2 Questions on Alco PA's on page 30 Volume 2 from newbie

If you want just one I’d get the PA that came out in 1997. It has signal sounds not full railsounds. I think it’s just as nice as the new scale offering. I have that and the PB which is full railsounds and they look great with the postwar style aluminum passenger cars. 

I would think they can run independently of each other. Boxing who knows as Lionel has done it both ways but more often separate, so maybe that will be the way they are. I wouldn't be too sure of selling the other for $450 ( I've never been to luck out like that. 

DaveP posted:

If you want just one I’d get the PA that came out in 1997. It has signal sounds not full railsounds. I think it’s just as nice as the new scale offering. I have that and the PB which is full railsounds and they look great with the postwar style aluminum passenger cars. 

You can always add rail sounds to the 1997 version. It's a real nice engine. I did to mine. 

rtraincollector posted:

I wouldn't be too sure of selling the other for $450 ( I've never been to luck out like that. 

Particularly since the "trailing locomotive" doesn't have Railsounds:

Rusty

I am curious how these are powered. I can't recall Lionel ever issuing a set of locomotives with more than two motors. AAs have only one unit powered, the other dummy. ABA has one unit powered and two dummies. Individual powered units were separate sale.

Do these have two motors each or just one motor each and if only one motor what size and drive type???

Curious minds and all that.......

Pete

Norton posted:

I am curious how these are powered. I can't recall Lionel ever issuing a set of locomotives with more than two motors. AAs have only one unit powered, the other dummy. ABA has one unit powered and two dummies. Individual powered units were separate sale.

Do these have two motors each or just one motor each and if only one motor what size and drive type???

Curious minds and all that.......

 

Pete

They sold at least the FM TM Demos and the Pennsy Sharks with both units powered.

IIRC the 2019 II catalog says both PA's are powered with two motors each, only one PA has sound, and the non powered PB will be Super Bass.

Greg - Mi posted:

1 Can engines be run separate from one another or do they have to be lashed up?

2 Do you think they ship in separate boxes or in one big box? (odd question I know - I'm only interested in keeping one of the engines and selling the other one.)  I don't need two engines to pull my three passenger cars on my small layout, overkill.

I'm interested in the NYC but at $900 (listed from a popular website store) a little out of my comfort zone but one engine at $450 makes more senseif I can sell the other one.

Just thinking this morning 

Thank you for your help

Greg - Michigan

 

I doubt you'd get the same money for the unit without sound as the other with sound. The question is will it be designed to always start up in reverse rather than forward?

Packaging could go either way though since there is one item number it would seem two boxes in one large box.

The price of the unpowered B unit is what intrigues me. The cost of a set of AA’s (both powered) is $1,000. By my simple math that’s $500 for each A unit. The price of the unpowered B unit is also $500. 

BobbyD posted:

Norton posted:

I am curious how these are powered. I can't recall Lionel ever issuing a set of locomotives with more than two motors. AAs have only one unit powered, the other dummy. ABA has one unit powered and two dummies. Individual powered units were separate sale.

Do these have two motors each or just one motor each and if only one motor what size and drive type???

Curious minds and all that.......

 

Pete

They sold at least the FM TM Demos and the Pennsy Sharks with both units powered.

IIRC the 2019 II catalog says both PA's are powered with two motors each, only one PA has sound, and the non powered PB will be Super Bass.

Ok, I see it now. While its not stated on the page with the PAs it is stated on the previous page that all of the Legacy Diesels come with two motors.

Somewhat tempting now.

Pete

Lionel's previous Legacy PA sets offered in 2010 and 2011 had one powered A unit and one unpowered A unit with smoke unit. No Mars light and the volume from the A unit was very very weak also. Several of us at our club found that the single powered A unit was inadequate, requiring addition of a powered B unit in the consist. 

It looks like Lionel has tried to rectify this by making both A units powered and adding the Mars Light. The Super Bass B unit should provide a loud Alco sound. I am sure the engines will function correctly in either conventional or command mode.

My only question is that  photos do not show any "stainless steel finish where appropriate". It is hard to show this in a paper catalog  but the internet catalog should be able to show it.

rrvics posted:

The price of the unpowered B unit is what intrigues me. The cost of a set of AA’s (both powered) is $1,000. By my simple math that’s $500 for each A unit. The price of the unpowered B unit is also $500. 

http://www.lionel.com/products...o-pb-b-unit-6-14587/ Granted not the same unit, *2003 dummy for $150

http://www.lionel.com/products...wered-b-unit-6-34569 *2010 powered/no sound $400

http://www.lionel.com/products...rbass-pb-54a-1933163 *2019 Super Bass dummy $500.

http://www.lionel.com/products...ed-pb-diesel-6-82246 *2015 no sound listed for $530!!

The Super Bass would probably sound fantastic with throbbing at idle EMD F or E units, on the turbocharged ALCO PA not sure how it will sound, it is amazing how many decibels that eats up.

Since you are new to the hobby: be aware that most, if not all manufacturers have a disclaimer in their catalog stating that items may change from their catalog description. That includes Lionel.

I think you have good intentions, but frugality and Legacy locomotives are generally not compatible.  

I would suggest you not row against the current.  You can buy the pair and keep the option to run them in a multiple-unit consist, even if you normally only want to run one unit on your passenger train.  If you want nothing but a single unit under any circumstance, maybe you can get a Sunset 3rd Rail unit.