GG1 advice

I think that choice will be up to you, as if the Bachmann is the 20+inch long version will need a minimum of 042 curve, and they don't look good doing those, as there is way too much over hang thru the curve!

Myself I like the larger (Scale) Engines, but as I said, layout config will dictate that!..............

The Williams engine will be a very good runner, as long as, you do the required maintenance!..............................:< 

Brandy posted:

I think that choice will be up to you, as if the Bachmann is the 20+inch long version will need a minimum of 042 curve, and they don't look good doing those, as there is way too much over hang thru the curve!

Myself I like the larger (Scale) Engines, but as I said, layout config will dictate that!..............

The Williams engine will be a very good runner, as long as, you do the required maintenance!..............................:&lt 

Brandy,

My outside loop has pretty wide radius curves (Gargraves Flex), because I wanted to run the Lionel Pullman Heavyweights on that track.  They look pretty decent going around, so do you think the 20+ inch long GG1 will look OK?

The Lionel GG-1 would be a nice choice. The Williams GG-1 is another nice choice, good quality, however if you get tired of it and decide to sell it "you are stuck with it." I can not sell any Williams items I buy, if it is Lionel or MTH I can sell it quickly.

Lee Fritz

Performance wise the Williams would be a better choice. However to me they look pretty big on most layouts.

I have the 20" version of the WBB, green with single stripe,  engine runs like a champ, pretty smooth and quiet.  I only have 0-72 curves and it looks pretty good on those.  The Lionel GG1 has plastic gears in it, so I wouldn't depend on that lasting long pulling a good size consist...The WBB also lends itself to be easily converted to Command control....

Marty

If I am not mistaken the Lionel 8850 Penn Central GG-1 is a traditional sized model, with pullmor motors and an electromechanical E-unit.  I do not think it has a horn.
The Williams loco almost certainly has can motors, some sort of electronic control, and probably has a horn.

Some folks prefer can motors, others prefer pullmor motors.
To each their own.

I have a scale Williams that I upgraded to command, it's a nice runner.  Of the two, I'll take the DC motored scale Williams.

That being said, that is a pretty high price, I bought mine brand new for $140 about three years ago.

PONZ,

I have 19 GG-1's. 18 are scale. IF, and that is a great big IF, you have curves at least 72", you can run a Lionel scale JLC GG-1.
I am sure the minimum of scale GG-1's of other manufacturers may be smaller, but if you love GG-1's there is NOTHING so grand and glorious as the scale "real deal" rolling down the main line. The "IF" is space. These locos look good on O-72 or above. On smaller radii, perhaps not so much.

GO for it.

Scrappy

Williams and do what John did.  You will have a very sweet running locomotive.  My guess is John used the pans for the antenna.  DC can motors all day long.

I have two Williams GG1's and both are the scale version ( 20") and love them. like others have said O-42 min. but look better on wider radius. I ran one I before on O-54 and it looked okay but O-63 and O72 is even better. Right now I don't have a layout but I still like the scale one better, to me the semi scale looks to scrunched up. 

By the way adding command is simple and the way to go if your running command on your layout. 

I would go for the Williams ( I have a Williams scale Conrail GG1).

If you want a PC GG1, maybe consider waiting until Williams produces one.

Well - I know for sure my curves are not O-72.  They might be 54 at best.  I'm rethinking this now... Like I mentioned above, the long Pullman Heavyweights look fine on the curves.  Could that be a reasonable judge????

Ponz

I have a scale Williams gg1 and run it on 042. Does hang over, but looks good with the long MTH cars.

i do have a scale penn central gg1 dummy on flea bay for sale.. Not that the forum likes the bay much

I prefer the WBB Scale GG1, great runners  I wish they would bring it out in the original 4899 scheme.

You might e mail Mario's if your looking for a PC version and they often show up in ebay.

I have the scale Williams PC GG-1.  It has a great look.

Gene H posted:

You might e mail Mario's if your looking for a PC version and they often show up in ebay.

Mario's ???

