Customers have reported increasing rates of “porch pirate” package thefts. Extend™ Shipping Protection replaces any lost, damaged, or stolen packages, and we recommend adding this protection to your order. FDH is unable to recover lost, damaged, or stolen packages that are not covered by Extend™ Shipping Protection.
DCC AND SOUND EQUIPPED MODEL Daylight Skyline Casing
The SP began building their MT-4 class 4-8-2 Mountains in their Sacramento Shops in 1926. As-delivered they came with green boilers, which lasted until the early to mid-1930s. They were then painted the standard black scheme.
STEAM LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES: With or without Skyline casing Metal handrails Builder's plates Cab interior details Non-operating classification lights Blackened metal wheels Adjustable cab windows and doors Lighted number boards Firebox with rivet detail Adjustable Cab hatch Laird multiple bearing cross head, where applicable Factory applied detail parts, including: Brass-painted bell and whistle piping Valves generator Steps air pump Air tanks reverser Coupler lift bar Front coupler pocket able to accept an operating coupler See-through running boards with safety tread detail Boiler backhead with full details and printed gauges McHenry operating scale knuckle couplers Minimum radius: 22" Era: 1926 - 1958
New FEATURES: Dual cube speakers for great sound quality Upgraded headlight lighting with LED Improved loco-to-tender connection harness for increased durability and serviceability Improved electrical pick up wipers Improved traction tire-to-rail contact area
SOUND Equipped MODELS ALSO FEATURE Tender-mounted DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Tsunami2 sound Dual cube speakers for optimal sound quality Sound units operate in both DC and DCC Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode Chuff, whistle and bell sounds work in DC All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode Precision slow speed control Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes CV chart included in the box
PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION The first North American 4-8-2 locomotives were built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) in 1911, for heavy mountain service (hence the popular name, ("Mountain Type"). Southern Pacific joined the parade in October 1923, when it took delivery of ten new 4-8-2 locomotives, class Mt-1, from Alco. They were numbered in the new 4300 series as #4300-4309 and were put to work on the Sunset and Golden State routes. They were an instant hit; SP promptly signed with Alco for eighteen more (#4310-4327) for delivery in March 1924.
Meanwhile, the art of locomotive manufacturing was evolving as specialized steel manufacturers learned how to create ever-larger and more complex steel castings. SP took note of these developments and performed cost studies to evaluate the possibility of building 4-8-2s in the shops at Sacramento. The numbers were all favorable and a project was approved to build eighteen class Mt-3 4-8-2s (#4328-4345) in-house. Sacramento began work, with #4328 approved for service in September 1925. The last Mt-3, #4345, entered service on June 16, 1926.
Business continued to boom and trains kept growing - the SP's Board of Directors approved a new program to build another 21 similar machines, #4346-4366. These locomotives would be class Mt-4.
Many of the Mt-4s assigned to operating districts with snowsheds were fitted with SP's distinctive "clamshell" exhaust deflector. Their most important visual modification took place beginning in 1939, when they were fitted with sheet-steel "skyline casings," similar to those on the new Lima 4-8-4s, that were developed to help direct exhaust smoke atop the boiler, away from the locomotive cab.
Still another visual treat was available for five short years, when #4350, 4352, 4353, 4361 and 4363 were partially repainted in Daylight red and orange for service on the San Joaquin Daylight. The tenders were completely painted, but only the cab area received vivid colors. The new paint was applied in 1946, approximately the same time that tender lettering standards were changed from "Southern Pacific Lines" to "Southern Pacific." After 1951, all five engines were repainted in black and re-entered normal pool service.
As the 1950s progressed, new diesels were taking over more freight and through passenger assignments, leaving SP with a surplus of relatively modern steam power. A few Mt-4s were still operating into the fall of 1956. The final day for steam on Commutes was January 22, 1957, but SP clerks didn't get around to preparing formal retirement papers for the last five Mt-4s until after diesels had completely taken over.
Payment & Security
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Refund Policy
Factory Direct Hobbies has a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after your item has shipped to request a return.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging.
To start a return, click to our Returns Center. If your return is approved, we'll send you emailed instructions on how and where to send your package. You will be responsible for return shipping costs, unless Factory Direct Hobbies made an error in the fulfillment of your order. Items sent back to us without first requesting a return will not be accepted and will be returned to sender.
Damages and issues
Please inspect your order upon receipt and contact us immediately if the item is defective, damaged, or if you receive the wrong item, so that we can evaluate the issue and make it right.
Exceptions / non-returnable items Unfortunately, we cannot accept returns on gift cards.
Exchanges The fastest way to ensure you get what you want is to return the item you have, and make a separate purchase for the new item on our website. Please note that we cannot process manual exchanges over the phone.
Refunds We will notify you once we’ve received and inspected your return, and let you know if the refund was approved or not. If approved, you’ll be automatically refunded on your original payment method. In certain instances, store credit may be provided instead of a refund. Please remember it can take some time for your bank or credit card company to process and post the refund too.
