New Lionel Empire State Express Whistle

golden gate depot cars look much better

I have the CC with the Lionel cars.  I think I'll stick with them.

The ESE in the new catalogue does have me all giggly - except that I already have 2 - one stock and one like this - painted for Mercury service. (Note that the CC ESE has drivers that cannot be removed except with a wheel puller, and the one in the new catalogue has screw-ons, like the die-cast Century version and un-streamlined J3a.)

It's amazing what modern high-quality acrylics and a paintbrush can achieve. There is

not a brush mark in the gray; trust me. 

These are not great photos; taken last year:

I predict that Lionel will hit a "home run" with their newly announced ESE. Nice engine with their first newly tooled 21" passenger cars (including a Station Sounds Diner) should push this one over the top.

I will be ordering this loco, the cars just seem too long for my layout, which is too bad, I suppose. Quite pleased to see this offered. Thanks Lionel!

Fred

If I remember correctly the century club PT tenders had 4 speakers in them as well. 

I totally agree with you. This will be an amazing set. 

My order goes in this week.

I am very intrigued by the Mercury version of the ESE since I have the Century Club version with the extra PT tender.  Do you think it will have the Mercury label on the engine as in the pic below.

The way I read the catalog, to get the 4 car set you have to buy the engine too?

This looks like a fine set and I might be interested in the cars but I don't need another Hudson. Cab numbers 5426 and 5429 are already on the roster.

Pete

I've seen "THE MERCURY" in script on the nose, same style as Empire state express

rat

i have o-80 and o-72 but why does a 25 inch engine require o-72 ?

Lionel likely will be putting scale sized pilot trucks on all of these engines.

My nyc  Niagara has that tender and it goes threw 0-63 like a champ...

This set is beautiful, I will be ordering it!!!!!!!

Alex

Decisions, decision!!   I have the CC set and it's beautiful but oh those 21" cars!

I may have to own two sets.

Also, what do you think? Which model are you going to get? The regular model? The Mercury? The early or late PT version?

Did the two ESE Hudson locomotives ever actually receive a PT tender, while they still retained their streamlining? I really don't think so but, I sure would like to see prototype photos of that.

Look on pages 228 & 229 of "The Throughbreds" to find your answer...or, just ask Norton. 

It would appear so:

Rusty

Excellent! Now I have to get one of those. Wonder if the spare PT tender from another MTH NYC Hudson will work too.

Thanks.

I think that big tender really uglies up the loco-tender combination, but, to each his own. 

I'm with you Jim. While I like what the PT tender does to the unstreamlined Hudsons, my ESEs will keep their streamlined tenders.

Pete

Well, I must admit that I agree with that assessment, not to mention the fact that the PT class tenders were heavier, when fully loaded, than the engine!

I was hoping they would sell the PT tender as a separate sale item. 

For what it's worth, I rode the empire state express in 1942, 1943 & 1944 when I went to Manlius.

The cars...maybe. The engine, absolutely not.

Here is a period photo of an ESE 56 seat coach. These would have comprised most of the cars of this train.

Pete

It's always possible a dealer may offer a set break-up for you, since the 5426 loco w/silver tender isn't offered separately (if I read the catalog correctly).  And somebody may want that loco # by itself.  Probably won't be huge demand for this, but it only takes one dealer to accomodate your request.  Worst case scenario... You can probably find someone who's only interested in the loco.  Then buy the whole set, keep the cars for youself and sell the loco.

I did exacly that with the upcoming Pocahontas set.  A local friend was interested in just the passenger cars, and I wanted a 611 "J" to doublehead with 612 leading a Powhatan Arrow train with a bunch of express reefers and 7 passenger cars.  Worked out to be a win-win for both of us.  

David

A beautiful set, for certain, and very tempting. I agree with others in that this set will be a homerun for Lionel. Interestingly, NYC planned their first day of operation with this new train as December 7, 1941, but upstaged by the attack of Pearl Harbor.