How desirable is this Lionel scale passenger set? Are they particularly 'rare' or difficult to find? I wasn't yet back into trains when these were released and was watching a set on the bay this week. It is now over $1700 with about an hour to go. Has 7 cars w/the RS diner too.
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That is a great looking set. New, the engines and seven cars were almost $1,900 so $1,700 for an unused set is probably a good deal. I've been looking for the Legacy PRR E7s for over a year now, and that set as well as this one very seldom show up and when they do go for more than I'm willing to pay.
Ron
I'm surprised that it is going for $1700. If it is in good shape,I'd go for it. I have one and it is a focus of my layout. I even took my set to run at the Carnegie Science Center here in Pittsburgh a few years back. Everyone asks about it. You can see it on my avatar,right above the PWC Texas Special set !
Norm
On a side note, Lionel actually designed the smoke units to be fillable on the e7's.
An opening hatch right in the center of the shell allows access directly into the smoke unit opening to fill it.
Smoke is prodigious from all 8 stacks, powered and dummy.
I'm just 'window shopping' like I did as a kid with the trains in the Christmas window!
The only set I've have the slightest chance of approval from the CFO would be the Lionel Florida East Coast E6 (E3?) set. Haven't seen one on the bay in about a year now; before that there was usually one or two each month - should have sprung for one back then...
how long are the passenger cars in this set? Are these the 21-inchers?
- Mike
the cars are 21" ...
Sam:
What makes this set special to me is the 21" passenger cars. Lionel did a wonderful job with this colorful and beautiful set. Visitors to our layout often comment on how nice it really is.
Put it on your wish list for the future.
I think this is a beautiful set and not to sound condescending it looks like the K-Line set. Lionel made it a show stopper adding Legacy Command Control. It's very beautifully made to Run. My layout is not ready for 22 inch cars. The 18 inch Lionel Cars look better on my. Layout. Happy July 4th.
The set was "run" on my layout or attempted I should say. The loco would not pull the set up my 2.2% grade.
Yes, I have the same issue! How can you clean them?
As for the E7s, you might want to but a set of MTH Alco PAs, with both units powered, since these were also used on the prototype train. Or you could get some of the old brass/bronze doorstops and repaint them and power them for 3-rail. These will draw alot of current but they are good pullers. Everybody who sees this trains comments on its beauty. I wish I knew of a way to replace that window material Lionel used.
While those Alco's are prototypically accurate they are also prototypically less attractive. Those E-7's were beautiful engines with the fluted side panels and the bright red panels and nose. The Alco's were "grey" with painted on "stripes" to "simulate" the fluting. It wasn't a very convincing simulation.
773Hudson:
No, I have not encountered this problem of the spotted windows on my set. The cars I believe were made from the K-Line molds.
And Lionel did not put a dome with this set. TS did not have one. Have seen set. Looks good. And E7's are better than PA's for the train!
These are the K-Line 21" cars which were in pretty short supply when they were released by K-Line. I think they actually matched the names of the cars to the types and they were reasonable facsimile of the real train.
http://www.katyrailroad.org/images/texspec.gif
There were supposed to be 15", 18", and full scale 21" sets offered by K-Line. I've only seen the 18" and 21" ones and never a complete set (and even these were very, very, very hard to find). At the time of issuance no one had a nice E-7 set to run them which may have contributed to why they didn't sell well.
I was astonished when Williams first released E's that they didn't do a TS version instead of a re-issue of the F-7's in a Lionel fantasy scheme.
I have this set too, with the add-on cars and the StationSounds diner.
Yes, the cars show the spotting/frosting/crackling Lionel passenger car window problem. It would be a mammoth job to replace them.
The engines are great, however. I'm afraid that for sound and overall performance they beat the recent 3rd Rail E7 offering hands down.
I have had a traction problem (even on dead level track) that was solved by putting new MTH traction tires on the powered engine.
It's a beauty as a set.
Earlier this year, I stumbled into this wonderful passenger set on the OGR buy/sell forum from a forum member. 
And more recently I just purchased two Lionel SD70ACe "Texas Special" locomotives at a sweet price, so if power/traction is ever an issue with the original set, I can always MU the SD70ACe's with the E7's to make a long train even longer!!! 
Or perhaps alternate motive power between the E7 AA (one power unit) and the two powered SD70ACe's.
David
David:
I have no problems in pulling all seven cars with the E unit(s). However the SDs would look spectacular with this passenger train.
My Lionel Legacy E7 set is sealed in the boxes and will stay that way for now. The price for the engine and car set just shows how much the name "Texas Special" still rings beautiful in train hobbyists' ears. The orange red color enhanced with either white or silver trim is magical. Those who missed out on ordering the new Neil Young Texas Special set, whether scale or traditional fan, are really going to miss the train. I can't wait until it gets delivered to my front door. Yes, I will run this set immediately.
The Texas Special passenger train is one of the best looking sets Lionel has ever released.
TEX
Steve
Steve, no argument from me. I run two sets regularly on our layout. You just can't beat the colors.
I picked up the RK 'Scale' Texas Special ABA recently and am curious to see the Premiere set when they arrive later this year. A full-scale F3 will be really nice.
You guys are right - its a beautiful color scheme!
I should have picked this up at my LHS last year. They had a used set for $900.
The Texas Special was my dream set as a kid and I couldn't afford the HO version at 50 dollars in 1960. When I saw the Legacy set in the 2007 catalogue I thought -this is my childhood dream train. It is close to the prototype. The E7s are dead accurate, and the cars are close. The roof detail is not accurate for the observation, and I don't recall a combine in the prototype roster, but the names are accurate and the cars are close. BC models made some TS car kits in the 80s and they are alot of work. This is as close as you can get for the money. I run mine on O-72, (as the giant articulateds and their trains take up the 0-144 track) and the E7s pull all 7 cars well. I suggested the Alco PAs as an alternative, but I must agree, they are not as attractive, although the prototype had them as well. Theses are modified K-line cars but they work.
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