Judging by the emails and calls I've gotten the last few days thanking me for helping them decide to go for this engine, I want a kickback from Scott Mann!!!
I didn't think the choice for me would be easy either. But, I believe the Ts were first painted lightning stripe somewhere around 1955.
Then, I thought how all those years I spent watching the big electrics around the Mott Haven coach yard in the south Bronx could be divided into two eras. The early 50s always with my father at my side, and the very late 50s and early 60s as a big kid able to go watch trains on his own.
My father's era was an easy choice!
By the way, my layout is now back in operation, and the T runs great.
That's interesting. Not in my purchasing plans, so I didn't realize that Scott wasn't doing them in the last and [ ahem ] best NYC scheme, cigar band grey;
Buy both. You'll kick yourself if you don't. But then again, if you buy the "lightening stripe" one you can live vicariously through Jim "The Paparrazo" Policastro.
I took delivery of my "Lightning Stripe" T motor from Tom's Trains of Ardsley yesterday and I was so impressed with the photos posted on the OGR Forum by that fellow from Schenectady I was moved to buy the black version also. Sometimes that little voice inside of me says, "Buy it or you'll regret it later !" I listen to the voices.
For those of you who have not met Tom, he is a wonderful fellow who does plenty of charity work and likes to remain anonymous about it. When we tried to complete the ill-fated hospital railroad layout, Tom called me to donate a new Lionel ZW. That is the kind of fellow he is. I plan to do as much of my purchasing as possible with Tom's Trains. His prices are not as low as the Internet sellers, but I feel it is important to support hobby shops like Tom's.
I decided to do my "yakking" about the "T Motors" in the thread instead of in the video. Previous videos I have done had too much of the talking and it distracts the viewer from the trains.
The "T Motors" are beautifully packed in a very thick, high quality box from Third Rail. I have found the box quality to be a bit like a fine wine in a restaurant. If the wine is good, the meal is usually good. This is certainly true with the T Motors. It took a bit of time to take the locos out of the box because the packing is truly designed to prevent damage in transit. I believe that is one of the key reasons both of my locos arrived in perfect condition AND operate perfectly. It has been quite a long time since that happened to me. There is a quality, routed, wooded board upon which the T Motor sits and the loco was wrapped better than Tutenkamon.
Detail and graphics are really first rate. The flat black version is stunning and the grey/lightning stripe version is an absolute stunner. The OBE (Out of the box experience) was two gorgeous locomotives sitting on the track waiting to be powered up for the first time. Since the "T" Motors are not as large as most other electrics I have (GG1's) you have to look a bit closer to see the detail, most of which is "below the belt." Below the body there are cables and very detailed trucks. The body itself has quite a bit of detail but there is no steam emission which, on other electrics, puts on quite a show. As you can see in the video, the graphics are beautifully applied. I could not find anything amiss. There were a couple of railings on the black version which were slightly bent and that can be easily moved back into position.
Starting up both T's was quite easy using the Cab-2 set for TMCC mode. The locos moved very smoothly. The video seemed a bit herky jerky to me. Perhaps that was because the computer seemed a bit slow. In reality, both locos were as smooth as silk. Both had, what sounded to me, to be generic electric sounds. When I hit the Aux1 + 3 boost button, a very nice increased electric whine resulted. The horn sounded a bit "F3ish" to me. I can hear the resemblance to the Lionel JLC GG1 sound file. In fact, it may be that sound file that Third Rail used. It didn't sound great to me but it is acceptable. I blow the horn too much anyway. I tried not to do that in the video.
Setting both locos as an MU (lashup lashup lashup . . . . . . there Webmaster, I said it three times. Send me to Oz) was not working, however. I made sure the Cab-2 was in TMCC mode but I could not get the MU to respond. In another thread, Jim from the NJ Hi-Railers bailed me out. Apparently, with TMCC locos on the Cab-2, an MU must be Train #1-9. I never knew that, but then, there are lots of things I don't know. Sigh . . . . . . .
They look great, Scrappy (you chose wisely). Now all we need is for 3rd Rail to release more full-length passenger cars to go with them and we can start a companion thread to this one.
Forrest . . . . . there may not be any T Motors in heaven. Get one
Matt . . . . . We DO need those cars !!
Mr. Muffin . . . . Many thanks. See you at York. Please don't beat me to Vince's Trains again.
Pops . . . . . I only crash the real trains. Uh . . . . . big or small.
Don . . . . . You get to drink some of Alan's beer. UNLESS, you're at York and he is not. Then, you get to drink some of my beer. OK, fine, I'll buy you a beer. Do they serve Piels?
Peter . . . . Many thanks. See you at York. Did the T Motors ever pull the Juice Train?
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