MTH Premier line O gauge A5-class switcher

THE DIMINUTIVE A5-class 0-4-0 switcher will never be first in line when thinking about the stellar locomotives of the great Pennsylvania Railroad. But from the look of this steamer, its lineage to the Standard Railroad of the World is plainly evident.

It has closely positioned domes, a Belpaire firebox, a headlight square above the number plate, and a slope-back tender and ladder. Every seam is sharp and every piece of conduit is firmly lashed into place – a place for everything, and everything in its place. Just as the powers in Philadelphia would have wished it.

MTH Electric Trains has created an exceptional O gauge model of this robust little steamer; one that kept slogging cargo around after its peers had been scrapped.

CLASSIC TOY TRAINS has reviewed only a few 0-4-0s. They included Lionel’s little Pennsy B6 0-6-0 reborn as an 0-4-0; two dockside 0-4-0T tank engines by Right-of-Way and MTH; and the K-Line Collector’s Club version of the Pennsy A5 a few years back.

While most of these steamers tended to skew toward the lower end of the market in price and level of sophistication, make no mistake that this MTH Premier line locomotive, at a catalog price of $599, was built for ultra-serious hobbyists.

The model

After the A5 sat on my desk for a while, it dawned on me why everything about this locomotive seemed to capture my attention. This model has the top level of external detail you’d expect on a premium steam locomotive, only in a compressed space.

In other words, pipes, grab irons, side rods, headlight and dozens of other add-on parts all fall within a few inches of each other, instead of being spread apart as on a model of a large road locomotive with an 8- or 10-inch-long boiler.

The pilot looks great. Steps for a brakeman have cast-in wood texture. Metal struts with clearly defined rivet detail connect the steps to a wood-textured bumper beam. Markers are mounted on the beam, and a coil coupler is situated under the pilot.

The textured running boards are wide and suggest that this is one of the few O gauge models with a walkway broad enough for a tiny O scale workman to do his job without falling to the ground. On the fireman’s side, a compressor and associated piping rise through the deck.

The smokebox looks sharp. It includes a curved grab iron running along the lower half, deep rivet detail, some industrial-strength hinges, and step plates on the face.

The center of the smokebox has a number plate, and the smokebox is crowned with an electric headlight sporting illuminated number boards.

Just behind the headlight, you’ll find a separately applied grab iron arching over the top of the smokebox. Behind the stack is a turbine.

The casting for the boiler is clean, with clear rivet and boiler band demarcation throughout. Additional add-on piping connects to the sand dome and to the steam dome. A red valve handle is just below the whistle, and there’s another on the front of the cab.

Lanyards run from the cab to the whistle and the cab to the bell (if you move the bell, the lanyard even “pulls” along with it).

The cab has an opening roof hatch – the innards of the cab look great. There is plenty to see, such as six white-faced gauges, 12 red-painted valve handles, cast-in pipes, and even a small light bulb. There are two crew figures wearing different colored shirts, and you can see the firebox glow through four openings in the firebox door.

The cab windows slide open, and each has a sunshade with a grab iron above. Grab irons also are mounted on both sides of the cab.

The undercarriage looks great, too, with well-detailed running gear that includes an add-on reverse lever running from the cab, just below the running board.

The tender is just as amazing, with details such as add-on hand cranks for the brake system and a water pipe with screen texture to “filter” solids from the water. The door of the coal bunker has deeply cast-in hinges and latches. Even the marker lights are connected to scale-sized electrical conduits.

On the belly of the tender you’ll find volume and smoke controls, a battery plug-in receptacle, and switches for MTH’s two/three-rail conversion.

Lettering and numbering on the locomotive and tender are all clean and crisp, and add-ons like the builder’s plates, number plate, and tender plate are all clear and readable. Application of the PRR Brunswick Green was superb.

On the test track

As a Premier line locomotive, the A5 features MTH’s ProtoSound 2.0 hardware and software, including speed-control circuitry, railroad sound effects, and puffing smoke.

Our low-speed test average was 1.8 scale mph, and the high-speed test average was 42.5 scale mph. The model’s motor was very responsive and smooth when accelerating and slowing down.

The locomotive and tender weigh 5 pounds 5 ounces. Thanks to its weight, two traction tires, plenty of motor torque and modern drivetrain technology, this diminutive steamer can really pull some cargo along the right-of-way. Drawbar pull for the small steamer was a manly 2 pounds, which will more than get any switching job done.

The sound system sounds terrific and the chuffs, when operating slowly, have a jaw-dropping quality.

The MTH Premier line A5 0-4-0 is a terrific model of this switcher, significantly surpassing its lone O gauge competitor, K-Line’s pleasant little rendering of the A5, in both fidelity of detail and refinement of performance.

O GAUGE PREMIER LINE PENNSY A5-CLASS 0-4-0 BY MTH
Price: $599.95 (no. 20-3173-1)

Features: O-31 operation, can-style motor, ProtoSound 2.0, coil couplers

Pros: Tremendous detail, great sound package, outstanding low-speed operation

Cons: Hobbyists who equate price with locomotive size will be alarmed

Made in South Korea for MTH Electric Trains