Wait!  This just in! 

Last night I gave my new Alaska RR Galloping Goose (MTH PS3) a first run on my home layout.  The little bugger hesitates and/or stalls out on every FasTrack switch I try to run it through.  And, although all the customary sounds seems to work--bell, horn, destination announcements, etc.--I haven't heard any "cab chatter" sounds even though I left the thing in forward/neutral for well over an hour.

And may I say that I HATE having to go to the computer to download/read the full instruction manuals for these trains!  I pay good money for these things and I expect the manufacturers to kill a bush or two to give me a full manual with each engine I buy.  A generic "diesel" starting brochure for a Galloping Goose just doesn't cut it! 

Allan,

   Maybe it's just me but if I can find a Baby Blue Comet Passenger Train in P2 I am seriously leaning in that direction, the P3 stuff I am still sitting on the fence purchasing.

I have no problems with my Gray P2 263E I want another Tin Plate engine with zero problems, in the Blue or the Black.  I believe I will pick up another original Lionel 810 Crane Car with the long coupler and bend the coupler just slightly to pull my 2600 series work train rolling stock with the Blue or Black 263E and 12 Wheel Tender, sence

I am having trouble findng the Baby Blue, I may purchase the set with the Black engine and tender from Brady, we will see.  The high gloss black engine & tender with the chrome hardware looked fantastic.  No doubt about it, great looking Tin.

PCRR/Dave

PCR: as I have mentioned already, my friend's PS2 version of the 263E ran perfectly on my layout, including ALL of the 12 of the K-Line O27 27" switches and several 27" curves, while my PS3 version didn't do so well.

The constant disconnecting of the drawbar components is a real piece of aggravation to me.

- walt

Walt,

    If I were you I would contact the dealer and see if he can replace the P3 with a P2.

IMO it's worth a try.

PCRR/Dave

Gee, I just happened to order that very same locomotive (gray) today!

I can't really say that I needed it, but I decided to treat myself.

Allan,

    Needless to say the Gray 263E Engine & matching 12 Wheel Tender are my favorite Tin.

PCRR/Dave

The Original Lionel & the MTH P2 Reproduction with some original rolling stock.

I can't speak for everyone, but guys like me who are moving beyond the basic Lionel stuff and getting interested in tinplate find it quite intimidating to start purchasing items that are really old.  Many of us don't have the years/decades of experience you all have acquired, and purchasing new MTH/LCT is a reasonable (yet expensive) starting point.

We're paying good money for the products and we're expecting good products and service from the vendor.  It's good to hear both the positive and the negative respectful experiences, both for the new products/technology and for the old.

Pictures and a video of my new 262E MTH / Lionel Corp Tinplate 11-6022-0 pulling my father's 607s/608 can be found at the following link if anyone would like to see them:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/r...s/72157640249536126/

Best...Rich Murnane

I believe you'll find, Rich, that the new items are every bit as good as the older originals, and there's even more variety available in many cases.  Truth is, many of the materials used to make the new stuff is significantly superior to what was used back in the 20s and 30s.

That doesn't mean that things can't go amiss from time to time, but I have a good many O gauge tinplate items--all recent reproductions--and I have had only one out-of-the-box problem and it was corrected in a timely manner by MTH.

I still have more MTH/LCT tinplate on the way, one of which should be here in just a couple of weeks or so.

Rich,

    I understand how the younger generation thinks about Tin Plate because I had the same apprehension when I puchased the DCS when it 1st came out.  Not nikels and dimes and to an old time runner like me, it almost seemed far fetched that technology had come that far, especially in my train hobby.  Allan is correct for the most part,

the remake engineering is real nice, it's the quality control that sometimes is a little

messy.  As Allan said they usually make everything right, if you want to wait long enough. 

PCRR/Dave

Allan Miller,

    Have you taken delivery on your Gray P2 263E Engine & 12 Wheel Tender yet?

What kind of rolling stock are you investing in?  Passenger or Work Train!

PCRR/Dave