Lionel UP FEF from 2009 vs 2015

I have both.  They both run good.  The early one has modular boards.  The newer locomotive has the RCMC board system and in my opinion is a better locomotive.  When Lionel first went to Legacy, the system used modular plug in boards to the mother board.  A bit like TMCC.  That went away when the RCMC board system came out.  It is a great system.

I like both.

Personally, I lean more to the 2008-9 version because of the more unique quillable whistle, chugging sound, and the road number specific crew dialogue.

The 2015-6 one, however, has the advantage of the whistle steam and, as Marty said, the RCMC boards equipped for LCS sensor tracks. Plus, the current models are available in more road number and paint scheme choices.

Marty & Thomas - thanks for the responses. Interesting to learn about the RCMC boards. I like to often run my legacy steamers at very slow speeds - I've noticed on my 2009 model that from speed step 1-5 there can sometimes be a "lurch". Im guessing that doesn't happen on the newer models? 

I own the one that just came out. I absolutely love it! I was running it earlier tonight with the latest run of vision line PFE reefers which I picked up today from my LHS. Here is a video of it (filmed before I got the Vision Line Reefers)...

A while back I was very close to purchasing the 2009 version but held off and this one was announced about 6 months later. The newer run has some extra sound details in it such as minor screeching and metallic type sounds (I don't know how else to describe it). I believe these sounds are supposed to better replicate the real groans a steam engine makes. I have noticed these on my new GS-4 too. They are best noticeable at slow speeds. However, as you said the engine specific dialogue is gone. I know a lot of people do not use the crew talk and I am now one of them. I used to enjoy it on the early legacy engines because they made it specific to the engine by announcing the actual road number and even went as fas as to replicate regional accents. No it was not prototypical but the regional accents and road number announcements gave it some character and added to the play value. Now they are all the exact same so IMO there is very little play value in the new crew talk if you own more than one legacy engine. Again, It does not bother me. I always saw it as something extra that would neither make or break a purchase. I guess I will have to wait till my vision line GG1 shows up until I can enjoy some new crew talk  

Great video.  I enjoyed it very much.

The original model will out smoke the new model IMO.  My FEF from the first run smokes very well and no one will convince me that the new comes close.

Without a doubt if I didn't own the older version the new one would be on my table.

This is medium setting factory smoke unit...

Marty Fitzhenry posted:

I have both.  They both run good.  The early one has modular boards.  The newer locomotive has the RCMC board system and in my opinion is a better locomotive.  When Lionel first went to Legacy, the system used modular plug in boards to the mother board.  A bit like TMCC.  That went away when the RCMC board system came out.  It is a great system.

You make it sound as though there's something seriously wrong with those earlier modular boards.  I have the earlier FEF and its been a flawless great sounding runner for me over the past 6 years as is every other legacy engine I own with modular boards.  For me its been the newer ones with problems.. Both engines are visually identical and I believe other then a few additional background sounds plus whistle steam, there's nothing so different between either engine it makes the newer one .better.. IMO ,if you can find the older one at a great price (they are out there)  go for it..

joe.

You won't go wrong with either.  I like both for different reasons.

The new one has a few more gadgets.  Doesn't smoke as well as the older one, IMO.

838 has the wrong feed water heater-despite the catalog announcing it'd be correct.  Lionel never offered an explanation, doubt they will.

Both are fantastic locomotives and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase.

After looking over the latest version of UP 844 at the local hobby shop, I determined that my earlier version is more accurate for my modeling era, i.e. early through mid 1950s. The very first thing that caught my eye on the new/latest model was, the PAINTED cylinder head covers! My earlier model has the bright PLATED (chrome?) cylinder head covers, just like the real FEF class locomotives on the UP.

Here are a few well lit detailed pics of my 1st run Greyhound 844 next to the new issue 838

https://ogrforum.com/t...33#60698708024747933

I found an older thread which compares the two models in depth. I really like my 2009 greyhound #844 but I think the small improvements are worth getting the newer model as well, perhaps in black and a different road #. Thanks for all the info! 

Still curious if slow speed operation is a touch smoother on the newer legacy model or if that is the same as older legacy models. My 2009 has a very small lurch at slow speeds (just me being picky)

You can see the difference between the new darker rods, chrome vs painted caps, and different boiler colors. These three run equally fantastic. The older version runs just as slow and smooth as the new ones, and they run well together MU'd. All three did smoke the same (I use a little more fluid recommended ) BUT the older version smokes much better now that I have replaced the wick with the rope style. I will eventually swap the other two wicks out in the new engines. I honestly can't tell you which one I prefer if I had to choose after having both now. I guess that's why I still have both.  

mwax516 posted:

I found an older thread which compares the two models in depth. I really like my 2009 greyhound #844 but I think the small improvements are worth getting the newer model as well, perhaps in black and a different road #.

The trouble with purchasing a "different road number" is, it will NOT have the correct feed water system, i.e. the Sellers Exhaust Steam system as described in the catalog. Lionel elected NOT to actually provide those models.

Thanks for all the info! 

Laidoffsick posted:

Doug,

Love the picture.

Great to see I'm not the only one with a few FEFs laying around....

I have the first version. Sounds and runs great. No money and no need for the new one yet.

J Daddy posted:

I have the first version. Sounds and runs great. No money and no need for the new one yet.

Same here!  When I wanted to add to my FEF-3 roster, I purchased a Sunset/3rd Rail FEF-3 #841, which looks GREAT parked near the first issue Legacy #844.

mwax516 posted:

Still curious if slow speed operation is a touch smoother on the newer legacy model or if that is the same as older legacy models. My 2009 has a very small lurch at slow speeds (just me being picky)

My older FEF-3 has (after a fair amount of use) developed the slight jerkiness at slow speed you describe, but I think that's a mechanical issue rather than a difference in the electronics; it did not have this issue when new. The 2016 one will crawl along flawlessly  at the slowest speed.

Externally it's obvious that the same tooling was used for the old and new models and the differences are mainly in the cylinder caps (plated on the old, painted on the new) and side rods (bare metal vs. blackened). The photo below slightly exaggerates the darkness of the side rods:

Apart from the fact that I don't recall Lionel ever saying in advance that they were adopting this new treatment, I don't mind the difference as the older running gear does not look like polished steel anyway.

Actually, I had and older SP Gs-2 that developed some hesitation and noise at slow speeds. I open her up and found that there was no grease in the universal joints. Added a very small amount to them and it crawls ...

J Daddy posted:

Actually, I had and older SP Gs-2 that developed some hesitation and noise at slow speeds. I open her up and found that there was no grease in the universal joints. Added a very small amount to them and it crawls ...

This is a very good point.  I would definitely make sure you have grease where needed.