2022 American Flyer

@Ukaflyer posted:

With regards to the new Y3, it has a lot of features which of course adds to the bottom line cost. But in reality would most people interested in one but can’t commit due to cost be more tempted if they had less features.

I have a N&W from 2012 and I am quite happy just to have the bell, whistle, smoke unit and synchronised chuff, perhaps I am more easily pleased than others.

I don’t really need all the chatter from crew and tower, I don’t see a real need for the remote uncoupler etc etc.

If a dumbed down feature model as well as the full package version converted to more orders then there is a better likelihood of them getting into production.

Perhaps as the old saying goes ‘less can be more’

Just my thoughts.

Sounds like a FlyerChief version, with improved synchronization! Another thing Legacy S locomotives don't have is Bluetooth like some O Legacy locos do. But of course, newer FlyerChief locos have Bluetooth.

Mike

$1499 early buy from Ro.

@richabr posted:

$1499 early buy from Ro.

$799 early buy from Ro in 2012. Ouch.

Just in fun.

Bob

@jonnyspeed posted:

Has anyone asked Ryan if they will have Kadee coupler pads on the tender like the Berks and Pacifics (supposedly)?

Good point. I custom built a coupler pad fixture for mine from the first run. Surely that's going to get corrected on this run.

@Flyer 52 posted:

Sounds like a FlyerChief version, with improved synchronization!

Difficult to put Legacy and FlyerChief in the same sentence. The details, the paint, the lighting, the controls, the DCC compatibility, speed steps, momentum control, the sounds, the sound quality and other features are all in a different class for a Legacy loco.  My kids have 3 FlyerChiefs and I have the lots of Legacy locos.  It's toy time when theirs are on the rails and modeler time when mine are on. Yes, I know they are all ultimately toys, and no, I am not saying differentiators justify $1500 bucks, but I'll likely order one anyway. Just doubtful that any of these will get manufactured.

@Bob Bubeck posted:

$799 early buy from Ro in 2012. Ouch.

Just in fun.

Bob

Then they were blown out for $550.00 If the new ones get built wait a few years and the blow outs will show up.

I do not care for the new warranty policy one IOTA!

Gunny

@jonnyspeed posted:

I would really like to see Lionel take a chance on a more road specific smaller legacy steam engine. Something like  PRR  K4, NYC Hudson (lots of variations), Erie K5, PRR B-6, etc… I’m not holding my breath, but I can dream.

In 2017, they built a Brass Hybrid ATSF Mikado on a USRA diecast chassis.  They "could" do it and they have two very good chassis to do it with.  The question is would they even try. 

@Jacobpaul81 posted:

In 2017, they built a Brass Hybrid ATSF Mikado on a USRA diecast chassis.  They "could" do it and they have two very good chassis to do it with.  The question is would they even try.

It all depends which target group you are thinking it might attract, Flyer or scale. Best not to get embroiled in that topic area as it causes so much grief.

Jacobpaul81, if you are referring to the Lionel O gauge brass hybrid, that was a sales failure even with the size of the O gauge market. It will not be done in S by Lionel. I am confident the S market will support new diecast Legacy steam releases with popular prototypes. The rerelease of the Y3 at $1,800 is marginal. I, for example already have two Y3's, I will buy a third one but not a 4th.

@AmFlyer posted:

I am confident the S market will support new diecast Legacy steam releases with popular prototypes.

There is an interesting way it could happen sooner than later but I doubt Lionel would entertain the concept.

If enough like minded people in the S community could agree on one model to be produced, they set up a crowd funding group. Everyone pays a set amount into it and then approaches Lionel with a plan and the amount raised will help off set design and some of the build costs. When the product is produced those people who supported the crowd funding would get that loco at a discounted price of the amount they put in and possible a bit more for supporting it. A very basic high level concept but I can’t see why it couldn’t work. Of course it would need a lot more discussion on both sides to dot the i’s and cross the t’s.

The biggest problem is getting enough people to agree on one loco and what they wish it to look like at the final production stage.

This way both the manufacturer and end user are involved in a product.

@AmFlyer posted:

Jacobpaul81, if you are referring to the Lionel O gauge brass hybrid, that was a sales failure even with the size of the O gauge market. It will not be done in S by Lionel. I am confident the S market will support new diecast Legacy steam releases with popular prototypes. The rerelease of the Y3 at $1,800 is marginal. I, for example already have two Y3's, I will buy a third one but not a 4th.

