Long before I had a layout, I started collecting Lionel trains. I have always loved history and I wanted the models mostly for display. Somewhere around 1999 I purchased a Lionel Mohawk on Ebay, the one with the smoke deflectors. I was pretty new to collecting and stopped by the local train store with my Ebay purchase. I didn't have any track yet and the owner said let me test run your new locomotive. He placed it on the test track and pressed the whistle and suddenly I was awe of the sound. The store owner looked at me and said you have never heard Lionel Railsounds have you? No, I have never heard a model train sound anything like that. Over the coming weeks I bought some track and began to evolve into an train operator. The Mohawk was my favorite model. However my love affair with this model was short lived. Pretty soon the drive rod broke on the locomotive. I had it fixed and over the next 6 months it broke another 3 to 4 times. I was getting sick of replacing drive rod--yes I loved the locomotive but I had to face the fact that it was a lemon.
Around 2003 I went the TCA show in Raleigh and sold it way too cheap. Since that time I would await the latest Lionel catalog--will this be the one with a Mohawk like my first one, with the smoke deflectors. Well if you haven't noticed Lionel has never offer the Mohawk with the deflectors since the first time they offered it. A couple of years back MTH cataloged several premier Mohawks; however the timing wasn't good for me so I had to pass. I said one of these days I will get one.
So I we come to this October's York...the York I started playing catch-up on the things I meant to pick-up and never did. I had only one thing on my list this York, the Standard Gauge MTH/American Flyer 4696 Black Brass Piper with Proto2. I didn't find the Piper in Proto2, I saw several traditional versions and that was about it. While in Blue Hall I found the K-line Berkshire Lima Demo unit at an incredible price. I wanted to buy one when they came out however my business was just getting started and the money wasn't there. Friday I was in Red Hall and came across a guy that had 3 MTH Mohawks for sale. I was tempted right then and there but I was trying to stick to the one engine list the Standard Gauge 4694 I was looking for. Later I stopped by Eastern Depot and purchased a new in box N.Y.C. K-Line Tank engine. Another engine I really wanted in the past and never got around to it and it was priced as good as I have ever seen it new.
So Saturday morning I came to the conclusion that the Standard Gauge train just wasn't to be found. I even debated about traveling to Trains R Fun in Frazier, PA before going home since the MTH website said they had one on stock. After seeing that it added 3 hours to my 4 hour trip home I decided to see if the Mohawk was still there. I walked into Red Hall and saw the guy that was selling the trains walking out of the building helping a customer with his purchases. I decided to take in a couple of rows and come back. When I got back to the table-all the Mohawks were gone. I asked the guy that was selling next to him "did he just sell all his Mohawks?" "He replied he just left to start loading the truck for the trip home."So I walked out of Red Hall and saw the man loading his truck. I walked in to the back and asked if he really wanted to take all of those home and bought one from inside his truck.
So I have my three York purchases home and I couldn't be happier. I looked at the MTH Mohawk and realized my poor Lionel Mohawk was never in the same league as this MTH model. The detail is great. The sounds are much improved over the Lionel I had those years ago. As I watched it run for the first time I am transported back to the first time I heard that old Mohawk. It was a Mohawk that hooked me in this hobby I and realized right then and there that this was the best purchase I made on any of my York trips.
Scott Smith
