Lionel Conventional Classics

Terrance,

The best thing to do would be to check out youtube. Not only do you see them up close but you also see how they run.

Sunrise

Christopher2035 has a large collection of them and has a huge photographic archive of his collection, so he'll likely be your best bet 

I have just about all of them. What is it your looking for?

Charlie, the sound of that whistle is hauntingly beautiful. 

Lol, Thx Nick. 

Terrance - I have most of the sets - which one's were you interested in?  I would be happy to post pics for you

Having heard the whistle on the CC 726, I have to own this set!   Nice looking set and a really incredible sounding whistle.  Thanks for sharing the video for us MichRR714.

My only other CC items are the Budd RDC set and 2340 GG1, both I am happy with.

Lionel will sell you the sound board for the 726. I put one in my Williams 726 along with a mini Fat Boy speaker. Great improvement over TBII.

Pete

Norton:  Not to hi-jack this post, but since you seem to have your Conv. Classic  726 loco out on the tracks, I have a question for you.

          I have two of these locomotives: one from a set break-up, passenger and  one that I purchased the whole freight set.  On both, I noticed that the headlamp will "Pulse" from med brightness to hi brightness in a regular pattern at idle. When the locos are in motion, the lamp brightness is constant at the med setting and the smoke unit and other features work as they should.  I did have the first pass. loco apart to check it out inside and see if there was enough grease in the gearbox, etc., after re-assembly and running I noticed the 'Pulsing"  I have not read that anyone that has been using these locos has experienced this condition, perhaps they felt it was a neat feature that was unreported  in the literature; The paperwork states that the wick in the brushplate should be lubed for the armature bearing (?).  While the wick is there, there is  NO Brushplate Armature Bearing at that location, nor has there ever been one for this type of motor, when used in this loco; so surely this  feature notice could have been left out - not mentioned.

          I did give  Mike Reagan an e-mail about the 'Pulsing" and he guided me thru several steps, especially since I had the loco apart, and I might have re-pluged something into the wrong connection ( like the smoke plug, as this is  "pulsed" at idle) to try and determine why this is occuring.  He had me re-check all wiring and plug connections and clearances - all were correct and good. We then substituted several different transformers, because I also have a lighted lock-on attached to the track and this will "pulse" also when the loco is on the track, finally using a CW-80 to see what results we got.  All transformers: 1003,  PowreStation/PowerHouse combo (has a 135Watt brick),  a Z4000, all showed the "Pulsing" action on the loco and the lighted lock-on.  The CW-80, at first glance, seemed to not have the  "pulsing", but closer observation showed that it was there, but at a greatly reduced visibility.   I asked Mike, in my last e-mail to him, if he could check it out with a ZW-L ( I don't have one to try) that they are using at the  Service Center in Ohio, and see if the "Pulsing" occurs with that transformer.  I have not heard back from him yet.

          So what gives?  Has anyone else experienced this condition?  I only want to know if there is anything wrong, so I can get it corrected while still in warranty, or if all is okay, then I'll just enjoy the added feature.   Any input????    Dennis M.

Dennis, that is actually a Williams engine decorated to more closely match the Lionel version. I posted to this thread as some were interested in the whistle sound.

You could likely rule out the transformer by placing an AC voltmeter on the rails and check if track voltage is pulsing. My guess is it isn't. I checked the parts for that loco it appears to use an ACMC reversing board. I believe the headlamp plugs into that board. I can't tell you with any certainty if the flashing lamp is a feature or not, not having any experience with that board.

Pete

Pete:  Yes, the board is an  ACDR, but in this case, the headlamp is hard wired to the incoming track power and the return ground rails; It does not use any headlight plug on the ACDR board. I visually traced the wires to confirm this and be sure that I did not plug anything wrong.

          Mike Reagan seems to think that the 'Pulsing" is due to the smoke resistor being put into the circuit by the ACDR, while at idle through the "Pulsing" phase of the board. This is to keep the resistor somewhat  "HOT" so that smoke can be brought up quickly when  cycling it to run; then there is a constant load on the electrical circuit, and hence, no variation of power draw being reflected in the light bulbs.

          What is puzzeling, that the different transformers used, show the "pulsing" to a greater/lesser degree.  I believe that Mike Reagan is leaning to the fact that the other transformers are a  pure sine wave and the  CW-80 is not; but I need to await his final reply.  "Thanks" for you reply,   Dennis M.