***************************************************************************

****LAFEVER CLIMAX REVIEW****

5 July, 2002 LAFEVER STANDARD CLIMAX PRODUCT REVIEW

"AUSTINS DAD'S Toys and trains", Roger Edison owner.

Member: Gulf Coast Society of model Railroaders, NMRA.

Product review - the LaFever Climax, custom made by Ron LaFever.

Ron sent me a sample of his MDC Climax for testing. It is a custom built die cast frame with modified motoring, gearing and body shell THAT WILL EXCEED the performance of almost any other logging locomotive available. Ron's complete Climax weighs almost 2-ounces more than a stock MDC Climax - an almost 25% weight increase, yet with room for a DCC decoder and a sound card.

I like Ron's work. It is well done. But then, Ron holds a degree in both Mechanical and Electrical Engineering so you expect great work. Using a Tech II transformer power supply I watched it run smooth at every level of speed. Surprising to me, when I had the power pack set at 10% I could count the lines on the flywheel turning about 9 lines per minute - which means that sometime tomorrow this might complete it's way around the track. It was moving so very, very slow.

At 25% on the power pack it moved in a slow, realistic, smooth and quiet way. However, at 50% - where a Bachman three-truck Shay, Rivarossi's Heisler and MDC Shays reach their maximum speed - Ron's Climax continued to go faster and much stronger than the stock or Brass locomotives previously tested. The throttle response is very linear.

I don't need a stop watch and chart to know that the motoring and re-gearing is much more than an improvement, but makes this climax a true dream when it comes to climbing hills with 25 log cars which are slightly weighted over NMRA standards. The incline grade was remarkable as I tilted the layout with blocks. The Climax continued to pull superbly, but didn't go running off when it reached the top. Testing showed it handled 18-inch curves easily, yet I bet it could handle tighter curves.

All the plus marks this loco received out weighed the one black mark of noise at higher speeds. At slow speeds there is no sound problem. If the noise at higher speeds bothers some one they should add a MRC sound system to their layout to cover any unwanted noise.

This is a great engine, a superb-operating piece of equipment. This custom engine easily handled over 25 logging cars climbing over a 6% incline - exceeding the utmost steepest mountains expected on just about any layout. In appearance it shows superior weathering skills and added detail parts to the modified MDC Climax body.

Fine Brass engines meeting this custom quality exceed $300, which makes Ron's Climax a bargain. It will likely be the best performing locomotive you'll ever own for your logging, maintenance-of-way or old time yard switching. This performance test clearly showed it will out perform the Bachman (3) truck Shay, MDC Climax and shay products and PFM Brass Shays that have ever been previously tested by Austindad''s.

NOTE: Ron will not get his sample back - I bought it.

July 13, 2002

Ron - today I operated the LaFever Climax at 30% throttle for 7 non-stop hours. It was pulling a total of 27 log cars along a 46' x 12' track with only a 1% incline. It operated smoothly with perfect operation with no problems. After 7 hours of continuous running the motor was barely warm to the touch. I'm extremely pleased. Roger Edison