Lionel Nickel plate limited Berkshire #777 2431510

My #777 has shipped this week.  Pictures soon.

Duncan

Cool

Just received mine today from Trainworld…it’s stunning! The detail really pops on the blue. Lionel knocked this one out of the park.

Great to see that Lionel really got the color correct. Mine is still in shipping but now I can wait without trepidation.

Thanks

Duncan

Okay, now that is awesome!

The more I study these pics the more this Berkshire resembles a mix of Good Tin Plate, high scale O gauge and a Christmas Ornament. This will be the best looking steamer in my fleet.  I am very pleased as it also incorporates the best that Legacy has to offer at this time. I plan to add it to my Wabash consist for the near term. The blues and silver almost match.

Wow that one looks stunning!

Beautiful engine!

About time someone posted a picture!! I was getting nervous thinking it was a flop. I have this coming with the METCA Chessie Berkshire. I was going to order a Polar Express but passed and decided on the 777 .

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!!

This engine is stunning. Reminded me of the orange greenbrier with the sense of a visual “wow effect “.  Mine seems to have an excessive crackle noise as part of the sound effects. All other sounds are fine just has a noticeable and honestly distracting static continuous crackle like a broken speaker.  Whistle steam effect seems weak and intermittent too.  It doesn’t billow out like other engines (almost nonexistent when running ). Anyone else experiencing this ?

The crackling in the sound does not seem good. I would contact Lionel and send it back for a fix. Don't wait till they donot have parts. My unit is still in shipping.

The Berkshires are supposed to have dual Fatboy speakers in the tender.  The sound should be very loud and clean. The whistle issue may be adjustable. It is so stunning a looker, I'm sorry you are having issues.

Thanks Duncan. Wasn’t looking forward to it.   Read on an older thread where it was a known issue that couldn’t be fixed however when positioned next to the triplex, for example, that doesn’t have this issue it stands out. Aside from that though, it looks amazing. Could have been a Visionline with an added few features.  

I would still contact Lionel. You are paying top dollar for a quality engine. All my Legacy engines have excellent sound. I have also built custom sound cars using Lionel's ERR Cards and their Fatboy 50mm speakers and the sound is great. The sound card and speakers in the # 777 are tried and tested. They are not pushing the tech here but the paint job and details are outstanding. Enjoy!

I hate to admit it but what does the STL stand for on the #777 engine.  It reads NYC & STL so New York Central and Steam Train Limited???

Google didn't help here.

Duncan

@Duncan H W Foster The answer is the the Nickel Plate was not actually named the Nickel Plate.  The actual name of the business was the New York, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad (hence NYC&STL). When it was being built, it was called a nickel plated railroad (as sign of quality at the time) and then the marketing department took that and ran with it to the point that everybody just called it the Nickel Plate Road.

Thank you, that Is why I love belonging to OGR.  You never stop learning.

Duncan

Ok , I admit to being a bit of a train nerd. But studying the pics again the first driver wheels look larger than the next three.  Is this proto typical?

Also on the trailing truck the last wheels look larger as well. Did they use steam thrust enhancement on the Berkshires?

Cheers!

Duncan

@mustang66 posted:

This engine is stunning. Reminded me of the orange greenbrier with the sense of a visual “wow effect “.  Mine seems to have an excessive crackle noise as part of the sound effects. All other sounds are fine just has a noticeable and honestly distracting static continuous crackle like a broken speaker.  Whistle steam effect seems weak and intermittent too.  It doesn’t billow out like other engines (almost nonexistent when running ). Anyone else experiencing this ?

Mustang66,

     I do not know if the Berks have a separate smoke unit for the whistle or if they share the stack smoke unit. If it is a shared smoke unit try blowing some compressed air to un-block any bubbles that may be clogging the tube that goes to the whistle. If it has a separate put no more than 10 drops of fluid in the whistle hole. For the shared smoke unit I put about a third of the eye dropper in the unit resulting in significant smoke from both the stack and whistle. If you think a third of the dropper is too much try a quarter then go up if needed. The whistles got to be wet to work great. Try the air blow down first then try more fluid if needed. Let us know how you make out.

JohnB

Anyone try to run this engine using 4 digit addressing with the CAB3? I entered engine ID 777 and the engine immediately loaded, picture and all. However, the engine would not operate from there. Cleared 777 and programmed as 77 and everything worked as it should. I know there are 4 digit addressing issues with the Triplex. Wonder if similar issues are in the Berks?

@BAM Railroad posted:

Anyone try to run this engine using 4 digit addressing with the CAB3? I entered engine ID 777 and the engine immediately loaded, picture and all. However, the engine would not operate from there. Cleared 777 and programmed as 77 and everything worked as it should. I know there are 4 digit addressing issues with the Triplex. Wonder if similar issues are in the Berks?