Are you sure?  The ATSF Mikado sold well enough - I know some folks didn't buy cause Lionel cut out the dealers - and now they all regret it because it's an excellent locomotive - and it was cheaper than the aforementioned AF Y3.   Lionel immediately moved to make a N&W K2 - a bad choice - as 3rd rail had just manufactured these and still had them in stock - so it got dropped.  But Lionel has since made a GS-1, a set of 4-4-0s, and have announced a 2-10-0 with plans for future versions using that chassis.  The Mike must not have been a failure - if they are continuing with the hybrid production.

Maybe we are are talking about different engines. The O gauge brass hybrid was not a big seller, today some potential purchasers may be regretting they passed on it. The 2022 Big Book O gauge Vision Line steamers have some separately applied parts but they are diecast engines at $2,100. They are also O72 minimum diameter. In S gauge that would be 27"R equivalent. If Lionel cataloged a $2,100 engine with high rail wheels and a 27" minimum radius I bet they would get less than 100 orders, so it would not be made.

Sorry for the double post, I keep leaving out some additional items. Lionel has no current plans to make S gauge equipment with scale wheels for those who operate on Code 100 or smaller track. They have so far ceded that market to AM and now Scale Trains. There are many high rail operators who use DCC to run their layouts. Most engines are Gilbert with can motor conversions and DCC decoders. The S gauge Legacy system is DCC compatible for these operators.

@AmFlyer posted:

Maybe we are are talking about different engines. The O gauge brass hybrid was not a big seller, today some potential purchasers may be regretting they passed on it. The 2022 Big Book O gauge Vision Line steamers have some separately applied parts but they are diecast engines at $2,100. They are also O72 minimum diameter.

As far as I can tell the brass/dicast locomotive have been successful because they are Build to Order and therefore sold out.  You don't really see them on the secondary market.  As mentioned earlier, the N&W K2 4-8-2 didn't garner enough preorders annd didn't get made, so that one could be a considered a failure.  The Strasburg/Great Western 2-10-0  in the 2021 V2 catalog was met with great enthusiasm and I would assume accompanying preorders because there's no word of the locomotive being cancelled.  Just because there's no brass/diecast hybrid in the 2022 V1 catalog doesn't mean the program is a failure.  The hybrid locomotives weren't planned on being in every catalog.

Many of the O Gaugers have gotten beyond the "O31 mentality" as I call it, or otherwise Lionel wouldn't even be making the O72 diecast monsters for all these years.

In S gauge that would be 27"R equivalent. If Lionel cataloged a $2,100 engine with high rail wheels and a 27" minimum radius I bet they would get less than 100 orders, so it would not be made.

Well, the Flyer Y3 (and will still do  R20...) is pushing near that $2,100 price at $1,800.  Time will tell if there are any cancellations due to price.

Rusty

For what it’s worth, Mr Muffin sent an email saying that any legacy engine (I think just steam???) ordered through him can be weathered for free by Harry Hieke.  I asked if that applied to the 2-8-8-2 in S and he said yes.  

Ben

Thanks Ben, definitely something to keep in mind.

Rusty, thanks for the updates on my comments. I am hoping Lionel will make several new engines. My opinion is that if a high rail Legacy engine will not run on 20"R curves, orders will take a big hit. A 4-8-2 could be a winner, same as a Hudson, 0-8-0 or an 0-6-0. A 2-10-0 would be problematical to design for 20"R curves. Since I have 30"R minimum curves I would buy the larger rigid wheelbase engines but there may not be enough orders to get one made.

@NotInWI posted:

For what it’s worth, Mr Muffin sent an email saying that any legacy engine (I think just steam???) ordered through him can be weathered for free by Harry Hieke.  I asked if that applied to the 2-8-8-2 in S and he said yes.  

Ben

The way I am seeing this from Mr Muffins website is that he has the new Y3’s discounted down to $1619.99  If you take him up on the offer of free weathering (which is a service he offers for $120) then you are getting the Y3 for the same price as Charles Ro ($1500) which sounds like a good deal if the weathering is what you want. If you don’t want the free weathering it will still cost you $1619.99 so you might as well then order from CR.

@AmFlyer posted:

Thanks Ben, definitely something to keep in mind.

Rusty, thanks for the updates on my comments. I am hoping Lionel will make several new engines. My opinion is that if a high rail Legacy engine will not run on 20"R curves, orders will take a big hit. A 4-8-2 could be a winner, same as a Hudson, 0-8-0 or an 0-6-0. A 2-10-0 would be problematical to design for 20"R curves. Since I have 30"R minimum curves I would buy the larger rigid wheelbase engines but there may not be enough orders to get one made.

