Lehigh Valley C 420

Probably call Charlie Ro, no?  I can say for myself that having both is the way to go.  I have both TMCC versions and they are quite simply, awesome.  Each has completely different Alco sounds and they are both great.  Perfect size for a layout, incredible sounds, and these engines look best going slow, which is more fun on an average sized layout.  I'm a big fan, as you can see from these pictures.

and then go ahead and add upgraded Lehigh & Hudson River Valley and Lionel Lines Service Station Special C420s and you've got something really cool.

They are cornell red, not grey as in the catalog.

Dave

Looking good!!! How does that LV caboose look with that red C420?

Dave

I have the first edition of this loco, it is pre-Odyssey, and it is a great runner, but I have the 410, in conventional, with a R2LC in it for TMCC and the wires at the motors reversed, and it refuses to run in TMCC at our club layout, but works at my house. Other than that glitch, it looks super, if I was able, I would buy a TMCC C-420 and put the 410 shell on it. The sound of the two Alco's together would be awesome. The newer versions with modern electronics must be awesome.

I like the picture of the C-420's together, but isn't there a New Haven C-420 that was a Service Station set, or other uncataloged version?

Train Doctor,

 The New Haven was offered in TMCC and Conventional in 1999/2000 with the LV, D&H, Nickel Plate and Monon. I have the 412 and I am looking for the 411 (and the L&HR). (Some day   (Love them ALCo's!)

Henry J

I've got the D&H 411 & 412 and they are both real workhorses. Occaissionally they will exhibit signal issues so I have to be somewhat selective as to which mainline that I run them on at the club layout.

It's a bummer that Lionel didn't make these in the Yellowjacket color scheme.  I feel badly for the people that wanted to get these based on the color scheme.  First Lionel messed up the color scheme on the Lehigh Valley RS11 then to make the C420 in a different color scheme then what was cataloged.  Go figure, I guess.

On a positive note, I do agree with what everyone has said about the Lionel C420.  I have both Lehigh Valley versions as well as the D&H.  They are great locomotives.  Scale sized, nicely detailed, and sound great.

Here are some videos of mine if you would like to see them run.

Joe

Joe R,

 I haven't seen the catalog picture of the RS-11. How is the color scheme messed up?I'll ask this question, is the paint more toward a brown(tuscan) color? The reason I ask, back in the 60's the LV was short in the funding department. The PRR provided money needed to help the LV procure equipment. Several series of equipment were painted closer to the PRR Tuscan than the LV Cornell(if the LV defaulted on payment, the PRR would 'recover it's leased equipment'. I recall reading this in a book that primarily covered the Lehigh Valley's ALCO's. If I can find the reference again, I will let you know.

 I liked the 'Yellow Jacket' scheme better as well. But, I haven't seen a bad scheme yet on the low nose 420's.

Henry J.

Henry J,

The Valley received six high hood RS11's from the Pennsylvania in 1964.  The PRR painted them Tuscan with a thin yellow stripe and small Lehigh Valley lettering.  They were also upgraded to 2000 HP to match up with the C420's on the Valley.  After receiving these locomotives, the Valley started to paint other locomotives into this color scheme.  As time went on, some RS11's were repainted into a brighter red, much like the C420 Lionel made in 2000, with a larger yellow stripe, large Lehigh Valley lettering, a large LV diamond on each end of the locomotive, white scare stripes on the end of the long hood, and white scare stripes on each pilot.

Lionel used the brighter red with the thin yellow stripe and small lettering on the Valley RS11's they made.  It's like they took parts of both color schemes and made their own.

Joe

The picture of Lionel's paint job is clearer now.

Henry J.