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I didn't see which side the whistle was on because of the safety popoff valves blowing. Where would the whistle be located?

I noticed that the whistle "smoke" appears to be coming from something adjacent to the safety valves. Must admit that I don't remember exactly where the whistle is located on prototype Class A locomotives, but I thought it should be closer towards the cab, i.e. NOT adjacent to the safety valves.

@Hot Water posted:

I noticed that the whistle "smoke" appears to be coming from something adjacent to the safety valves. Must admit that I don't remember exactly where the whistle is located on prototype Class A locomotives, but I thought it should be closer towards the cab, i.e. NOT adjacent to the safety valves.

I don't remember where it was on the 3D printed shell from the York photos I took. I'll probably have to gander a look at my photos when I get home. I'm sure BigJim or someone else may be able to get an answer on this. Just curious where it is.

I do know BigJim had messaged Ryan about the turrets(if I got that term right) were not supposed to be covered on most models, and only for a short period of time was it worn on 1218 I think he said if I got all that correct from my memory.

OK, problem solved. I just looked at my Class A book, by Ed King, and the whistle is on the Fireman's side of the steam dome, right behind the safety valves. Thus, the whistle is pretty much, "adjacent to the safety valves", being about a foot behind them. Lionel got it rights far as the location, but the sound is certainly NOT an N&W Hooter!

@Hot Water posted:

OK, problem solved. I just looked at my Class A book, by Ed King, and the whistle is on the Fireman's side of the steam dome, right behind the safety valves. Thus, the whistle is pretty much, "adjacent to the safety valves", being about a foot behind them. Lionel got it rights far as the location, but the sound is certainly NOT an N&W Hooter!

Sorry, jumped the gun!  Didn't catch your reply before I posted mine.

Yeah, when I get mine I am definitely changing to the right whistle. I still can't believe the PRR Texas debacle on them having the incorrect whistle. Right after is when they made every engine have the chance to have all sorts of whistles. I think we had a lengthy discussion on that thing and how they somehow said it was correct(don't know what planet that was).

Sorry, jumped the gun!  Didn't catch your reply before I posted mine.

Hey!…..the photo you posted is copyrighted material, …..I have the same book, and it’s heavily copyright protected,……delete your photo, and post a link or similar for people to view it!……if the mods catch it, you may get banned for good!!……just trying to save your hind end….

Pat

@harmonyards posted:

Hey!…..the photo you posted is copyrighted material, …..I have the same book, and it’s heavily copyright protected,……delete your photo, and post a link or similar for people to view it!……if the mods catch it, you may get banned for good!!……just trying to save your hind end….

Pat

Wow, I did.  Thanks for the heads up.  That image was posted to an open source online, so I don't know how that happened.

Wow, I did.  Thanks for the heads up.  That image was posted to an open source online, so I don't know how that happened.

They might not have permission either, but on here, it’s a major no-no,……if it even smells like it might be copyrighted, don’t copy it and post it, ….best thing to do is provide a link as to where others may see it,…….I’m not a forum cop, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night ,……😁

Pat

Demos with Dave Episode 21, around the 21 minute mark shows the whistles (assuming this is the same lineup as the production model).  The first two selections are hooters.

This is correct - I think RickO's speculation that the user chose it because they liked it is correct. The whistles sounded absolutely incredible in the speakers they have loaded on it in the Demo's video.

That being said, wrong whistle choice, dude freakin’ blew it.

I see what you did there

I really wish Lionel would give you the ability to control the brightness of every lamp to your liking. It would also be nice to have the ability to disable that tired and overused rail groaning/creaking effect. They use the same exact sounds in every engine. Engine looks amazing, can’t wait to get mine! I have a CG on the bench almost ready for service.

That hooter whistle is also an older file from the Lionmaster A. Sure would have been nice to get some updated sound files on a “Vision Line” engine. I’m sorry,  I’m just not seeing the “Vision” in this engine. What Vision features are on this engine that aren’t on engines with an Orange box? Oh, I guess the Black box and badging, plus a 4 digit number capabilities must be the “Vision”.

