth and quiet and very responsive to commands. With the three-car train in tow, our low-speed average was 10 scale mph. With the same consist we had a high-speed average of 66.7 scale mph. Drawbar pull was 1 pound 4 ounces.
The Coors Silver Bullet train won’t appeal to everyone, particularly those who want realism from their trains and don’t care for Coors’ products. But the Silver Bullet boasts excellent production values, smooth running, a clever operating concept, and a design unlike anything in O gauge. Oh, and it’ll probably make everyone who sees it laugh and crack a smile, if not a cold one. Two thumbs up for creativity.
Price: $499.95 (no. 30-1433-1 locomotive and three-car set), $79.95 (no. 30-78040 refrigerator car)
Features: ProtoSound 2.0, can-style motor, smoke unit, coil coupler, operating car doors with light and smoke effects
Pros: Clever execution of a fantasy design, smooth operation
Cons: Bud and Miller drinkers, as well as hi-railers looking for realism, may not like it
Made in the People’s Republic of China for MTH Electric Trains
