2 Questions on Lionel 0-4-0 Shifters

Anyone out there have a Shifter?  Lee?

-Roger

I am assuming you are referring to Lionel's remake of the K-Line A5 engine rather than their many remakes of the Post War 1615. I don't have a Lionel version but the K-Line engine with TMCC and Railsounds has room in the tender for a battery. 

FWIW you can find K-Line TMCC engines for much less than Lionel's conventional engine.

Pete

Pete,

Thanks for checking on the battery situation. I don't know why they didn't include one in the first place if there was room. I had considered the K Line, but I can get a new Lionel shifter for less from one of our sponsors.    How does your A5 handle tracking over switches?

Roger

I guess it would depend on the switch. I have only run mine on Gargraves and Ross switches which it handles OK. It also has two pickup rollers on both the engine and tender so stalling is not an issue.

Pete

It's not so much a stalling issue that I'm thinking about. I have a PW 1656 that is probably the same length as the shifter and it bangs over some of my switches. My Docksider (which is obviously small but is an 0-6-0) negotiates them much better.

Roger

I've been running a K-Line A5 Switcher for years over 022 And Fasttrack switches.  Never had a problem.  The engine is a very smooth runner and frequently appears for sale on Ebay.

I have three.  They are great little locos.  I don't know anything about the battery issue.  They operate fine to me.  With only four wheels, they are sensitive to dirty track and or dirty wheels and you have to keep rollers and wheels clean, but otherwise i am quite happy with mine. 

Thanks, Lee. I think if I buy one, I will put a backup battery in there because apparently, the board has that capability.

Roger

I have several of them and love them. Smooth runners, great deco and just plain neat looking on the track.

Roger:  I have a green southern, in like-new condition, that I probably won't be running.   would offer it to you for #250,00 plus shipping if you are interested.  

There was also a conventional offering of the Pennsy A5 from Weaver. 

Thank you for the offer, Bob, but it wasn't one of the ones I've been looking at. 

-Roger

I have the K-Line A5, mine is the TMCC version and I added cruise control.  One improvement you can make if you have issues over the switches is to parallel the pickups in the tender with the locomotive so you spread the power pickup.  I've done a number of locomotives this way, including the A5.  I add a PTC to the power wire if I do this mod to prevent derailments from potentially cooking the wiring.

Sounds like a real good idea, John

I love the shifters, I don't personally have one, but my neighbor brings his over to my layout sometimes, and it handles my switches just fine. I do have my switches wired for constant power, though.

The issue with any small steamer is that there will sometimes be a specific switch size that will catch both rollers in a dead section and stop it.  Adding the tender pickups is an easy solution and solves the issue.

My concern about the switches (I use fixed voltage 1122e switches) is a mechanical one. That little 1656 of mine is light and "bangs" it's way through some of them. High center of gravity, short wheelbase. I do have an MTH B-6 switcher that goes through smoothly. I was just wondering about these shifters.

Roger

Can't speak for O27 switches, it runs great through the O72, and I have run it on an O36 layout with no issues.  These are with Atlas track and Lionel Fastrack.

It will probably be fine. A 1656 doesn't seem to like any kind of switch.