Mega Brute is getting some attention....

This mega-Brute is getting some attention... The Youtube hits are nearly off the charts. I would recommend watching this in another window to get the full size and scope (just click on the Youtube video twice or use the expand button). Ok, a little background: This is my friend Al's Brute. He desperately needed more power and wanted to add a third motor however MTH immediately came back to him and said "not a good idea". So Al decided to make a few changes: 1. Added the third motor which MTH promised but didn't deliver 2. Added 381 style marker lights on both ends 3. Added pilot wheels to both ends 4. Exchanged the headlight castings with the larger, flared number board style used on American Flyer. From Al: Personally I think it looks great but i'm sure there will be those who cry "foul" for defacing a legend. Adding the third motor was a no-brainer, it was virtually a drop in conversion with a little creative wiring. The marker lights were another story, but I think the effort was worth it. Without them, the face just looked blank and boring. The pilot wheels were from a Lionel 9E and were a simple drop in addition with no modifications whatever. Upon disassembly I found that each end of the Brute had 8 pounds of weight in it along with traction tires. I removed the weights and traction tires and found that in the new configuration, with the engine tethered and all three motors slipping, the current draw was less than half of what it had been in the "as built" configuration. It has enough traction to start the train on 2% grade with no wheel slip whatever. Since I run mine on the level and don't expect to see any more cars manufactured for it in my lifetime, I'm not too worried about the board! Marc