Let's see your O-27 Alcos

K-Line Liberty Ltd


K-Line Alcos custom painted by me


K-Line NYC


K-Line Santa Fe

quote:

Originally posted by *JackBurton*:
Williams 2023 UP and Lionel 202




]

This photo really shows how far Lionel had degraded the PW Alcos with the cheap stamped frame that wraps up and holds the cab. It ruins them for me personally. In stark contrast, the Williams 'Golden Memories' model (and Lionel PW originals) fully captures the beauty of a scaled down Alco FA in exquisite form!
It would appear that Williams is the clear winner in the appearance (IMO) department and most likely the overall best performer. A fella at our club has the K-Line NYCs pictured in the previous post and although attractive, they are very lightweight and not good performers.
With the K-Line engines that have silver trucks it helps the looks immensely to paint the bracket above the trucks black/dark gray to help the trucks appear more natural.
Great photos everyone!

Sam:

I completely understand and agree that the cast frame FA's by Lionel (and the Williams and K-Line versions) have the best overall proportions between the two major versions (cast vs stamped frame).

What's amazing is that, for some reason, I also find the little stamped frame FA's have an appeal all their own. I dunno'... I guess the boxy look and color schemes remind me of Christmases past from a long time ago complete with vague mental images of department store Christmas layouts... friends post-Christmas layouts, and other pleasant memories.

It's all good.

Andre Ming

quote:

Originally posted by c.sam:
This photo really shows how far Lionel had degraded the PW Alcos with the cheap stamped frame that wraps up and holds the cab. It ruins them for me personally. In stark contrast, the Williams 'Golden Memories' model (and Lionel PW originals) fully captures the beauty of a scaled down Alco FA in exquisite form!
It would appear that Williams is the clear winner in the appearance (IMO) department and most likely the overall best performer.

The WBB units are VASTLY superior to the newer Lionel Alcos in my opinion. I bought the Alaska set from last year's catalog, and returned it a few days later because of its motor issues. I replaced those units with a set of Golden Memories UP 2023's, and they're better in every category. Smooth running, cast frames, better detail... heck, the Williams dummy unit is heavier than the Lionel powered unit was! The Lionel units I had were junk as far as I'm concerned.

Had the LCCA reissued the beautiful Lionel blue Santa Fe alcos AND had them built by Williams, I would have rejoined the club and bought a set! The lightweight construction and wrapover frame kills them for me...
Just my (narrow-minded) opinion mind you.

Heck, if WBB is smart, they should produce a set of these anyway - it probably would be a runaway best seller.

Is anyone good at PhotoShop and could create a set of these 208's?

At last weekends TTOS SP meet, I at least got to run some of my Military themed Alco's.

Steve[/QUOTE]


Well done, Steve, well done!


Rufus

quote:

Heck, if WBB is smart, they should produce a set of these anyway - it probably would be a runaway best seller.

Agreed. Mark

quote:

Originally posted by c.sam:
Had the LCCA reissued the beautiful Lionel blue Santa Fe alcos AND had them built by Williams, I would have rejoined the club and bought a set! The lightweight construction and wrapover frame kills them for me...
Just my (narrow-minded) opinion mind you.

Heck, if WBB is smart, they should produce a set of these anyway - it probably would be a runaway best seller.

WBB should wake up and make a set of New Haven 209s. They would sell like hot cakes.

I agree that WBB could sell a lot of engines if they took their post-war style die-cast Alco's and put a bunch of colorful paint schemes on them (New Havens, SF freights, grey-nosed UPs, and so on). I think these would be perfect for people (like me) with small layouts.

C.SAM said that the K-Line was light weight & not a good performer and I agree... to a point. Mine would not pull much of anything for the first hour of use and I was somewhat disappointed, then after that it did very well, but still not as good as anything else. They are meant for small loop running, but on a large layout they look pretty cool.

Dennis

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Dunn:
I agree that WBB could sell a lot of engines if they took their post-war style die-cast Alco's and put a bunch of colorful paint schemes on them (New Havens, SF freights, grey-nosed UPs, and so on). I think these would be perfect for people (like me) with small layouts.

If you're referring to the gray on top of the nose, that's the version WBB makes. My 2023's have it. I agree that they'd sell a ton of them if they made all the roadnames mentioned... I'd buy the New Haven units as well.

quote:

Originally posted by Jumijo:
WBB should wake up and make a set of New Haven 209s. They would sell like hot cakes.