That is going to be hard to do since that engine is not listed in catalog as having 4 Digit addressing.   

You'd see a BLE/4D switch on it if it had that feature.   

4 Digit addressing comes to all Legacy Engines from the 2024 Vol 2 catalog and forward and special release engines like the Triplex. 

From Lionels site - "4-Digit was limited to special release locomotives until rolling this feature into all Legacy engines in Lionel’s 2024 Volume 2 catalog and beyond".

Did a little research on old forum threads and the Berkshires did not use any additional steam generated power on the trailing trucks.  The size difference in the wheels was to allow clearance with the fire box.

After looking more closely at the pictures the size differential on the drive wheels is due to removing the flanges on the middle wheels to allow clearance on track curves.

@Sean's Train Depot posted:

That is going to be hard to do since that engine is not listed in catalog as having 4 Digit addressing.   

You'd see a BLE/4D switch on it if it had that feature.   

4 Digit addressing comes to all Legacy Engines from the 2024 Vol 2 catalog and forward and special release engines like the Triplex.

From Lionels site - "4-Digit was limited to special release locomotives until rolling this feature into all Legacy engines in Lionel’s 2024 Volume 2 catalog and beyond".

Thanks Sean. I forgot it was 2024 V2 and forward! It was nice to see the image preload though in the CAB3 app!

My Berkshire 777 finally arrived. Eric's trains has an upen house video showing it running and whistle sounds. It looks fantastic and is the jewel of my fleet. Here are a few pics.

@Duncan H W Foster posted:

My Berkshire 777 finally arrived. Eric's trains has an upen house video showing it running and whistle sounds. It looks fantastic and is the jewel of my fleet. Here are a few pics.

That looks fantastic, Duncan. I have the #779 set on order - so I’m already spending big Berk bucks - but, man, it is tempting to spring for one of these.

They really look good. Lionel really got all the fantasy colors correct on this. I hear they are releasing passenger cars to match in the next catalog. I don't collect Tin Plate but this is as close with deep saturated colors and pewter hued silver as it gets.

After seeing the 777 on Youtube and now here, I went ahead and ordered one of these Berks with intent on re-lettering for the Polar Express. Simply, put Lionel did an outstanding job on this model.

That's a handsome engine. It came out much better than what I had expected.

Sunrise

@Paul Kallus posted:

After seeing the 777 on Youtube and now here, I went ahead and ordered one of these Berks with intent on re-lettering for the Polar Express. Simply, put Lionel did an outstanding job on this model.

I did the same..  I think Lionel did a great job...

I saw one running in person last Saturday at the TCA Meet in Parma, OH.

Good sounds and smoke.  Interesting detail/contrast.....but the overall looks just aren't for me.

@Berkshire President posted:

...but the overall looks just aren't for me.

Me, either.

Yikes!

Beautiful engine! I thought my new P47 Baldwin Blue Comet was nice, but this one is off the charts! Thanks for sharing

@LT1Poncho posted:

Beautiful engine! I thought my new P47 Baldwin Blue Comet was nice, but this one is off the charts! Thanks for sharing

im thinking of getting the green p47 bullet,  did your blue comet come with foam between the  pilot wheels & the set of wheels under the cab?   i heard some were missing the foam pieces & dont want  a damaged from shipping engine.

Did MTH ever make a Berk like the Fort Wayne  Nickel Plate 765 in black.

@Jim Teeple posted:

Did MTH ever make a Berk like the Fort Wayne  Nickel Plate 765 in black.

Hello Jim. Yes, they have done several releases through the years in Premier (PS1, 2, 3) and Rail King. You should be able to find them with the product locator on their site. I had a Premier PS1 that I ran conventionally before selling it off - it was very nice.

@tom21pa posted:

im thinking of getting the green p47 bullet,  did your blue comet come with foam between the  pilot wheels & the set of wheels under the cab?   i heard some were missing the foam pieces & dont want  a damaged from shipping engine.

Yes mine had foam on front and rear. Packed nicely

mike

After looking at the excellent photos that were provided, of the 777, I too have decided to buy one.

My local hobby shop has one on order through his distributor.

It will be my first fantasy paint scheme, and it looks fantastic.

I’m not gonna say much as I only ran the engine a couple feet as I’m still working on the layout same goes for the chessie Berkshire from Metca that I have not taken a picture of yet.

@Rider Sandman posted:

Hello Jim. Yes, they have done several releases through the years in Premier (PS1, 2, 3) and Rail King. You should be able to find them with the product locator on their site. I had a Premier PS1 that I ran conventionally before selling it off - it was very nice.

Thanks i will make a post in the Wanted to buy section :

WTB RailKing MTH 30-1435-1 Nickel Plate 765