A 2-10-0 doing R20 wouldn't be impossible, it just depends on the 2-10-0.  The Pennsy I-1 could be an issue, but the Baldwin Strasburg 2-10-0 has a shorter rigid wheelbase than a Santa Fe 2900 class 4-8-4, which AM has.  A Hirail AM Northern will go around R20.  Admittedly it looks a little ridiculous going around that sharp a curve, but it can be done.

Even the Y3 looks a little funky on R20 (picture taken from a passing Martian War Machine...)  The Y3's saving grace is the two point articulation originally developed by Rivarrossi for their HO Models rather than the prototypical single point articulation Lionel uses on their O Gauge models, which does restrict them to O72.

One of the things that hinders S is being wedded to the R20 curves.  But that's a different discussion...

I'm not expecting Lionel to make a 2-10-0 in S anyway.  That's River Raisin territory.

But, I agree there are other Flyer locomotives that could entice S folks: SP GS4 Daylight (4449), N&W J (611),  UP FEF3 (844) and even the NYC J1 or J3a Hudsons, as long as the Hudsons were not simple recreations of the Gilbert model.  Even a rerelease of the Challenger or a properly scaled Big Boy (and not a rehash of the K-line model.)

Given the new and improved price of the Y3, I wouldn't even begin to speculate on what a newly tooled Flyer steam locomotive would be priced at.

However realistically, I would consider us lucky if the Mikados make the 2023 V1 catalog.  Although if and when the Mikado comes out, I expect it be priced at least 10% higher than the Pacifics.

Rusty

Joe Deger built a PRR 2-10-2 by stretching a Gilbert PRR 4-6-2. I think it will navigate 20"R but I cannot tell for sure. There is a picture of it on the ACSG Tidewater club layout on Gilbert track (grey, not black insulators).

They definitely would have sold more units if they had done the Mikado.  There are alot of people in S whose layouts or budget won't accommodate an engine this large and expensive.

As before, the effort to put something else out is appreciated, but where is the marketing dept?  Didn't they look into depth of pool of buyers for this?  In some ways this looks a planned failure and possible excuse to drop S.

@Francine posted:

They definitely would have sold more units if they had done the Mikado.  There are alot of people in S whose layouts or budget won't accommodate an engine this large and expensive.

As before, the effort to put something else out is appreciated, but where is the marketing dept?  Didn't they look into depth of pool of buyers for this?  In some ways this looks a planned failure and possible excuse to drop S.

My photo a couple of posts above show the Y3 can do R20, so that's not really a consideration for those with small layouts, at least operationally speaking.

As to the price?  Well, that's the rub.  Time will tell if it has an effect on pre-orders.  Personally, I have a Y3 and don't need another.  Although, if an N&W version would be offered as 2050 (the only surviving Y3 at Illinois Railway Museum) I would have to give it some serious thought, even though 2050 is a Y3b and not a Y3a like Lionel's model, the differences are "close enough for government work."

As to Mikados, maybe next year.  I'm guessing Lionel figures the Mikado is too similar to the Pacific (they share the boiler and tender) to be released in sequence.  Expect the Mikado to be at least 10% higher in price than the Pacific's (gut feeling.)

Rusty

Over all: meh…

• I’m in agreement on Rusty’s assessment of electronics.
• I don’t need more trains that are rehashes.
• Moving has shown me that I have more trains that I need.
• The Y3 costing over $1700? Then you have to buy the controlling system?  No way.

Unless something really different comes along, like the bunk and kitchen cars, I’m done buying any more trains. 

I'll order one. The Y3 is regarded as the best S loco released by Lionel. Now we get whistle stream. Just in the last year inflation has gone up 7%. Wages are up globally. Microchip prices have skyrocketed. We have been offered a few really good deals in the last few years. 1500 it's not completely terrible for an articulated loco. It just msg may not be in everyone's budget.

@Francine posted:

They definitely would have sold more units if they had done the Mikado.  There are alot of people in S whose layouts or budget won't accommodate an engine this large and expensive.

As before, the effort to put something else out is appreciated, but where is the marketing dept?  Didn't they look into depth of pool of buyers for this?  In some ways this looks a planned failure and possible excuse to drop S.

You know Francine, I had the same thought but, I hope not.

