This has been a long time coming. I've been looking for one of these little Eight-Wheelers for quite a few years, and I ran across a non-working one on eBay and bid on it. I ended up getting it for $180 CAD (about $140 USD) including shipping, which is about half of what these usually sell for, and the "problem" was a ridiculously easy fix. I now have a very nice example (with sound!) of one of my favorite Spectrum models. I wish they still made these, but at least I finally got one.
I have big plans for this little engine. It's getting a new paint job eventually (probably dark green), and I plan to get a DCC system so I can use all the sound features. I may even start collecting more DCC sound engines eventually. For now, I'm just going to run it with the DC jumpers installed and enjoy this superb little locomotive.