Let me help you out and restate:

WBB should wake up and copy Lionel's New Haven 209s. They would sell like hot cakes.

quote:

Originally posted by LS1Heli:

quote:

Originally posted by Jumijo:
WBB should wake up and make a set of New Haven 209s. They would sell like hot cakes.

Let me help you out and restate:

WBB should wake up and copy Lionel's New Haven 209s. They would sell like hot cakes.

A pair of 209's (and 208's) from WBB would be deterimental to my diet...

Rusty

I would be in for the WBB 209's.

I have the K-Lionel Alcos and want them to be better running. The Alpert era Alcos that Christopher2035 showed are on my want list. They really are an unusual paint scheme in model form. The earlier paint schemes of green and orange (as delivered) or pullman green and gold stripes are also unusual. I would get them too if ever offered.

Here are the LCCA NH Alcos:



Peter

Oh, wait....you meant MODEL FA's.........

 

 

All Post War Alcos:

 

Train Board locomotives.

these are great runners at the shows

we go to.

All Lionel except one Kline UP stuck

in the middle of the pack.

 

 

 

Ummm, okay I give up, where's the O-27 Alcos in those two pictures of yours? 

 

You did notice the title of this thread, right?  

https://ogrforum.com/t...lionel-alco-fa-locos

From my collection. First are Williams.

Next are Lionel.

Reapinted Marxs.

Marxs.

B&O #2031, originally served on the Rock Island. My first-ever Lionel train. Given to me by one of my college roomates, who had started to paint it Blue and Gray. I finished it with Champ Decals in the 1970's. Has been running without major mechanical incident since the 1950's. Some body damage on the trailing A unit, though.

 

Bill: I wish someone would make that for real (hint-hint Lionel and WBB).

Is this a candidate for the Alco FA 'Monster Truck' category?

 

You wonder how it does in curves.

 

Some pretty hefty wheels could fit under this puppy!

 

"Bill: I wish someone would make that for real.."

I do too, Art. If one looks carefully, you see that the middle "stripe" on my unit is not black, like original B&O, but the same Royal Blue as the rest of the body. That was partly on purpose. In the 1960's, B&O simplified its color scheme, going to solid blue with large yellow capitol dome and lettering. There were some "transition" units, though, that had the original striping but were solid blue, no black or gray. I've seen photos of FA's like that, but the only one I ever saw personally was this E unit in Washington, DC in 1964. With the yellow pilot, I thought it looked neat.

K-Line used the KMT molds on the FA's. Here, KMT Missouri Pacific FA's are on the left; K-Line Wine Train FA's are on the right.

As seen in this image from railpictures.net, I've always thought this SP&S scheme would be a nice one for these models:

 

 

Bob

Railking Baltimore & Ohio FA-1s waiting at Kessler Junction

 

 

I have 14 K-Line Alco FA AA and ABA Sets. I don’t have any pictures and they are not currently in use on my layout. I’ve had a soft spot for them sense I purchased a Kusan dummy Alco kit in the early ‘60s, they are much nicer than Lionel’s Alcos with the sheet metal frames.

I'm with you all the way on that one.  As much as I like my original Erie Alco AAs, I have to agree that a scale-sized version to go with the F3s would have been memorable.

Of all of the ALCO PAs and FAs, the prettiest paint scheme is the Rock Island red & black.

I would jump at the chance to buy those too.

Maybe the WBBCCA will issue this set some day.

I'd like to see someone remake either of the two Boston and Maine black and blue FAs. I don't think either has been redone. For some reason I've always liked these despite not seeing much love from the collectors. It was one of the few made with a B unit.

Trainsbob,

 

Those NYC cigar band custom jobs are nice.

 

Doug

We ran into Len Caparelli (sp?) in his booth at York last week and he had a beautiful set of Lionel Erie FAs with Black w/yellow trim matching cars that were featured in a magazine last year or so. They were stunninng in person.

He also created the beautiful Green & Gray AA pair to run with the Lionel 2400 green 027 passenger set pictured here.

Thanks Doug.  I do OK as long as the paint scheme is basic black.

The decals are Microscale with selective compression of the lettering.

Sam, I actually have the green Alco that Len repainted several years ago. I need to acquire the green passenger cars to run with it as well as my 671. Len has done a number of repaints for me including the 600 MKT and the 621 Jersey Central. I used the 623 Santa Fe as the basis and they look great.

Could you poast some phtos of them for us to see?

The green cars are fairly easy to come by these days. There were several really nice sets at York...

 

These are both from Conventional Classics sets:

 

Sante Fe Freight

 

 

UP Anniversary Set