Ray

@poniaj posted:

Over all: meh…

• I’m in agreement on Rusty’s assessment of electronics.
• <sip>
• Then you have to buy the controlling system?  No way.

Ah, Jerry, many of us really like the "sparky stuff".

Bob

I really like this AF catalog.  I would buy more except for major price points.  It shows some creativity.  If Lionel wants to know what I would like to see if they have any money for new tooling, I would ask them to spend it on one of the following in random order:

1) Modern Rolling Stock

2) New Fast Track (RR crossing or Re-railer/crossing)

3) Any new engine we have been asking for.  Either Steam or Diesel.

I know Lionel has said if you ask 20 Flyer collectors what they want they will come up with 25 different items.  All I can say to that is at least do 1 of the 25.  A majority of people will be happy with anything new.  

Maybe $1799 is a test to see what we would pay for newly tooled items.

—Rocco—

@Rocco posted:

I really like this AF catalog.  I would buy more except for major price points.  It shows some creativity.  If Lionel wants to know what I would like to see if they have any money for new tooling, I would ask them to spend it on one of the following in random order:

1) Modern Rolling Stock

Like the 57' mechanical reefer cancelled EIGHT years ago on the date they were scheduled for delivery:

2) New Fast Track (RR crossing or Re-railer/crossing)

Lionel cataloged and cancelled in 2013 a FasTrack operating grade crossing, which I think would have been a knockout.

3) Any new engine we have been asking for.  Either Steam or Diesel.

SD40-2....w/scale wheel conversion...

I know Lionel has said if you ask 20 Flyer collectors what they want they will come up with 25 different items.  All I can say to that is at least do 1 of the 25.  A majority of people will be happy with anything new.  

Maybe $1799 is a test to see what we would pay for newly tooled items.

Except the Y3 isn't new tooling.

Rusty

—Rocco—

@Bob Bubeck posted:

Ah, Jerry, many of us really like the "sparky stuff".

Bob

Yeah, I believe a number of us have the control system, I do and love using it. I agree on the price point, $1800.  is a little stiff for me. Fortunately for me there is a Y3 living here. I am in the market for a Pacific, that would be for a repaint to head up my Pioneer Limited.

I am one also who does not need any more trains but, maybe room for one l want.

Ray

I ordered a pair 2-8-8-2s, but Lionel could have sold me SO much more over the past two catalogs...

Since everyone else has left their personal reason for why they aren't buying, I'll leave my thoughts for Lionel as someone who wants to buy more Lionel S products and has purchased 2 Berks and has 4 more Legacy steam engines on order (6+ when they release offer Mikados)

I would like to see more scale proportioned highly detailed Hi-Rail offerings for engines, passenger cars (add-on details, scale coupler pads, detailed interiors with figures, sound), rolling stock, cabooses (new tooling with cameras would be awesome), etc... If I had my choice, I'd prefer SCALE over Hi-Rail, but since Lionel has decided that they'd rather stick with Hi-Rail I can live with that compromise.  If Lionel stays the course, then most of my future train budget will likely go to Scale Trains for my S purchases.

In the meantime, I'm thankful for N scale- new scale products released every month, including many designed and made here in the USA.

In 1998 Charlotte Montgomery, group product manager at Lionel at the time, informed the S Gaugian that Lionel had "brand new tooling" for an SD40-2 to be inroduced later in the year. That would make sense--the second most popular EMD locomotive with almost 4,000 sold. It never appeared. I agree with Rusty that the SD40-2 would be a popular choice that Lionel could continue producing in a wide variety of paint liveries for a long time. Offering scale wheels as an option could only guarantee its success.

The mechanical reefer was probably withdrawn for lack of pre-orders. That hesitancy on the part of buyers may have been caused by the initial offering of the cylindrical hoppers guaranteed to appeal to no one: 1) scale wheels that would not work for high-railers who represent the majority of S scale modelers, and 2) huge AF couplers, "flood pants" height off the rails, and fantasy paint schemes mocked by true scalers--who couldn't use the hoppers either because the wheels were out of gauge. To Lionel's credit they made a number of changes to this model to make it much more appealing. But we lost the mechanical reefer.

