Lionel #18040 N&W J

Actually, the 18040 J was released in 1995. The following year, Lionel produced the 18049 Warhorse J which did come TMCC equipped and has unique sounds. This locomotive is fairly common and similarly priced and might be a good option for you.

The Warhorse J might not be such a good option, if ZW wants to use it to pull his passenger cars, as he says. While it would pull the cars, it wouldn't look good doing it. That Warhorse J came with a pretty heavy weathering job (not to mention the cranky, broken down type RailSounds Lionel put in it to simulate an old, end-of-useful life engine). It's not going to look too swift pulling some nice shiny passenger cars.

A better bet would be the 18040. Probably the most attractive traditional J Lionel ever made, with proper passenger maroon colors, unlike the Space set J, with its reddish, Postwar style trim, that doesn't match the passenger cars.

Check with Electric Railroad - they have an AC commander that can add TMCC to an engine with a Pullmor motor, which of course the J has. Put that on the 18040, and you'll have a nice engine.

Lionel also did a set of aluminum passenger cars for the 18040, with more of a satin finish that matches the engine. The MPC era J and cars you now have are painted with a relatively shiney finish. I've not seen the MPC era cars with the 18040, so can't comment on how they look together, but the finish will be different. Lionel also subsequently did another set of "traditional" N&W aluminum passenger cars, a 6 car set, these with finished interiors and passenger figures. They also have the satin type finish. If you can find those cars, that would be a great set for the 18040, I would think. All it takes is money!

I don't have one yet but the best J choices from Lionel are the 6-38026 and the 6-38095 the later has TMCC and railsounds 5.0 .The 38095 is still listed at the Lionel web site and if you can dig one up usually goes for a tidy bit.

I've had several chances to get my hands on one lately but I was hoping against hope that Lionel would make a legacy J which I'm sure they will the day after I get tired of waiting and buy the 6-38095.

I don't like the Lionel passenger cars though because I hate cars with passenger silhouettes . MTH makes a set of premier cars with detailed interiors that I think are much better.

David

Lionel has made a set of N&W aluminum 15" cars with detailed interiors. 2000-2002ish.

Jon

I have the warhorse J set, I am not using that to pull clean passenger cars :-)

I have the aluminum passenger cars from MPC and the Remakes from 1995-96.

I was just curious if you could add TMCC to a Lionel engine that already had Railsounds 2.

I didnt think the components and circut boards available today are able to work together.

quote:

Originally posted by DPC:
I don't have one yet but the best J choices from Lionel are the 6-38026 and the 6-38095 the later has TMCC and railsounds 5.0 .The 38095 is still listed at the Lionel web site and if you can dig one up usually goes for a tidy bit.

I don't like the Lionel passenger cars though because I hate cars with passenger silhouettes . MTH makes a set of premier cars with detailed interiors that I think are much better.

David

The Js you mention are scale size versions - they will be oversize with ZW's cars. He needs a traditional-sized J. Also, apparently you missed them, but Lionel made a set of traditional aluminum passenger cars with interiors and figures, and they also made scale 18" aluminum streamlined cars for the scale-sized Js, with highly detailed interiors and passenger figures. Note that the Lionel cars are made from aluminum; the MTH cars are plastic.

quote:

Originally posted by KOOLjock1:
Lionel has made a set of N&W aluminum 15" cars with detailed interiors. 2000-2002ish.

Jon

Thanks Jon,

But N&W's passenger cars were 85 foot smooth side which in O scale would be 21 and a half inches long . I wish someone would make a set of cars like the ones I've got with the 6-38094 Hiawatha. These guys are long and beautiful and metal.

Oh well maybe one day Weaver or S/S 3rd rail will turn some out.

David

quote:

Originally posted by ZWPOWER13:
I didnt think the components and circut boards available today are able to work together.

Rather than guess about it, as I mentioned above, you should call Electric Railroad and ask them, and get a definitive answer about compatability. They make TMCC components available separately from their Railsounds components. You can probably install TMCC and still have the Railsounds.

quote:

Originally posted by DPC:
I wish someone would make a set of cars like the ones I've got with the 6-38094 Hiawatha. These guys are long and beautiful and metal.

Oh well maybe one day Weaver or S/S 3rd rail will turn some out.

David

See above.

quote:

Thanks Jon,

But N&W's passenger cars were 85 foot smooth side which in O scale would be 21 and a half inches long . I wish someone would make a set of cars like the ones I've got with the 6-38094 Hiawatha. These guys are long and beautiful and metal.

Oh well maybe one day Weaver or S/S 3rd rail will turn some out.

Yes, but those would look mighty silly behind a Post War-sized Lionel "J"!

Jon

Does anyone have a video of this engine running? I wanted to hear the Railsounds 2 in this loco.