Kudos to Lionel on the new ES44

Well Dave - where are the photos my friend?

People here need to see photos!!!

Leave it to you sam to remind me of pictures, coming up later sir. 

PICS JUST ADDED

Great pics.  I love these Lionel units too.  The semi-permanent pilot is a very nice feature on these.  I have two of the NS Heritage ES44 units.  I'm hoping for Lionel to catalog a Canadian Pacific ES44 with this pilot.

I have 5 lionel es44s total 3 diecast and 2 plastic . I almost like my conrail more them my die casts ones .. Sadly the bnsf has to go ... I wish I didn't drop the ball on the Santa Fe ac6000 you have .. I find one some day. 

I have some sad 70's and some ac6000's. What is this "Pilot system". Semi permanent? Thanks

 

On the es44s the trucks are seperate from the pilots they do move but very little they look fixed and looks more like a real train ..The downside to it is they won't run on anything less then 0-54 good.. 

 Here it is on my Interstate unit.  The gap is very small.

 

 

MTH.........Pay attention to the above photo. I bought 2 of the Lionel Heritage units over the MTH versions because of this semi fixed pilot.

 

My thoughts exactly, wow that is close!  Very nice looking engines guys.

       
       


Actually since MTH also makes these engines with fixed pilots and provisions for scale couplers, I'd say MTH already has a leg up on that detail. 

I have the fixed-pilot MTH bnsf es44ac.  Since 2-rail to 3-rail conversion and back is a snap, I'd say the MTH has some advantages over the Lionel.

 

Still, I love those MU hoses sticking out of the snowplow on the Lionel.  I wish my MTH had THAT.

MTH has fixed pilots on these diesels

 

Great pics!!  Another question....I wonder why the manufacturers don't put handrails down the side of the steps like on the prototype.  I know that the prototype is a one piece handrail and also on the scale fixed pilot models, but I don't see any thing wrong with having a split handrail so that it "looks" like it goes all the way down like the prototype.  Is there a reason why this can't be done?

 

Alan

not me, unless they make them for 0-54 curves.  I have the Norfolk Southern's and I had to make a modification so they work on 0-72 better.  the first car after the engine kept derailing.

Very nice. The only issue is I wish they would tone down the high gloss!

 

 

Thanks for the photos...I like the Warbonnet scheme.

They do look very toylike with that gloss, more than new cars at the dealership

If they make a Santa Fe Warbonnet we are in.

That is not the point John. There are some of us who do not want to buy the two rail model and change the wheel sets. Plus the MTH engine still sit too high on most of their diesels.

 

I think Lionel has come up with the best compromise. It looks and performs great. 

Hey J Daddy,

 

The high gloss represents the way they looked during the get together in South Carolina, I like it.

Theres a reason.

 

 

 

What about the door on the wrong side? Or the headlights in the right spot?

If you stood the same distance away from the real thing as scale distance from your model, the dipped in water gloss is gone.

 

Are not all steam engines painted gloss black or other colors from the builder? If so then "over gloss" them all up as well so they match! Passenger cars too!!

This is a picture of the Southern Heritage unit at the July, 2012 "Event."  Note top 1/3 in Sun, very shiny.  Bottom 2/3 shadowed by Savannah Atlanta unit next to it.

 

 

There are at least three books on these units.  When clean they are all shiny.

 

Check my referenced thread for side by side pictures of the NKP Lionel and MTH.

 I merely tried to show examples of the prototype(s) which are indeed shiny.

 

Maybe the real issue is the dull steamers that the manufacturers are delivering?

 

Having said that,  If I correctly recall a thread regarding this. According to our resident steam experts. The only "really shiny" steamers were the ones specifically polished up to be used in the builders photo shoots.

J Daddy, this baby is pretty and shiny too.

Sometimes the overall glossy effect doesn't "scale down" well on miniatures of the real thing.  A number of factors play into this, such as lighting and overall surface area that the light hits.  While the prototype looks glossy, the same amount of gloss on the model can make it look more toyish than realistic.

 

As to whether or not one chooses to take fixed pilot models and do the relatively easy wheelset swaps, that's a personal choice not to do so, and it certainly does not invalidate the fact that the fixed pilots are far more realistic than swiveling pilots.

 

 

I was really liking the Lionel units but the molded in front door killed it for me.  The pilot is cool, but for me, just doesn't make up for the ugly door.

 

Gloss depends upon surface morphology of the binder/pigment system, critical pigment volume concentration (CPVC) and incident angle and it is these physical constraints that determine the specular reflection. These values are completely independent of scale. Thus, 60 deg. gloss, 85 deg. gloss so on and forth are the same value whether something is 1/4" scale or 1:1.

 

So while there are scales to measure gloss, there is no scale to gloss in the context of model railroading.   

Just goes to show that you can't please everybody. 

If the engines were true to scale sound units would not be added.

The sound level scaled 1/48 would be barely audible. 

"For me, its the lobster claw that is ruining the beauty of the pilot."

 

Are there are any three rail O gauge locomotives that come with operational scale-size couplers?

No

The day that someone makes a scale coupler that hooks to the engine so you can use the legacy remote .I will buy them for all my engines..

 

The visual appeal of the kadee trumps the operational convenience of the legacy-controlled coupler.

Can the couplers on these engine be changed to "Kadee" type???

No it doesn't!