Identifying a Williams PA Diesel

I am not aware of any data base of Williams locomotives.  As for the year it was manufactured, that is a tough question as well.  They were made for many years starting in the late 1980's to best of my knowledge all the way through ownership by Bachmann.  There isn't a lot of difference between the models.  Some of the earlier ones had Ott sound systems, but otherwise the parts are pretty universal.  I don't recall if the PA goes far enough back to have the motors without flywheels like the early FP45s, the SD45 and a few others. 

Not sure I was helpful, but hopefully a little?

I was a dealer when Williams introduced the PA's and I think they were the first 3 rail O PA's to hit the market. R.O.W. had announced some and perhaps Lionel as well but I think Williams was first to get them out to the public. They had flywheels and were very smooth. Beautiful graphics too. Only issue was visual in that the trucks were undersized leaving a lot of 'air' around them giving these mighty beasts what we jokingly called 'the high-water look'. A scale PA had huge trucks that looked like the big feet on a puppy!

A seldom seen set of the handsome North Coast Ltd

Didn't Lionel do a pair around '91?

The Williams PA first appeared in a 1992 catalog in various road names including NYC.  The NYC was numbered as a 4200 series.  It was available as an ABA.

@c.sam posted:

I was a dealer when Williams introduced the PA's and I think they were the first 3 rail O PA's to hit the market. R.O.W. had announced some and perhaps Lionel as well but I think Williams was first to get them out to the public. They had flywheels and were very smooth. Beautiful graphics too.

Not that it matters but the RoW had been delivered first.  They were on the layout at the gold hall.  I went over to the purple hall where Williams was just showing their PA's.  Went to have a close look. 

I believe the first ones were built by Sam Hong Sa.  And you are quite right, I have some (Erie and EL).  Talk about silent running!  Nice and smooth.

Lou N

You are probably correct Lou as it was somewhat confusing with the several pretty brochures out there at the time. Had not attended York yet so am pretty certain your info is what happend!  :-)

I had a set of your fantastic D&H PA's later on and they were always a favorite.

@c.sam posted:

Only issue was visual in that the trucks were undersized leaving a lot of 'air' around them giving these mighty beasts what we jokingly called 'the high-water look'. A scale PA had huge trucks that looked like the big feet on a puppy!

Actually, the trucks' dimensions are just fine (and are some of the better-looking drop-equalizer A1A trucks in O) - but they are mounted in the wrong place on the frame - too far toward the ends. The entire loco has the wrong wheelbase. I discovered this while intending to "correct the too-short fuel tank" on mine. Turns out, the tank is the correct length, but the trucks are too far apart. That explained why the Wms PA's always looked "wrong". I took some photos some time ago when I was seeing what it would take to move the Wms trucks inboard a bit (a lot, BTW). So, just for reference if any of you care -

Lionel on bottom; Williams on top - same truck wheelbase. The Lionel truck side frames do protrude a bit too far around the brake shoes on the ends.

Note how much farther "out" the trucks are mounted on the Williams on top. Look at the center wheels on both brands - about an inch total between the two Wms trucks. The Wms trucks themselves are actually better-looking than the Lionel, to be picky. Also note that the Wms tank is the same length as (but a little shallower than)  the Lionel.