Holiday Find

What an amazing find and way to get thrown back into the Hobby!  Congrats!

maybe some of the crew had been drinking and are just slurring their words: 8 hrs bottle to throttle!

Early RailSounds versions, the type found factory installed by companies other than Lionel, were without features such as intelligible crew talk, etc.  Even earlier RailSounds had no crew talk/ tower com at all.  Lionel's practice is to release backdated TMCC versions to licensed manufacturers like K-Line, 3rd Rail, etc.  They don't license the latest CC versions to the competition, or to the public via ERR.  It wouldn't make good business sense.

I had a copy of K-Line's Big Boy and it seemed to perform really well, although I never tested it on the tight curves it was claimed to negotiate.  K-Line chose to scale down its dimensions so that the loco is pretty much S scale, with O gauge tread.  I think this was in answer to selective compression, so beautifully mastered by MTH RailKing and Lionel LionMaster.  I sold the engine to someone who wanted big steam that could negotiate 031.

Bruce

Thanks, John - I guess you never know what you'll find.

Maybe, Rick, they should have shared with the tower crew.

Bruce - you're right about the size - it's like a 1/64th scale version on O gauge running gear. Brasseur has a replacement front guide truck with a new spring at a reasonable price, so I'll see if that helps. On the O-36 flat curves it's fine - it only wants to de-rail when there's an elevation change, like an uphill or downhill curve. I know the Railsounds wasn't great on these models, but to me it's just weird that the tower com is clear but the crew talk is garbled. You would think t would be one or the other for both. Maybe, Rick's right - the crew had one too many adult beverages.

Unusual combination. 

Richie, that is a darned good deal on the loco!   It is nice that it is being "refurbished" and returned to productive use!   

The best $20.00 you ever spent.

Some of the crew talk was intentionally garbled. I don't think anything is wrong, it's supposed to be that way.

Lionel Grandpa posted:

Some of the crew talk was intentionally garbled. I don't think anything is wrong, it's supposed to be that way.

Actually, the "unintelligible" crew talk is MUCH more prototypical than some of the silly dialogs Lionel uses in the new Crewtalk/Towercom dialogs.  Although things have generally improved in the sounds department, every now and then voices creep into the dialogs that have no business being utilized.... like the kind where the Dispatcher and/or the Engineer sound like it's their first day on the job!!!    For gosh sakes, Lionel.  Check around for some good voice talent... and use guys who've actually DONE those jobs or at least SOUND LIKE they've done those jobs in real life. 

David

very nice score...wanna double your money? 

For the front truck, check for interference between the wheels and the cylinder (or if it's on an upgrade, the top of the wheels and the underside of the frame. If on the downslope, see if the lead wheel set is lifting from the track, may not be enough angular motion of the truck to dip down when the engine is going down the hill. One solution to this is to either get a shoulder screw with a little more height, or file out the slot or hole in the lead truck where it attaches in order to give it more ability to move up and down on grades.

Jim

I always like the unintelligible Crew Talk better!  MUCH more prototypical!

Jon  

Fargo - you're right and the best part about it is that it wasn't even my $20 !

Grandpa, Rocky and Jon - intentionally garbled crew talk from Lionel - talk about scale realism !  What's next - a case of Bud on the floor of the cab for those long trips ?    Have you heard the voices of Timmy and his mom on the new Legacy passenger set ?  I kind of like the 1950's dialogue.

Steamer - I'm good for right now, but I'm gonna start going to those estate sales, for sure.

Jim - no interference, just seems like not enough weight over the front truck to cause the wheels to "stick" to the track and keep from lifting in the corners (like in oval racing). The pin that holds the spring in place (to "push" the wheels into the track) is pressed in place. I cut it out and tried a longer screw (like you suggested), but then the nut was too thick and bottomed out on the center rail causing a short (don't ask how I know this). I should be able to solder a thin washer in place tonight to mount the longer screw and will try that tonight. I can live with it anyway by just running the engine on the flat sections of track and not the elevated loop. 

Thanks to all. 

Fantastic engine at a steal price! Congrats!

Thanks, George - gonna have to send the kids out to more estate sales !