...to my earlier thread regarding the MTL F7, here are a few snaps of what my first Z scale loco looked like when it arrived: Obviously the motor had over-heated, and melted the body to the degree that whoever owned this hoped that cutting away the center sections and replacing them with brass would help(?) Of course, it did not run, but due to the large amount of information (in this and other forums) about these models, I was able to disassemble, clean, order and replace the needed parts. I've had this now for two years, I think, and other than needing the occasional maintenance, it runs well and I expect it to do so for years to come. Kudos to Micro Trains for producing such a durable product. Mark in Oregon