Trackmaster Douglas *2012 all new version* Unboxing review and first run,

Hi guys and gals here we have today the all new 2012 retooled Trackmaster Douglas, I got this on ebay as soon as I saw it because it fills a gap in my collection. It wasn't cheap at around $40 delivered but i believe thats just because it is so new and soon the novelty will wear off and prices will drop. Well he looks identical to his twin except for the face but a couple of areas became apparently different during and after filming so i will tell you here, the buffer on the front of the tender is different on the 2012 and the cab is slightly larger on the 2012. The axles on the tender are plastic and i should have really done a rolling test of the tenders on their own EDIT: I did and they roll equally well, also the plastic on the tender feels cheap and a different texture and hardness to the usual plastic used. The quality of the tender wheels themselves also seems suspect as they are molded as a complete axle and wheel unit. Also the tender is so light that it could affect how it pulls heavier trains around bends. The locomotive plastic itself is of the normal type that we know for these engines, the drive unit is the flat type as it is in the Hit Donald but this new one is quite a bit quieter. It runs very well and was slightly faster after a lap or so of running than the hit Donald who is the one making all the noise in the video. The way the body lifts off to change the batteries is also very different and I can see why they have done that as there is less parts needed to manufacture this engine now instead of a 2 piece body where just the boiler lifts off. The direction they are heading in with plastic axles is quite disturbing as history will show that toys with plastic axles never last or roll as well over time as ones with metal axles, like i said in the video we will see over time :p Overall a good toy and i am happy with it despite the tender being a let down, I hope this is not a direction they head in with more locomotives as they could ruin a very good thing. One of the good things about these trains is I have some that are 30 years old and due to the metal axles they roll just as well now and are easy to clean and repair etc. I fear they are making them more of a throw away toy. I give the locomotive a score of 7/10 it runs brilliantly but the tender is crap if i'm honest. Thanks for watching, drop a comment I'm keen to see the discussion on plastic axles in these trains.