To be fair, based on Lionel’s history with sound, I’d personally tend to prefer they take an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach to sounds rather than ditching something that works perfectly well for new sounds that may be decent and may be terrible.

I also think I heard they have a second hooter whistle option in the lineup.

@RickO posted:

I believe that's the "excursion version" with the gloss paint. The video link that N'awlins posted on the first page shows a loco with a more satin finish.

Certainly sounds logical, i.e. the 1218 "excursion version". Having seen and photographed the real 1218 over many, MANY years during her excursion career, and can attest to the fact that she was very glossy!

@Hot Water posted:

Certainly sounds logical, i.e. the 1218 "excursion version". Having seen and photographed the real 1218 over many, MANY years during her excursion career, and can attest to the fact that she was very glossy!

I seen her fresh off her “ restoration “ ……she was indeed glossy, and classy,…..I do believe Lionel got it right this time for the excursion service, …….what people fail to realize, even when new, locomotives were painted in gloss, albeit a lacquer at the time, but nonetheless, a very high level of gloss, …..they weren’t flat like most models are painted, ……over time as the lacquer aged & weathered, then they’d go flat,…..gloss finish in scale is hard to achieve, ….this is a J I did for a fella in excursion service, ….no satin flat finish here,….

Pat F205C3F7-17C6-4F05-A141-72FFEF99FB9657106514-FFF9-4BDE-A573-F7E2619CAE4A

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Pat,

Actually gloss finish is no longer had to achieve on the prototype steam locomotive restorations over the last 30 or 40 years, when the Dupont Imron paint is used. Plus, the Iron is really easy to clean, and keep clean, no mater what gets on it. We had a fuel oil spill on 4449's tender, and washed off the mess with diesel fuel, then used Dawn dishwashing soap as the final wash. She looked as good as the day she was painted!

@Hot Water posted:

Pat,

Actually gloss finish is no longer had to achieve on the prototype steam locomotive restorations over the last 30 or 40 years, when the Dupont Imron paint is used. Plus, the Iron is really easy to clean, and keep clean, no mater what gets on it. We had a fuel oil spill on 4449's tender, and washed off the mess with diesel fuel, then used Dawn dishwashing soap as the final wash. She looked as good as the day she was painted!

Agreed, ….I’ve sprayed a gazzillion gallons of Imron, …..I knew you fully understand finishes, Jack, ………it’s some of the folks on here **** bent everything is supposed to be painted flat finishes, ……a sight to see in the books are examples of Lima’s newly minted locomotives, sprayed in Glidden’s triple black lacquer, …..so glossy, you can see the reflections of the camera man & his tripod in the still,……😉

Pat

@RickO posted:

Heres video of 1210. ( not mine)

I ordered 1210 to have a WW2-appropriate Class A, looks outstanding in the video! Thank you for sharing Rick!

@N&W 1218 posted:

62BCEACB-B57F-4D2D-BF69-651AF1CBD8CF

I’m wondering what is up with the deck plate? Looks awfully high compared to the tender???

It looks like it is not fully rested on the tender deck. This layout has a grade, so I'll speculate that the deck plate may have been nudged up when the engine started climbing the grade, and the hinge is not loose enough to let the deck plate move freely back down. I guess we'll find out when the rest of us get ours delivered.

@N&W 1218 posted:

Nice Video! Love that whistle selection! 😎62BCEACB-B57F-4D2D-BF69-651AF1CBD8CF

I’m wondering what is up with the deck plate? Looks awfully high compared to the tender???

If that’s the version with the Y3 tender, they probably didn’t match the deck height.

Similar to the smaller Atlantic tender they paired with their “stoker equipped” K4s in the Harding funeral set.

@0-Gauge CJ posted:

I ordered 1210 to have a WW2-appropriate Class A, looks outstanding in the video! Thank you for sharing Rick!

