PRE-ORDER: Athearn 3473 - 2-8-0 Steam Locomotive (DCC and Sound) Louisville & Nashville (L&N) 228 - HO Scale

Pre-Order Due Date:  April 04 2026

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Pre-Order FAQ

Most manufacturers give an ETA on when they expect to release the pre-order which can be seen near the "add to cart" button on the product page. They also give an order due date (found in the product description) which is indicative of when the product is expected to go into production.

There is a 5% NON-refundable deposit for preorders, this amount will be deducted from the price of the product when it arrives. You will see how much downpayment is required after adding the item to your cart. We do not store your payment information and it is not charged by us when the product arrives.

For any pre-order submitted after the due date, we will try our best to fulfill your pre-order, but are at the mercy of the manufacturer and if they produce more than were preordered by their dealers. If we cannot fulfill your pre-order we will credit the 5% deposit to you.

When the pre-ordered product(s) are available to ship, you will receive an email requesting the remaining 95% payment that will take you to your cart. It is at this point you are asked for shipping address and method OR in-store pickup.. We will never charge your payment method without you checking out. At this time you are also able to add other in-stock items if you wish.

Please note that Estimated Arrival Dates can change at any point. Midwest Model Railroad is not responsible for manufacturers delaying production. Visit midwestmodelrr.com/pre-orders/ for more information.

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SOUND-EQUIPPED MODELS ALSO FEATURE
• Onboard DCC decoder with SoundTraxx Econami sound
• Sound units operate in both DC and DCC
• Full DCC functions available when operated in DCC mode
• All functions NMRA compatible in DCC mode
• Precision slow speed control
• Program a multiple unit (MU) lashup with lead unit only horn, bell, and lights
• Many functions can be altered via Configuration Value (CV) changes
• CV chart included in the box

PROTOTYPE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-8-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, usually in a leading truck, eight powered and coupled driving wheels on four axles, and no trailing wheels. This design allowed for more tractive effort with two additional driving axles and a larger boiler.

From its introduction in 1866, the 2-8-0 design was considered to be the ultimate heavy-freight locomotive. The 2-8-0’s forte was starting and moving “impressive loads at unimpressive speeds” and its versatility gave the 2-8-0 its longevity. In 1915, it was realized that no further development was possible with a locomotive of this wheel arrangement.

2-8-0 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:
• See-through cab windows
• Separately applied wire-form details
• Smoke stack
• Boiler mounted bell
• Bi-directional LED constant lighting so headlight brightness remains consistent
• 5-pole motor with precision-machined flywheels and multi-link drive train for trouble-free operation
• All-wheel drive with precision gears for smooth and quiet operation
• All-wheel electrical pickup provides reliable current flow
• Heavy die-cast frame for greater traction and more pulling power
• McHenry® operating scale knuckle couplers
• DCC Ready 21 pin plug
• Nickel plated, blackened machined wheels machined metal wheels with RP25 contours operate on all popular brand of track
• Fully-assembled and ready-to-run out of the box
• Painted and printed for realistic decoration
• Highly-detailed, injection-molded body
• Minimum radius: 18”
• Recommended radius: 22”