Ponz posted:

Brandy posted:

I think that choice will be up to you, as if the Bachmann is the 20+inch long version will need a minimum of 042 curve, and they don't look good doing those, as there is way too much over hang thru the curve!

Myself I like the larger (Scale) Engines, but as I said, layout config will dictate that!..............

The Williams engine will be a very good runner, as long as, you do the required maintenance!..............................:&lt 

Brandy,

My outside loop has pretty wide radius curves (Gargraves Flex), because I wanted to run the Lionel Pullman Heavyweights on that track.  They look pretty decent going around, so do you think the 20+ inch long GG1 will look OK?

Yes I do, but Marty and a few others have many in their stable, so please follow their directions!

They do look good on 072 min radi !...............................................:<

Ponz posted:

Gene H posted:

You might e mail Mario's if your looking for a PC version and they often show up in ebay.

Mario's ???

Mario's Trains he is a Forum sponsor and has great prices as well as coupon codes. I e mailed him a couple times for older Williams not on his list and he had what I was looking for.

    Running a full sized, and a semi-scale, of the same type engine would drive me nutsThat's about as close to rivet counting as I'll really get too.

Maybe after I had a half dozen of one, then I'd pick up another size

   I don't want to be locked into larger curves for future space reasons, and overhang doesn't often kill it for me. But on the scale GG's, the overhang is pretty bad on the smaller turns. I won't ever be going full scale till the lotto allows expanded space for bigger curves. Heck, even 48" is almost too much. I was brought up running double headed semi-scale, and Madisons, so it would be easy to settle there too

     I already have a semi-scale Tuscan 5 stripe (K-line, 2 can motor, love it over MPC).(There's a nice red-5 strp K-line. used, at a local pawn shop here for $100, mail me for a number if you need it. I'm just not ready for it at the moment). I'd first want a match, or a greenie. Just for double heading a pair, or running a green head end on freight, & Tuscan on the Broadway cars.

  I've only run the older Williams, but liked them a tad better than the MPC's.

Scale Brunswick with 5, sure is pretty though

Andrew Lawrence posted:

I have a scale Williams gg1 and run it on 042. Does hang over, but looks good with the long MTH cars.

i do have a scale penn central gg1 dummy on flea bay for sale.. Not that the forum likes the bay much

What's the link?

Adriatic posted:

    Running a full sized, and a semi-scale, of the same type engine would drive me nutsThat's about as close to rivet counting as I'll really get too.

Maybe after I had a half dozen of one, then I'd pick up another size

   I don't want to be locked into larger curves for future space reasons, and overhang doesn't often kill it for me. But on the scale GG's, the overhang is pretty bad on the smaller turns. I won't ever be going full scale till the lotto allows expanded space for bigger curves. Heck, even 48" is almost too much. I was brought up running double headed semi-scale, and Madisons, so it would be easy to settle there too

     I already have a semi-scale Tuscan 5 stripe (K-line, 2 can motor, love it over MPC).(There's a nice red-5 strp K-line. used, at a local pawn shop here for $100, mail me for a number if you need it. I'm just not ready for it at the moment). I'd first want a match, or a greenie. Just for double heading a pair, or running a green head end on freight, & Tuscan on the Broadway cars.

  I've only run the older Williams, but liked them a tad better than the MPC's.

Scale Brunswick with 5, sure is pretty though

My Lionel Tuscon Red #4831 has one broad strip. How would you know how well that engine runs?

Ponz

Martin Derouin posted:

I have the 20" version of the WBB, green with single stripe,  engine runs like a champ, pretty smooth and quiet.  I only have 0-72 curves and it looks pretty good on those.  The Lionel GG1 has plastic gears in it, so I wouldn't depend on that lasting long pulling a good size consist...The WBB also lends itself to be easily converted to Command control....

