I havefound a Lionel H6 Consolidation for a great price. This engine is from 2000
and I wasa wondering of anyone could review this engine.
Original Post
I don't recognize the H6 part of it, that sounds like a Pennsy number, but I have the SP Consolidation from 2000. It is a nice looking model. It has an early version of TMCC - if I remember right it has the first version of Odyssey which means it has the "Odyssey lurch" on startup. Slow speed operation is not up to today's standards, but once it gets going operation is smooth and it will pull an appropriate number of cars for an engine this size. I don't think I've run more than 20 or so and it handled those fine. The smoke unit is a piston type, works OK but no comparison to a fan type unit. The boards on those early TMCC units can come loose from the motherboard, so that is the first thing to check if it acts up. Only one chuff per rev - the chuff runs off a little trip switch on the valve gear.
On the whole, I like mine. I run it quite a bit and I'd say if you're getting a good deal and it's in good shape, go for it. You might want to clarify that it is the SP version and not the Pennsy. I believe Lionel did make a PRR H6 around that time - the SP one would have a Vanderbilt tender; the PRR engine has a square Belpaire firebox and a conventional tender.