It looks like it is not fully rested on the tender deck. This layout has a grade, so I'll speculate that the deck plate may have been nudged up when the engine started climbing the grade, and the hinge is not loose enough to let the deck plate move freely back down. I guess we'll find out when the rest of us get ours delivered.

And, maybe the owner just didn't take the time to push it down just like the cut lever on the back of the tender. I wouldn't be getting your panties all filled with hot cinders yet!

The deck plate on my 1210 on RickO posting was newly out of the box yesterday. I had not adjusted and was taking it on its first run of my friend Jay Hines layout. My friend had picked up at the Lionel Store in Charlotte Friday. I can assure you the deck plate will line up properly. If you like the video please subscribe to his video channel. My only foul up running on his layout I neglected to see the Polar Express was on the same line. Luckily I manage to stop in very close the the Scale Observation Car. Please review his channel and enjoy. The Class A smooth run and functions is a home run for Lionel.

@Big Jim posted:

And, maybe the owner just didn't take the time to push it down just like the cut lever on the back of the tender. I wouldn't be getting your panties all filled with hot cinders yet!

Oh I'm not, I'm just happy to have a scale Legacy Class A!

The Class A smooth run and functions is a home run for Lionel.

Thanks for clarifying things! Do you know the track radius that you were running the A on? I've been working on various layout design ideas for awhile now and I am trying to decide what balance of articulated overhang and curve tightness (thus more track) I want.

Speaking of the excursion, yeah that was the one with the gloss finish. I do remember a few people wanted the option to have 1218 without a gloss finish. At the time Ryan assured people(this was at York), that there would be several versions of the Class A. He did say that the 3D printed shell probably made the gloss finish even more so than what it should have been.

I got to pop a look at some of the videos. I haven't had a chance to look into anything lately other than a few posts. I really can't wait to see what the real model looks like, but mine has not come in as yet anyway. I have to wait until next year.

I just went through my inbox and saw the custom PRR Class A Mr. Muffins put out. It looks good except the red roof on the cab IMO. I do realize that the Pennsy often had red roof cabs, but to me it just looks a little crazy. Yeah, I do know it is a fantasy paint scheme, and a fantasy engine for the Pennsy, but ack. I think it would have looked better with a black cab roof. I guess the red in the tender would have to be black too as they would match?

I just went through my inbox and saw the custom PRR Class A Mr. Muffins put out. It looks good except the red roof on the cab IMO. I do realize that the Pennsy often had red roof cabs, but to me it just looks a little crazy.

Interesting it wasn't the 2 different reds Lionel has been using on pennsy stuff these days.

It's actually quite similar to the red  mth uses.

We were running on O72 yesterday. I have not tested my 1210 on anything but the O72. My friend Jay Hines was running his 1201 fantasy scheme on his Youtube channel.

@Burl posted:

I ran on O72, and there is a fair amount of overhang and the drawbar must be put in the longest position for the deck plate to clear the tender sides.  If you have room, I'd suggest larger radius than O72.  O72 is tight for fast running, S-curves, etc.

Thanks for the info. I am aiming for O72 to be the absolute minimum on my layout and am currently looking at O96, but O96 curves leave less straight space for things like large yards. Thanks again for sharing.

Pretty neat engine. I can’t speak to how prototypical the overall design is but there are lots of cool details. It sounds awesome! Much better than the 2–10–4 Texan I just got. Smokes like a forest fire. It runs so smoothly…it just oozes down the track.  Being a Visionline engine I thought it would have the swinging bell but it does not.  I haven’t hooked up any cars to it yet so I can’t comment on the force coupler operation. Overall, very happy with it. Worth $2 grand? All I can say is ****, what isn’t expensive nowadays? I’m ok with it but my budget is depleted for 2023 already   😝

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i’ve never owned a huge, articulated engine like this before. I’ve seen many pictures and videos, especially of the Big Boys. I’ve never noticed these articulated arms that seem to help stabilize the front end as it swings out. Is this unique to this model or do other large articulated engines have it?