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Rewards Program Details
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Preorder FAQs
How preorders work
Guarantee your reservation on any item marked with the red "Preorder item" flag, by paying just 10% down. Preorder items also display a date badge indicating the anticipated arrival.
We will email your invoice approximately 30-45 days before your preorder item lands at the warehouse. This interactive invoice will allow you to select your preferred shipping method, and pay the balance of your order, right online!
We'll ship you your preorder once your item arrives at our warehouse. Preorder fulfillments are queued in the order in which they were paid for.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As our preorder offerings have grown, we’ve found that a large percentage of preorder reservations are canceled or left unpaid without notice. We pay our suppliers for every preorder item that arrives at our warehouse, so when a customer does not pay for their item, we are left no choice but to absorb that cost. We have tried our best to cope with the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change, and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies. We must now ask that customers pay a 10% good-faith down payment toward the price of their item. This non-refundable good-faith payment is applied to the price of the product, and the balance (plus shipping and any applicable taxes) will be invoiced approximately 30-45 days before the item is slated to arrive at our warehouse.
We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
The good-faith down payment is not refundable if you choose to cancel your preorder or do not pay your invoice.
However, if a manufacturer cancels a project for which you have made a down payment, you will receive a refund for your down payment.
Yes. We know that paying ahead of time can be unnerving when delivery dates are distant, and not every project makes it to the production line. Rest assured that, in the event the manufacturer cancels your preorder project, you will be refunded your 10% down payment.
Hobbies should be fun, not stressful!
The manufacturing process involves many different moving parts, and this complexity often renders production timelines unpredictable. Therefore, some level of unpredictability in timing is inherent to preordering hobby products. Down payments are not refundable in cases of routine manufacturing, delivery, or other short-term delays.
However, we know it can be frustrating when a project gets delayed for many months. In the event a project is delayed more than 6 months beyond the delivery window originally estimated by the manufacturer, we will handle refunds of down payments on a case-by-case basis.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
Nope! The policy is not retroactive: if you already made a preorder reservation before this policy update, you do not owe a down payment for that reservation. However, any future preorders you make will require the 10% good-faith down payment.
We make every effort to keep our website updated with information that reflects manufacturers' current estimated delivery schedules. To find the estimated delivery month of an item, you can visit our Preorder Section and use the filters to narrow down your selection.
However, we encourage you to directly visit the manufacturer's site for the most current delivery dates.
Approximately 30-45 days before your preorder items land at the warehouse, we'll email your invoice to you to pay in full. At this point, you'll be able to provide your shipping address and select your preferred shipping method.
Your item will be reserved for 7 days, beginning when your invoice is sent. After 7 days, your preorder will be canceled.
Recently, our suppliers have made a major policy change and are no longer accepting product returns for non-paying end customers. We have tried our best to absorb the effects of this change; however, after more than a year of trying, we have found we cannot continue to do so. After much consideration, we unfortunately must also change our policies to align with the realities our suppliers have created.
As a result, we must now ask that customers pay in full prior to the supplier finalizing shipment to FDH, about 30-45 days ahead of product arrival. This gives us the time we need to cancel with our suppliers any unpaid orders prior to shipment.
We understand that this is an unwelcome change and no one wants to pay earlier than necessary. However, this is unavoidable in order for us to be able to continue to offer the wide variety of preorder options you’re used to getting from Factory Direct Hobbies.
One silver lining is that this change will result in preorder items getting to your door even faster, as all payment processing will be well out of the way and the usual several day wait after product has arrived will be eliminated. We thank you for your patience and understanding. If you have questions or would like further clarification, feel free to contact us through the gold chat bubble.
Manufacturing schedules can sometimes be unpredictable. In the event your preorder item does not arrive at our warehouse within 60 days of your invoice payment, then you will have the option to cancel your preorder and receive a refund OR you may elect to continue waiting for the item.
Friendly Reminder: Should you choose to cancel a preorder, it will no longer be reserved for you; in the event the item becomes available on our website, all customers will have equal access to purchase the item.
We know life happens, and missing out on a great item can be a drag!
We're here to help; just contact us via the gold chat bubble and we'll do all we can to work with you!
If you have an account with factorydirecthobbies.com, you can view all your preorders, as well as your active orders. Login to your account, and select the “My orders” option. All your preorders and active orders will be listed along with the current status of each order. If you have further questions about your order, please feel free to reach out to us through the gold chat bubble.
Although we try to keep our preorder arrival estimates as accurate as possible, we encourage you to visit each manufacturer’s website to find the most up-to-date delivery information.
For instance, with Athearn and Walthers, you can enter the part number into their websites and navigate to the item. Most of the time, the delivery date will be listed there. Broadway Limited has a published delivery schedule, as does Rapido.
Rewards and Preorders
Yes. Rewards can be used on both your 10% good-faith down payment and on the balance of your preorder at invoicing time.
Yes! Preorders are awarded reward dollars at the same 5% rate. You'll receive your reward within several days of paying the balance of your preorder invoice.
Still more questions?
If we still haven't answered your question, please click the gold messaging bubble in the bottom right of our site, and we'll help in any way we can!
