3rd rail engines,quality

Hi Jerry -

I just happened to be on here looking for PDF files for a K-Line B6 steamer when I read your post. I have three 3rd Rail locomotives and though they are somewhat fragile, they do perform with excellence. I have an early Allegheny, a late model Allegheny and a DM&IR Yellowstone. When I received my Yellowstone, it was missing a very small screw in the drive arm linkage. I called and they said rather than risking mailing it to them, I could fix the problem with a pin because they did not have the screw that I needed. The fix worked and I have had no problems since. I have never had any of the parts fall off of these locomotives though I know well what you are talking about.  Good luck, hope this helps.

Happy New Year!!

3rd Rail quality has varied over the years. Did you mean to say J1e? They made a J1a, and J1d around 1999. It has TMCC but predates cruise control. Its a nice engine and quality is good. They also made a J3a Super Hudson. Highly detailed with Cruise and 4 chuffs. It also is well made for a brass engine. Like all brass you have to handle with care. I run all mine but only on the home layout. I take diecast engines to run on the club layouts as they tolerate a bit rougher handling.

Pete

3rd Rail's history and product offerings in 3 Rail O gauge now range over a relatively long period of time and with it some marked changes in what the consumer/hobbyist is offered by the main importers. I can comment on their products over the last 14 years. Overall the products have been excellent and no one at the major importers is better at dealing with customer inquiries and resolving issues than Scott Mann.

I don't have the Hudson you mention but I do have about a dozen 3rd Rail engines, which are mostly steamers. The brass engines are certainly more delicate than the die-cast models produced by Lionel and MTH but the detail is truly greatly superior. Lionel/MTH products have offered more play value in terms of operating features including sound but I have to say that the gap has narrowed a lot in recent years. Anyway, if admiring scale detail is more important to you than a quilling whistle/crewtalk/passenger or freight announcements 3rd Rail wins.

You do have to handle any brass engine engine with care. I can't recall which of my 3rd Rail engines it was but it came with white gloves included to wear when handling it.

I have three 3rd Rail Southern Pacific steam engines and one ATSF steam engine.  All of them run well and are finally detailed.  The ATSF engine was an early model that was upgraded to TMCC.

I feel that brass engines are just as robust as their diecast counterparts.  I take mine to the club and run them all the time without problems.  

You just need to be careful when handling them.  You are usually OK if you pickup a steam engine by the front cylinders and cab roof.  Put a towel or foam under the engine if it has to be serviced on the layout.

NH Joe

Love my 3rdrail engines and wouldn't give them up for the world.

As a "runner & operator", I have 20 Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotive models, and enjoy every one of them. They produce those "unusual" models of steam locomotives that neither Lionel nor MTH would ever touch. Also, Sunset/3rd Rail has the absolute customer support of ANY manufacturer on O Scale, whether 2-Rail or 3-Rail.

Ok,much thanks for the great  responses! !!!!

Best to all, Jerry 

You asked about quality and I second Hot Water's assessment.  Sunset 3rd Rail brass locomotives are well made and will provide long service lives with normal lubrication and careful handling.  It is very rare to find a bad solder joint on Sunset-3rd Rail locomotives (unlike Sunset brass from the 1970/'s 80's when Korean quality was suspect).  However you cannot handle a finely detailed brass locomotive like a die cast model.  Improperly handling will result in broken/bent parts.  The key element is how you pick them up - always with 2 hands and the fingers in safe places like the cylinders and underside of the cab roof -  never by the running gear, walks, or boiler.  In a club setting, don't let anyone  touch your locomotive unless they know how to do it the safe way.  

Jerry A posted:

Hello everybody, 

I am possibly considering a third rail company J-1e Hudson and I'm wondering what you think of their  products quality. Are brass engines durable enough? I had the lionel Smithsonian 3 rail Dreyfuss Hudson which I got new several years ago and it was just a pile of junk being brass it was very fragile and parts fell off of it left and right. I got rid of it for around $600 in a trade. Anyhow, please advise what you think of sunset products we rail offerings.

Happy New Year to all,thnks,jerry 

hello Jerry A. 

Lionel and junk have so much in common these days and the list is growing !!! sadly.  How did the parts fell off , from rough handling ?  Most of the lost wax brass castings can be reattached back on the locomotive body by using JB weld.  The brass locomotives needed to be handled with care when they have weights in them.  The brass locomotives are like fine china and should be handle with RESPECT then you won't have any problems (this applies to myself too).   I have a Sunset 3rd S.F. 5011 and that engine is HEAVY so I pick up the engine from the bottom of the cylinders and the back bottom of the frame bellow the cab.   I took great care in handling the engine and so far I have not broken off any parts.   Some of the brass engines do have junk gear boxes.  I can name a few models that came with them if anyone is interesting as the worse Sunset engine I had is the U.P. 9000 class 4-12-2 "O" scale 2 rail, this one has cheap all plastic gearbox with no bearings and gear is small in size , made of brass in 1980.   Much to my surprise, the S.F. 5011 came with heavy duty gear box, ball bearing drive with tooth belt and with large bronze axle gear, Pittman motor.  My 5011 was made in 2002 in South Korea and we purchased in 2012 from Scott Mann's office (we drove all the way down to bay area to pick it up there).

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.  Also, 'Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself ' Luke 10:27 ERV (Easy to Read version)   ( you can do that by following the 10 Commandments , Exodus 20:1-17")

Tiffany

Jerry check this out.  One is the engine you are looking for.  Sorry not for sale.

Yes - recent Sunset and 3rd Rail are among the best.  In the beginning, modelers told Mort that everything had to be brass.  Gear failure for a brass worm gear happens around hour three.  

Since the mid- 90's all Sunset has used bronze or engineering plastic for worm gears.  Either will outlast brass by literally decades of daily use.

Every now and then the quality of overseas brass construction will slip.  Since Sunset has engaged in the 3-rail market, I do not believe any of their products have been poorly soldered.  I used to do magazine reviews of these models, and all got high marks.  The factory finished version of the 4-12-2 was one of their best.