The flaws so apparent in the first cylindrical hopper would suggest that rather than asking 20 Flyonel collectors, Lionel asked no one for that release. There have been some real hits in the past few years, however. The Mikado, Pacific, Challenger, U33C (with road-specific details on several models in the first release), SD70ACe, ES44AC, Y3, and the Berkshire were all nicely detailed and good runners. The latter versions even accommodated DCC.  If Lionel were to standardize diesel wheelsets, provide scale wheelset options for easy swapping out of high-rail sets, and standardize included scale coupler pads, they would cover most of the S community at little risk, little cost. Maybe 14 out of 20 S modelers would agree on that.

Terry O'Kelly

@TOKELLY posted:

In 1998 Charlotte Montgomery, group product manager at Lionel at the time, informed the S Gaugian that Lionel had "brand new tooling" for an SD40-2 to be inroduced later in the year. That would make sense--the second most popular EMD locomotive with almost 4,000 sold. It never appeared. I agree with Rusty that the SD40-2 would be a popular choice that Lionel could continue producing in a wide variety of paint liveries for a long time. Offering scale wheels as an option could only guarantee its success.

The mechanical reefer was probably withdrawn for lack of pre-orders. That hesitancy on the part of buyers may have been caused by the initial offering of the cylindrical hoppers guaranteed to appeal to no one: 1) scale wheels that would not work for high-railers who represent the majority of S scale modelers, and 2) huge AF couplers, "flood pants" height off the rails, and fantasy paint schemes mocked by true scalers--who couldn't use the hoppers either because the wheels were out of gauge. To Lionel's credit they made a number of changes to this model to make it much more appealing. But we lost the mechanical reefer.

The flaws so apparent in the first cylindrical hopper would suggest that rather than asking 20 Flyonel collectors, Lionel asked no one for that release. There have been some real hits in the past few years, however. The Mikado, Pacific, Challenger, U33C (with road-specific details on several models in the first release), SD70ACe, ES44AC, Y3, and the Berkshire were all nicely detailed and good runners. The latter versions even accommodated DCC.  If Lionel were to standardize diesel wheelsets, provide scale wheelset options for easy swapping out of high-rail sets, and standardize included scale coupler pads, they would cover most of the S community at little risk, little cost. Maybe 14 out of 20 S modelers would agree on that.

Terry O'Kelly

I feel the SD40-2 tooling comment was smoke and mirrors coming from Lionel.  They may have had research, but no steel was cut.(IMO)  Seriously, the locomotive was cancelled shortly after the brochures came out.

The "model" photographed was nothing more than a photoshopped Athearn HO model complete with the crimp on handrails that Athearn used at the time.   Even the mounting for the Athearn snap-on coupler box is visible above the photoshopped coupler..

The boogy-boogy thing about the mechanical reefer was it was cancelled on the day they were anticipated to be delivered.  My LHS showed me the letter.  Why not announce the cancellation shortly after the pre-order window was closed?

99.9% of the scalers that bought the cylindrical hoppers figured out how to put scale truck on them, even me.  It took me about 10 minutes once I saw what was involved to put scale trucks under the car.

Yet Lionel treated it like rocket science.  Rather than making the bolster the proper height, they tooled up for a pad to lower a Kadee coupler.

Simply put with regards to Flyer and scale, there's the right way, the wrong way and the Lionel way.

Rusty

I know I am in the minority with still preferring conventional control and not caring much about all the fancy new electronics (I mostly collect link coupler) but I will buy new items when they interest me, for example I picked up the Alton Limited they did some years back. Looking at the offerings from the past few years, nothing has grabbed my attention at all. I know S takes a back seat for Lionel but it seems everyone is wanting new motive power and Lionel isn't listening.

I understand no one can agree on any particular model (show me a hobby with any real consensus) but they have to realize you can't just keep rehashing the same thing over and over and charging more for it.

Why not tool up a new Hudson? You can say they are over done but they always sell. It is a safe way to truly test the waters. After that start tooling up some Northerns. Some of the engineering and tooling could be shared across doing 611, 4449 and 844. Those always sell well also.

Finally even though I prefer steam, I really don't understand the lack of diesels. Diesels are the more cost effective option to put out. Why aren't they offering more of those?

Why no doghouse on the Y3's for this run? Can we push for them to have them? I just might go for the PRR. Is that coming in dark green?  I like the whistle steam.

@cswalter posted:

Why no doghouse on the Y3's for this run? Can we push for them to have them? I just might go for the PRR. Is that coming in dark green?  I like the whistle steam.

Well, it sez here:

Take "Road Specific Details" for what it's worth.

I seriously doubt the Pennsy bothered to repaint their Y3's DLGE.

