A New/Old Arrival!

John @gunrunnerjohn.......was it that they just didn't like the "fastrack" rails???

Is there something in the design/rail profile??

Peter.....Buco Australia.

@Buco posted:

John @gunrunnerjohn.......was it that they just didn't like the "fastrack" rails???

Is there something in the design/rail profile??

Peter.....Buco Australia.

Well, Fastrack has more of a tubular track profile with rounded tops, I can only guess that it didn't do well with that rail.   Ross & Gargraves isn't truly flat-top, but it's a different profile, apparently good enough for K-Line.  I was kinda' floored that it ran around flawlessly when I put it on the rails, I really expected to have the same issue and put it back on the box. It's really like getting a new set of engines since I had pretty much written them off.

nice find and nice work!

Now 2 rail them and I'll run them heavy for you

Nice looking set!

I have the Lionel TMCC E8s. I prefer MTH PS systems, but the Lionel models with the PRR Trainphone antennas are much sturdier. They are metal instead of plastic like the MTH stanchions.

What do the K-Line PRR engines have?

Tom

That's a nice looking set John. Call it a belated Christmas present.

Bob

Very nice set John.  I always thought K-Line did a wonderful job (esthetically) with the E8s, I always wanted the jade green NYC set but no matter what I do I don' think they would like 027 track.

Digging these out did turn up one issue I will have to address on the layout.  There are a couple of spots with closely spaced switches, I think I will have to add the relays to some of those to switch the track power to the floating rails based on the switch position.

@Engineer-Joe posted:

Now 2 rail them and I'll run them heavy for you

I'm afraid that 2-rail is not in my future.

@Krieglok posted:

Nice looking set!

I have the Lionel TMCC E8s. I prefer MTH PS systems, but the Lionel models with the PRR Trainphone antennas are much sturdier. They are metal instead of plastic like the MTH stanchions.

What do the K-Line PRR engines have?

Thanks, the K-Line antennas are definitely metal, they seem quite sturdy.

@RSJB18 posted:

That's a nice looking set John. Call it a belated Christmas present.

That's certainly one way to look at it.

@coach joe posted:

Very nice set John.  I always thought K-Line did a wonderful job (esthetically) with the E8s, I always wanted the jade green NYC set but no matter what I do I don' think they would like 027 track.

They are a good looking set, when I took them out of the box this time I was thinking I should get them running.  I just didn't realize it would be as easy as it was.

As Hannibal Smith used to say, "I love it when a plan comes together."

@coach joe posted:

Very nice set John.  I always thought K-Line did a wonderful job (esthetically) with the E8s, I always wanted the jade green NYC set but no matter what I do I don' think they would like 027 track.

I saw the same set from Trainz at York a couple years ago.  Trainz was selling them along with Weaver PRR E8s, so I got to compare them side by side.  I was surprised that the K-lines were nicer, and I bought them.  I later compared them with a friend's new Legacy E8s.  Detailing was comparable, but his were painted in that awful red-orange paint that Lionel decided to use.  He had pre-ordered and was not happy.

I have had no problems running them on Atlas track at home and Gargraves/Ross track on the club layout (both minimum O72).

Bob

@RRDOC posted:

I have had no problems running them on Atlas track at home and Gargraves/Ross track on the club layout (both minimum O72).

Oddly, tubular profile track seems to be where they have a problem .  In the era they were designed, the early 2000's, I would have expected many (most?) buyers would be running with tubular profile track.

I looked the trucks over very carefully, nothing seems amiss, so it's a mystery why they ran so poorly on Fastrack and just fine on my Ross/Gargraves.  In any case, I'm happy now and I'm moving on!

Wow, if I collected the Pennsy model railroad diesels, those would be my choice, they are beautiful and look like great pullers. Thanks for sharing this information with us. Happy New Year

Thanks Larry, they are a nice looking pair.  Did I mention that I do miss K-Line, they raised the bar for Lionel back in the day.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Thanks Larry, they are a nice looking pair.  Did I mention that I do miss K-Line, they raised the bar for Lionel back in the day.

I miss K-line too. Maybe the silver lining with Lionel.

Oh- and I forgot to mention that the only things in the bottom of my closets are old sneakers...... I need to start rummaging around in yours John.

Bob

Another, "I miss K-Line" here.

@Coach Joe, and @Gunrunner John, Yes, I think many of us miss K-Line as they were very innovative with many nice O Gauge trains. Happy New Year

John, that’s a nice looking set.

I don’t have much K-line stuff left, but I’m looking forward to run my two “new” K-Line B&O Mikados.

Jim

@Engineer-Joe posted:

The Sounder Train! From Seattle, Wa.

@RSJB18 posted:

Oh- and I forgot to mention that the only things in the bottom of my closets are old sneakers...... I need to start rummaging around in yours John.

Different closet.

@Engineer-Joe posted:

Nice, please share the steps you take when you convert it to 2-rail operation. I have both a K-Line (21") and an MTH set (18") set in Metrolink I'm thinking of switching over. The fun will be switching the F59PHi over to 3/2 trucks.

K-Line and MTH both forced Lionel to raise the bar before, hopefully someone else comes along to keep raising the bar, maybe Atlas? Now that they have some of MTH Tooling and Technology. 🙏🙏

@Gary P posted:

K-Line and MTH both forced Lionel to raise the bar before, hopefully someone else comes along to keep raising the bar, maybe Atlas? Now that they have some of MTH Tooling and Technology. 🙏🙏

I have very little confidence that Atlas is going to do anything but push out a few of the MTH models, I don't see them making a big investment in O-gauge.  I especially don't see anything I'm going to get excited about from them, I haven't seen any Atlas steam in O-gauge for a very long time.

Atlas is coming back with steam this year. They had one at York.

@CurtisH posted:

Atlas is coming back with steam this year. They had one at York.

Well, I won't hold my breath for a massive resurgence, one 2-8-0 does not truly portend a return to steam.

+ 1 for missing K Line! I agree with John, a single steam engine is not a resurgence. Although I admit I have not followed Atlas, maybe they have more steam engines in the works. Correct me if I am wrong, but all new Atlas engines are no longer TMCC compatible, they run on the MTH OS, right?

@T4TT posted:

+ 1 for missing K Line! I agree with John, a single steam engine is not a resurgence. Although I admit I have not followed Atlas, maybe they have more steam engines in the works. Correct me if I am wrong, but all new Atlas engines are no longer TMCC compatible, they run on the MTH OS, right?

Correct, the Premier line from Atlas is just the Premier line from MTH that they bought the tooling for.  Truthfully, I haven't really looked at the current Atlas stuff all that closely, so I don't know of they are still using ERR TMCC in any of them.  I note that their 2024 Atlas O catalog has a handful of DCS equipped overpriced diesels, that's it.