Marty

The Lionel PC GG-1 should not have nylon gears; those came on the 8753 tuscan colored GG-1 that Lionel MPC made (that first year they brought brought the GG-1 back, they experimented with nylon gears and discovered that wasn't a good idea); MPC reverted to metal gears for all their traditional sized GG-1 models after the tuscan model.  After this long timeframe you might run into a PC model with the nylon gears - they may have had a chassis swap, a truck assembly swapped in - I've never seen one with the plastic gears in person, just a picture or two online.

Ponz posted:

Adriatic posted:

    Running a full sized, and a semi-scale, of the same type engine would drive me nutsThat's about as close to rivet counting as I'll really get too.

Maybe after I had a half dozen of one, then I'd pick up another size

   I don't want to be locked into larger curves for future space reasons, and overhang doesn't often kill it for me. But on the scale GG's, the overhang is pretty bad on the smaller turns. I won't ever be going full scale till the lotto allows expanded space for bigger curves. Heck, even 48" is almost too much. I was brought up running double headed semi-scale, and Madisons, so it would be easy to settle there too

     I already have a semi-scale Tuscan 5 stripe (K-line, 2 can motor, love it over MPC).(There's a nice red-5 strp K-line. used, at a local pawn shop here for $100, mail me for a number if you need it. I'm just not ready for it at the moment). I'd first want a match, or a greenie. Just for double heading a pair, or running a green head end on freight, & Tuscan on the Broadway cars.

  I've only run the older Williams, but liked them a tad better than the MPC's.

Scale Brunswick with 5, sure is pretty though

My Lionel Tuscon Red #4831 has one broad strip. How would you know how well that engine runs?

Ponz

    I do have one to compare the running of it to. They likely have a video camera there too. I can possibly make it there this weekend for a test run.

    I sold my red 5st. MPC because my K-line ran so well. And the running voltage difference meant no double heading. I had just bought an E- A-B a week before I saw the pawned one, or I would have tested, and bought it myself (nice box, etc). It had the K-line Broadway Limited cars too (plastic, not alum.), but I think those got picked up ($80 for four if I remember right).

Of course buying used always has it's risks.

  I might stop and run it just for fun. If I do I'll let you know.

If really interested, just give me a little "verbal push" for inspiration .

Adriatic posted:

Ponz posted:

Adriatic posted:

    Running a full sized, and a semi-scale, of the same type engine would drive me nutsThat's about as close to rivet counting as I'll really get too.

Maybe after I had a half dozen of one, then I'd pick up another size

   I don't want to be locked into larger curves for future space reasons, and overhang doesn't often kill it for me. But on the scale GG's, the overhang is pretty bad on the smaller turns. I won't ever be going full scale till the lotto allows expanded space for bigger curves. Heck, even 48" is almost too much. I was brought up running double headed semi-scale, and Madisons, so it would be easy to settle there too

     I already have a semi-scale Tuscan 5 stripe (K-line, 2 can motor, love it over MPC).(There's a nice red-5 strp K-line. used, at a local pawn shop here for $100, mail me for a number if you need it. I'm just not ready for it at the moment). I'd first want a match, or a greenie. Just for double heading a pair, or running a green head end on freight, & Tuscan on the Broadway cars.

  I've only run the older Williams, but liked them a tad better than the MPC's.

Scale Brunswick with 5, sure is pretty though

My Lionel Tuscon Red #4831 has one broad strip. How would you know how well that engine runs?

Ponz

    I do have one to compare the running of it to. They likely have a video camera there too. I can possibly make it there this weekend for a test run.

    I sold my red 5st. MPC because my K-line ran so well. And the running voltage difference meant no double heading. I had just bought an E- A-B a week before I saw the pawned one, or I would have tested, and bought it myself (nice box, etc). It had the K-line Broadway Limited cars too (plastic, not alum.), but I think those got picked up ($80 for four if I remember right).

Of course buying used always has it's risks.

  I might stop and run it just for fun. If I do I'll let you know.

If really interested, just give me a little "verbal push" for inspiration .

Thanks for your time and consideration, but I better pass and keep hoping / looking for a long one.

Thanks - Ponz

Well, if nothing else it seems you've made a decision on a scale one