Rusty

I was comparing the new Y3 vs. the older Y3.........The tender on the remake is not the tender that was used on the original Y3.........it has 4 wheel's trucks instead of the 6 wheel's on the original   check out the rivet pattern............not correct for N&W anyway.........I already have a 2020 Y3...........why would I want one that is not correct?    I paid 500.00 for my 2020 from Lionel.  2000.00 for a model that has a incorrect tender..... wrong trucks'........ and........ no doghouse......that is a lot for smoke to push out of the whistle (maybe or maybe not).....

I bet someone is working on whistle smoke right now......just a matter of time and he will show all of us how to mod. our Y3's if we want.   

Regards

Jackie

PS

Just rechecked catalog from Lionel..........the Santa Fe....Pennsy.......Union Pacific .... have correct tender showing....... 6 wheel truck ........ WHY.....................................

If Lionel produces new Legacy engines I will buy them. A Legacy Hudson would be great, A Northern is probably OK but I already have three TMCC Northerns. New Diesels are also great. Fortunately I am not a rivet counter but I do want the new PRR Y3 to have a tender doghouse like the prior run did. I hope Lionel gets the green correct. My current PRR Y3 has the correct green, to tell it is green it needs to be beside a black engine, Then people say "oh, it really is a very dark green!" Its the same paint Lionel used on the 2005 PRR light Mikado's.

My view on the price is that we S gaugers were living on borrowed time with pricing so much less than the O gauge line.

@William Jack posted:

I was comparing the new Y3 vs. the older Y3.........The tender on the remake is not the tender that was used on the original Y3.........it has 4 wheel's trucks instead of the 6 wheel's on the original   check out the rivet pattern............not correct for N&W anyway.........I already have a 2020 Y3...........why would I want one that is not correct?    I paid 500.00 for my 2020 from Lionel.  2000.00 for a model that has a incorrect tender..... wrong trucks'........ and........ no doghouse......that is a lot for smoke to push out of the whistle (maybe or maybe not).....

I bet someone is working on whistle smoke right now......just a matter of time and he will show all of us how to mod. our Y3's if we want.   

Regards

Jackie

PS

Just rechecked catalog from Lionel..........the Santa Fe....Pennsy.......Union Pacific .... have correct tender showing....... 6 wheel truck ........ WHY.....................................

The tender Lionel's using on the 2020 V1 N&W Y3 and the other 5 is their Pacific/Mikado tender.

Lionel's doing it to add "variety" at minimum cost most likely.

I doubt anyone is working on aftermarket whistle steam for previous locomotives because the TMCC or Legacy electronics and software also has to be changed to operate it.

Rusty

@William Jack posted:

I was comparing the new Y3 vs. the older Y3.........The tender on the remake is not the tender that was used on the original Y3.........it has 4 wheel's trucks instead of the 6 wheel's on the original   check out the rivet pattern............not correct for N&W anyway.........I already have a 2020 Y3...........why would I want one that is not correct?    I paid 500.00 for my 2020 from Lionel.  2000.00 for a model that has a incorrect tender..... wrong trucks'........ and........ no doghouse......that is a lot for smoke to push out of the whistle (maybe or maybe not).....

I bet someone is working on whistle smoke right now......just a matter of time and he will show all of us how to mod. our Y3's if we want.   

Regards

Jackie

PS

Just rechecked catalog from Lionel..........the Santa Fe....Pennsy.......Union Pacific .... have correct tender showing....... 6 wheel truck ........ WHY.....................................

Yes, I agree. I want to pay for something that is correct. I want the doghouse.  Please!

@Rusty Traque posted:

Well, it sez here:

Take "Road Specific Details" for what it's worth.

I seriously doubt the Pennsy bothered to repaint their Y3's DLGE.

Rusty

Lionel's  original run for the Y's had two difference that I know,,,,,,,You had a step pilot(N&W) and a road pilot (UP)...... the UP Y3's had number boards on top of boiler like all UP steam engines............I purchased a road pilot and put it on one of my N&W Y3's .....this gave me  two Y3's .....yet each one has a small  difference.

Jackie

I went into the train room and took pictures of the Y3 with the 6 axle tender with dog house, and also with the 4 axle tender from the 2005 PRR light Mikado. I think both look good.

Note in the Lionel page Rusty posted above the length is given as 21.5”. That is the exact length over the couplers of the Y3 with the six axle tender. The same length with the 4 axle tender is 20”. Impossible to tell what the delivered engine will be with the contradictory information.