Lionel Strasburg 89 Delivered

But... does it run well?

Sorry about that. The piping on the side looks great and it runs perfectly. No moving bell or whistle steam but I don't care. The one thing I wish it had was an operating front coupler. I don't know why Lionel would have omitted that feature, it would be so much more prototypical with it. But I really like it.

Does it come with a dummy coupler to swap out the scale front one?

Yes it does.

Oh ok, that makes more sense, especially because it's a engine that pulls it's consists in the front too.

That is why I wish they had an operating front coupler.

@PRR1644 posted:

That is why I wish they had an operating front coupler.

If you want to get an idea of what that engine would look like with an operating coupler, measure the length of the dummy coupler, then measure the length of the coupler on the tender. The difference is how far that coupler would stick out the front of the pilot. There is no room behind the pilot for a coupler unless you removed the pilot wheels.

Pete

I have done more than one front coupler installation, but with thumbtack, usually, Weaver, couplers on locomotives, and recently, a plastic printed McKeen car.  Coupler shanks can be shortened, and other modifications made to coupler and location.  May not be what you consider "operating", or would you wish to modify a new loco?

Doing a little research on Strasburg locos that have been in their livery, they never had an 0-8-0, but they did, and still do have a 4-8-0.  So when it comes to Lionel and the Strasburg complete train set they sell with an 0-8-0, how much effort and expense do you think would have been involved to just add a 4 wheel pilot truck and make it more prototypical?

@colorado hirailer posted:

I have done more than one front coupler installation, but with thumbtack, usually, Weaver, couplers on locomotives, and recently, a plastic printed McKeen car.  Coupler shanks can be shortened, and other modifications made to coupler and location.  May not be what you consider "operating", or would you wish to modify a new loco?

They come with a dummy claw coupler for double heading. A thumbtack magnetic coupler would have to be just as long as an electro coupler for the armature to work.

I have installed electro couplers on road engines but they had step pilots, not water tube pointed pilots. Still had to have material removed to get decent coupler swing.

Pete

My friend and club member Jay Hines YouTube review.Jay Hines. @jayhines4744

Picked mine up this afternoon, it's a keeper.  No problem with the seven woodside passenger cars, including the 2.5% grade.

Nice runner. Looks like it just left the coal tower. Don’t remember the earlier runs with a peaked coal load.

There’s no reason to look inside seeing these seem to run really well. Wondering what was changed as far as their advertised improved gearbox from the previous run.

@Dave_C posted:

Wondering what was changed as far as their advertised improved gearbox from the previous run.

Hard to say, Lionel was very secretive about what was wrong with the first one.

If I were REALLY energetic, I could open up the original and this one and see if I could see a difference.  However, I'm not that curious...

Hopefully not to get too far off topic but the problem with the first Legacy ones were not the gearbox, rather missing drive rod bushings. When some were sent back to China for a rebuild, the gearbox was changed out for the worse as it turned out.
Looks like they figured it out this time.

Pete

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Picked mine up this afternoon, it's a keeper.  No problem with the seven woodside passenger cars, including the 2.5% grade.

Looks great, I have the same woodside cars and plan to pick my 89 up tomorrow.

John, what did you use for roadbed under your track?

@Tuscan Jim posted:

John, what did you use for roadbed under your track?

It's foam roadbed from an eBay seller named sparks00033.  Just search for him on eBay and you'll see all his choices.

Super, thank you.

Here’s what we have been waiting for!

Good Evening Everyone,

A little late to the party but here are the observations of my new Lionel Legacy 1970's Strasburg #89.   When acquiring a new Lionel steamer,  my standard practice is to grease/lube everything,  which includes getting inside the gearbox for a look-see and check for grease.   Removing the bottom chassis plate gives access to all three axles along with gearbox access.   My engine had NO grease anywhere on  the gears,  only a little blob stuck to the inside wall of the gearbox.   I completely packed the gearbox with grease.   While back driving and rotating the drive assembly I also applied grease directly onto the gear teeth.   Also oiled the axle bearings/journals before putting the bottom plate back on.   The siderods/crank pins were also oiled.   I then removed the engine shell to gain access to the smoke unit.   Removed the smoke unit cover to which the resistor and thermistor are soldered to on the underside.   According to previous Lionel info here on the forum,  the gap between the two is supposed to be around 1.6mm(.063")-mine were factory set at 1/8"(3.2mm).   I closed  the gap on mine and ended up at 1.7mm(.067").

So,  this weekend our club is set up at the Monroeville Pa Greenberg show and I finally got to run my engine.   Happy to report that after 4 1/2 hours of continuous running it ran flawlessly!   Everything worked exactly the way it was supposed to.   We are a modular club that runs on Gargraves track with Ross/Gargraves switches and after many years of use some of the trackwork isn't pretty especially at the joints where the modules connect.   The engine didn't derail one time including on the straight route through the switches(didn't have the opportunity to travel through the curved route).   I was pulling a consist of 5 MTH 64' woodside cars in the green/yellow livery that were a Nicholas Smith special run a few years back.   Using my Cab 2 remote with the club legacy base,  the engine was able to run with it's consist at speed step 1 without stalling of jerking.   There were a couple of videos shot which will probably show up on youtube.   So after a few precautions,  I'm very happy with this engine.