Looking to purchase a 1st set for my grandson. He wants a passenger set with a smoking engine. Steam or diesel doesn't matter. Would like MTH or Lionel. Any suggestions.
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How old is he and how much would you like to spend?
Turning 6 and currently has a MPC set that my wife and I found at a yard sale. Should have left it at the yard sale. All plastic and extremely light. He runs it but can not uncouple cars. He runs my MTH DCS with no problems and also runs my Lion-chief set that I bought to get the freight cars with it. I know the set am looking for is going to be between $350 and $450. But the current MTH and Lionel sets are so much better. I know on the MPC set the first thing he looked for was figures in the cab and the second was smoke. I did purchase a diesel (Lionel) that had figures and smokes but I really want to get a nice current set for him with remote so he can enjoy trains more. He lives 7 hours away so he cannot just come over and run Pop Pop's trains. When he visits that is all he wants to do is run trains. Hence his first good set (passenger) is what my wife and I want to get him. He can use the engine or loco to haul freight if he wants (we purchased 2 newer cars for him).
Main reason is trains should be fun and I am hoping he will be like me, trains on the brain constantly!
LionChief Blue Comet set is nice. Remote control and Bluetooth. Three passenger cars with an announcement car.
If smoking engine is not mandatory for a diesel engine, I have this set;
Lionel 6-84719 Santa Fe Super Chief LionChief Set
Includes two coach cars and and observation car in basic set. Baggage and dome cars are separate sale add-on cars.
Santa Fe Super Chief Lionchief Set 6-84719
Short video showing this set minus one coach car.
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I was also going to say the Blue Comet set. Has lots of dialogue for a starter set and it does have smoke.
Oh, and it has a killer Big Boy sounding whistle.
@Vinny26 posted:LionChief Blue Comet set is nice. Remote control and Bluetooth. Three passenger cars with an announcement car.
I was going to make the same recommendation: a Lionchief passenger set with a smoking locomotive to his liking (maybe a locomotive that smokes with a road name in his geographic area). That should also be in your price range. Arnold
