Question on the new Lionel/AF heritage diesels.

I purchased an NS Heritage Erie SD70 and a Lackawanna dummy to go with it at the fall York show.  This was part of the 2nd run of the model -- with some changes to the trucks that improved the pickups. 

I have run it extensively on our club's layout, at multiple shows; probably at least 70 hours of run time.  I've only had to lubricate it.  The model has run flawlessly.  All the  Legacy functions work as they should.   Decoration is perfect and the consist is a real crowd pleaser.  My only complaint is about the dummy... no lighting.  But that can be rectified with a few warm white LEDs after the warranty period is up. 

I made the purchase with some hesitation as most of our members have lived through numerous issues with the Big Boy, 1st run U33s and the glitchy power on the first SD70 run. 

There's been a lot of beating up on Lionel when they get it wrong.... my experience tells me they got this right.  If you are considering the SD70 I would say go ahead.

Nick C.

Thanks for the feedback Nick. I was thinking about the ES44AC.

There is a review in te May-June issue of S Gaugian.

 

Herb Wasserman

Here is what I posted back when the ES44's first appeared...

 

My sample of the L-AF PRR Heritage ES44AC is superb. If you loved the second generation SD70's, you will love these, too. The model is an excellent copy of the prototype (within the constraints of hi-rail necessities). The PRR comes with a black hood variatant of the paint schemes viewed in photos of the locomotive. Operations are glassy smooth under Legacy control and the sounds, if anything, are a bit better than the SD70ACe's, which are no slouch in that department. No problems on Gilbert curves, trackage, and turnouts. Smoke is ample. As with every Heritage SD70 and ES44 done by Lionel for O and S scale, the paint finish is 'fresh from the shop' glossy, which some will like and some won't. See picture below.

 

As with my second generation SD70ACe, my only quibble is that the electrocouplers do not open far enough for consistent coupling and uncoupling.

 

From a Gilbert/Hi-rail perspective -- thumbs up!

 

My samples of the second run SD70ACe (DL&W) and NS-PRR ES44AC have continued to function perfectly.

 

Bob

 

 

The 2014 American Flyer catalogue shows three SD70ACe locomotives that were part of the first run: the Kansas City Southern, the BNSF, and a Union Pacific. Do these locomotives have the revised trucks used in the second run of the SD70ACe, or are they left-over stock? (I asked Lionel customer service, but the answer was "ES44AC locomotives are all new." I asked again, pointing out that the original question was for a different locomotive. The reply was, "As I already told you, the ES44AC locomotive is all new.")

 

Carl Tuveson and others have offered ways to get the original SD70ACe locomotives to work through Gilbert and American Models switches, but Rayin"S"s solution may be the simplest--just remove the traction tires. The scale wheels have no traction tires, and they run very well.

I would believe that these have the revised power trucks. I think the older power trucks were on the U-33 first run engines. The change in the trucks, from what I understand, is the gear ratio of the trucks. I have hi-rail wheel sets from the original U-33 and the gear ratio on those was different, the final drive gear on the truck was smaller that the gear on the SD-70., thus the SD-70 runs slower and smoother and has better slow speed operation. 

Ray

Hey Bob, you say that the sound on the ES44 is good, I'm hoping so.  Buying one basically just to have that GE sound with my SD70s. 
The scale coupler was a bit of a challenge.  First one took me an hour and one half.  The rest, fifteen minutes each.
Probably the only two things I don't care for are the cab lights which snap on when stopped, and the "elephant in heat" brake sound.
I think we are darn lucky to have these in S.

How does one know if a locomotive for sale is first run or second run????  More specifically, I'm thinking of purchasing the MP 1851 (to be run in conventional mode).  I have no repair skills, and I don't want something which needs to be fixed after a couple of hours run time.  Any facts, experiences, or ideas will be appreciated.
Mark

Thanks for all the responses guy's. I was thinking about the Conrail or the Pennsylvania. I have some Conrail in O gauge but after seeing your photo I think I might go for the Pennsy for something different! 

The first run of SD70ACe locomotives appeared in the 2012 catalogue and included the BNSF 9344, CSX 4847, Norfolk Southern, 1011, KCS 4042, KCS 4022, UP 8348/8349/8461, UP/MoPac 1992,  UP/SP 1996, UP/Rio Grande 1989, and UP/CNW 1859. (The 2012 catalogue numbering was wrong on some of these engines. The 2014 catalogue has correct numbers.)

 

The second run with modified trucks was available in 2013 in the Norfolk Southern Heritage paint schemes. The question is whether the products repeated in the 2014 catalogue have been fixed with revised trucks or whether they are old stock that will work no better than they did in 2012. Lionel is not saying. 

If you've got or have access to someone with a DCC system, the elephants can be shut off by setting CV54 to 0.  I imagine there might also be a legacy command, also but I don't think it can be done conventionally.

 

Otherwise, don't stop near a zoo..

 

Rusty

Rusty, thanks!
Where did you get the cv info?  The Lionel manual is woefully short of CCC information.

 

The CV54 command for brake squeal is on page 26 of the manual for the SD70ACe. On pages 24 - 27 there is quite a bit of info for DCC ops. For Legacy on page 16, one first touches Aux1 and then Volume Down on the Cab2 key pad.

 

...but, then some of us like the brake squeal and motion sensitive cab lights.

 

Bob 

I had to go back to my review of a year ago for the SD70 to dig up that CV.  I've neglected to keep an SD70 manual at work....

 

I remember mentioning the elephants to Lionel during DCC development.

 

Rusty