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Last edited by VJandP

Yes, very nice engine.  It also has road specific crew talk (specifically announced "Pennsy 3701").  I was afraid that for a custom run Lionel would just use generic crew talk dialog, but I am very happy that they put in the effort to customize the crew talk also.

One thing to note is that for a good size steam engine, it is relatively not very heavy.  The engine weighs in at 9 lb 7 oz (the tender is 4 lbs 1 oz).  For comparison, my Legacy EM-1 engine weighs 14 lbs.  As such I don't expect it will have top end pulling power (the pulling power comes mostly from the weight of the engine and the tire traction - no so much the motor).  Lionel probably reduced the weight to save cost somewhere?  They just don't make them like they used to!

Last edited by ntn-pa
@VJandP posted:

Being a Visionline engine I thought it would have the swinging bell but it does not.  

N&W Class A locomotives had pneumatic bell ringers that sounded the bells.  They did not swing.  The model portrays this accurately.

I’ve never noticed these articulated arms that seem to help stabilize the front end as it swings out. Is this unique to this model or do other large articulated engines have it?

The extremely tight curves O gauge locomotives tend to be operated on (even what would be considered a large diameter curve in O gauge is generally much smaller than exists in real life) exaggerates the look, but those are the steam pipes that would carry steam in or out of the cylinders.  In real life they'd flex somewhat to allow the locomotive to articulate.  The models allow much more flex than the real ones likely would in order to navigate the above-mentioned O gauge curves.

@VJandP posted:

Pretty neat engine. I can’t speak to how prototypical the overall design is but there are lots of cool details. It sounds awesome! Much better than the 2–10–4 Texan I just got. Smokes like a forest fire. It runs so smoothly…it just oozes down the track.  Being a Visionline engine I thought it would have the swinging bell but it does not.  I haven’t hooked up any cars to it yet so I can’t comment on the force coupler operation. Overall, very happy with it. Worth $2 grand? All I can say is ****, what isn’t expensive nowadays? I’m ok with it but my budget is depleted for 2023 already   😝



You left the foam under the tender between the trucks and the body.  Might want to remove that so it doesn't create any unnecessary drag.

@ntn-pa posted:

One thing to note is that for a good size steam engine, it is relatively not very heavy.  The engine weighs in at 9 lb 7 oz (the tender is 4 lbs 1 oz).  For comparison, my Legacy EM-1 engine weighs 14 lbs.  As such I don't expect it will have top end pulling power (the pulling power comes mostly from the weight of the engine and the tire traction - no so much the motor).  Lionel probably reduced the weight to save cost somewhere?  They just don't make them like they used to!

I noticed this! The 2-10–4 Texan feels like it weighs at least a pound or two more.

@MartyE thanks for mentioning this. When I went back and watched the videos, I noticed it and removed them already.  👍🏼

I got a call yesterday that my Class A arrived along with the Black River and Western set. Next year is when those will come home. I'm surprised that both of these got finished quick, though I did say to my brother that the SW1's had been run, so that may have made production faster for the BR&W set.

Good to see that Pennsy Class A @VJandP, and the red actually looks different from what I saw from Mr. Muffins pictures. Maybe it's just the contrast from where he took his picture and you to yours, what do I know though.

@ntn-pa posted:

Yes, very nice engine.  It also has road specific crew talk (specifically announced "Pennsy 3701").  I was afraid that for a custom run Lionel would just use generic crew talk dialog, but I am very happy that they put in the effort to customize the crew talk also.

One thing to note is that for a good size steam engine, it is relatively not very heavy.  The engine weighs in at 9 lb 7 oz (the tender is 4 lbs 1 oz).  For comparison, my Legacy EM-1 engine weighs 14 lbs.  As such I don't expect it will have top end pulling power (the pulling power comes mostly from the weight of the engine and the tire traction - no so much the motor).  Lionel probably reduced the weight to save cost somewhere?  They just don't make them like they used to!

