PRR FM Trainmasters - Manufacturer Comparison

Anyone?

Gpritch

I am not familiar with the Lionel TCA Club PRR Trainmaster.  Do you have a product number for it?

The K-Line Tranmasters were well regarded as good scale models.  The MTH Trainmaster is supposed to be even better.

Gpritch, some time ago there was a thread discussing this very subject.  But I do not recall the conclusion.  

But I did have the K-Line Pennsy Train Master and it was very nice.  But also bought the "latest" MTH Pennsy Train Master and the MTH one blows the others away.  It is very close to the PRR prototype based on all the books I have.

here is a picture.

Ron

Added picture of my old K-Line

The TCA PRR FM is Lionel 6-52312. It looks like this one has Odyssey1 motors/control.  Are there any cosmetic diofferences?

I was hoping that someone may have both and could spell out any differences. 

Thanks,

Glenn

I have the TCA PRR FM and I have a K-line PRR FM with TMCC.  But if it's a KCC item I'm not aware of that.  I bought it from a private seller at York.  It has cab #8701.  Is that the K-line FM you are asking sbout?  I do have KCC GG1's and Prr passenger cars but didn't know they made a KCC FM in PRR.

Bill

Hopefully you're talking about the PRR FM which was made about fourteen years ago as a two road offering with an Espee set with a similar FM unit.  The Lionel, in this case was a slightly revamped body shell with photo etched screens, PRR train-phone antenna, and wider end railings.  Not exactly sure what was going on inside the beast, as I never seriously thought about a purchase at the time.  The K-Line FM is a much closer to scale shell on a 12 wheel drive chassis.  Not overly accurate, it's still considered an improvement over the Lionel PW shell.  MTH has the reigning monarch when it comes to FMs right now.  Sits a bit high off the trucks, and has thin looking sideframes,  but otherwise, an excellent copy of the phase 2 TM.

On the K-Line, can you tell us, other than wheels and track gauge, what is not overly accurate?  I did not measure mine, but it sure looks like the body casting is fairly accurate.  I realize that swinging pilots are not accurate, but doesn't MTH have those too?

And if you use a wide track gauge and wide tread wheels, thin truck sideframes are practically a necessity.

The newly retooled MTH FM Train Masters can be ordered either way, i.e. with "swinging pilots" and Hi-Rail wheel sets, or with "fixed pilots" and scale wheel sets.

There are a number of issues with the K-Line shell. One is the radii over much of the body. They simply aren't wide (deep) enough.  It's one place where the old Lionel shell is pretty decent.  Number boards could be better, and why would you put dipped rails on one side of the 'Monster and not the other?  The door recesses could also be improved quite a bit.   My advice....get the MTH  and wait for him to do a phase 1!   OTOH, if you have the Lionel scale FM ...especially the DL&W...use a K-Line chassis to repower the beast and get rid of that awful "one wheel drive" ! ! 

Thanks.  I shall look more closely.  

The K-Line power truck strikes me as one of the very best.  I have converted five sets to 2-rail using NWSL kits.  It has all the advantages of the MTH truck, but one more powered axle.  I have not given them the longevity test, but would guess that a failure could be repaired with MTH gears.

The 6-axle units on MTH's selectable 3-rail/scale wheel locomotives from the past few years are all powered.

Your buddies on the 2- rail side have only the two powered axle versions.  We do stuff with baling wire and duct tape.  Thanks to MTH, we have enough parts to continue operation with the older units.  If I ever get back down there I will look you up - I hate the traffic, and Tom picks up the locomotives at the airport.

Bob - life member two out of three above.