My Legacy Allegheny arrived back home last night and I got to run it for more than six seconds. The Legacy Allegheny runs very smoothly and I began to think about the changes these Legacy models have brought since those fantastic JLC models were introduced years ago. I believe I had all the JLC models. The detailing was terrific, the sounds and running capabilities were terrific, so I was expecting the Legacy models to make significant improvements. Yes, I know the economy was different and at that time the costs and exchange rates were lower. I do get that.
My Legacy Y6b is probably one of the best running, best sounding, most satisfying steam locomotives I have ever purchased from Lionel. Don't get me wrong, the Vision Big Boy and Vision Challengers are fantastic. The FEF (never JLC) and the S3 (a new design and never JLC) are fantastic, too. The Vision Hudson (never JLC) is magnificent. My favorite is probably the Y6b. Not only is it a steam classic, but the smoothness and sound quality are amazing. The whistle steam blasts from either side of the whistle (I know it comes out of one opening), and the sound of the whistle has an echo that is most incredible. It reverberates in the train room very dramatically.
My Legacy Allegheny is very good, but I just got it back and after studying the sound, I feel the sound is not nearly as good as its JLC predecessor. Sure it has four chuffs and the sound is fairly good, but there is an "aftersound" clinking and clanking after each chuff that sounds strange to me. The range of the sound seems a bit compressed and it seems like the sound is more directly coming from the tender than the rest of the locos do. The original JLC Allegheny with its fat boys had a deep chuff that sounded mean. I know there are no speakers in the loco boiler of the new model, but the Allegheny seems to focus its sound more to the tender than other Legacy locos. This engine would benefit from a boiler speaker more than the others. It is beautiful, but . . . . . . . . meh.
I have all of the JLC GG-1's and I am not expecting the Vision GG-1 to be very different. Yes, it has stereo sound (a GG-1 having stereo sound . . . . . big deal. It's not like the loco is long enough to have stereo make a big difference. Electrics don't have very interesting sound to me anyway). The pantographs will be sprung (hello . . . . . they should have been sprung when the JLC models were produced in case someone would be crazy enough to actually try to run these things realistically. Now, you still will NOT be able to run these prototypically under catenary because of the "sparkling" pantographs. Maybe Marty Fitzhenry can do it, but I cannot. My catenary will look realistic, but the pantographs will not actually touch the wires. At the Vision GG-1 unveiling, one of the techs intimated that this model will have added detail. I doubt that very much. The JLC GG-1 was the most detailed GG-1 I had seen with the exception of the Third Rail GG-1's (should be seen to be believed). So, for the extra money we will get another speaker (meh) and a sparkling LED in the pantographs. Original JLC sells for $500. New one, $1300+. Do the math. I have a PC Vision GG-1 on order because it is a paint scheme I do not have. I'm a GG-1 wacko with 17 paint schemes. I know, there is something wrong with me. Ginny told me.
So . . . . . of all of the JLC locos upgraded to Legacy, what do I think?
1) Y6b . . . . . fantastic +
2) Vision Big Boy . . . . . fantastic
3) Vision Challenger . . . . . fantastic
3) Allegheny . . . . . OK
4) GG-1 . . . . . undecided
Are they worth the increased tariff?
1) Y6b . . . . . you betcha
2) Vision Big Boy . . . . . maybe ( I do not dig that silly coal thing)
3) Vision Challenger . . . . . probably (Love the speaker in the boiler and no silly coal thing. Love the smoking dynamo !
4) Allegheny . . . . . Nope. I sold my JLC for about $800 and the new one set me back $800 + $900. Whistle steam hole is 1/4 " from the stack so you really have to look to see it. Sounds are a bit strange to my ears. Nice white wall tires for the extra bucks.
5) GG-1 . . . . . I cannot say yet but I highly doubt it.
More on the news at eleven.
Scrapiron Scher