The pulling power for any locomotive real or scale is based on the weight on the driving wheels. The motor only plays a part if it's undersized.

@VJandP posted:


i’ve never owned a huge, articulated engine like this before. I’ve seen many pictures and videos, especially of the Big Boys. I’ve never noticed these articulated arms that seem to help stabilize the front end as it swings out. Is this unique to this model or do other large articulated engines have it?

Like others have pointed out they are meant to represent some of the steam delivery pipes, but I've not seen ones like that on any of my articulated locomotives. That said I don't own a Class A. The way Lionel has used them as "stabilizers" is novel to me, and I think a good idea.

@VJandP posted:

Pretty neat engine. I can’t speak to how prototypical the overall design is but there are lots of cool details. It sounds awesome! Much better than the 2–10–4 Texan I just got. Smokes like a forest fire. It runs so smoothly…it just oozes down the track.  Being a Visionline engine I thought it would have the swinging bell but it does not.  I haven’t hooked up any cars to it yet so I can’t comment on the force coupler operation. Overall, very happy with it. Worth $2 grand? All I can say is ****, what isn’t expensive nowadays? I’m ok with it but my budget is depleted for 2023 already   😝

B1ED8DBE-2843-44EB-BC28-1A98EDB69767

32CE5BEC-4981-4E9F-8A8C-619E3F19662A



i’ve never owned a huge, articulated engine like this before. I’ve seen many pictures and videos, especially of the Big Boys. I’ve never noticed these articulated arms that seem to help stabilize the front end as it swings out. Is this unique to this model or do other large articulated engines have it?

0AD6EAEB-B979-4CF1-B94A-B2224250610B

Nice pick on the Class A. My vision big boy has those and I think so does my 2-10-10-2.

@jstraw124 posted:

Received our first black box yesterday.  It’s the WWII version #1210.  Trying to hold out till Christmas for opening, but I am weakening.

C6E1744A-D081-4126-9F14-70D0BF7DE498

Test it, check it all out, make sure it isn't damaged.  Then put it back.  The disappointment on Christmas if something is amiss isn't worth it.

Last edited by MartyE
@Big Jim posted:

Once again, those are steam pipes, not stabilizers!

Understood. @VJandP said they were acting like "stabilizers"... I'm wondering if Lionel spring loaded them to help keep the front engine centered or whatever. If not, oh well. I was just taking the OP noticing them performing an additional function.

It would be kind of cool if they attempted to do that because one thing I've noticed is that with O-scale articulated locomotives they can look a little odd coming down the tracks if there is too much play side to side.

Here are some pictures of my WM M-2 Challenger. It has no such pipes there. It has steam delivery pipes between the wheels that go to the cylinders and then the exhaust turns inward and then up through the smoke box.

IMG_20221222_140313561_HDR

Lionel's JLC C&O H-8 Allegheny has those articulated pipes.  I imagine the Legacy version does as well being based off the same tooling.

I have an H-8 but it's the MTH version. It doesn't have pipes like the "A". It looks much more like the WM M-2. I'd be interested to see pictures of yours.

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@rplst8 posted:

Understood. @VJandP said they were acting like "stabilizers"... I'm wondering if Lionel spring loaded them to help keep the front engine centered or whatever. If not, oh well. I was just taking the OP noticing them performing an additional function?

That’s correct.   As far as the prototype goes, these are steam pipes.  But on Lionel’s other big articulated engines that I’ve seen, I’ve never seen “arms” anchoring the front end.   If they are acting like “stabilizers”, Lionel did a great job multi-purposing this piece as a prototypical steam pipe that doubles as a functioning stabilizer on the scale model.  

My lovely wife surprised me a day early for Christmas.

Never owned a vision line product or articulated steam engine, spectacular model in every way.


I need to redesign the tunnels on the curves to accommodate the boiler overhang

Only minor gripe is the drop plate between Locomotive and tender does not go all the way down. Did anyone have luck fixing this and how?

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