Recommend a Daylight engine please?

The obvious choice for "most prototypical" would be the latest offering from Sunset/3rd Rail!

 

Next, in my opinion would be any of the GS-4 models offered by MTH, due to their correct sounds and 4-chuff per revolution exhaust.

You have many choices. Both Lionel and MTH made scale GS-4s in both early and late lettering. In addition 3rd Rail and Williams made brass versions of the GS-4. Lionel also did a nice GS-2. I'll leave it other to discuss some of the discrepancies but given you are pulling heavyweights (not commonly found in Daylight colors) any of the above engines would work. All except the Williams engine came with Command.

 

Pete

Around 2001 or so, Lionel made a nice high stepping Atlantic with a daylight painted Vanderbilt tender and Odyssey.

Nope cannot think of one...so if you don't want the cars anymore I'll take them!

Anyone know if there is a lionel legacy version for sale any where?

Daylight colors seem to change between MTH, KLINE,  LIONEL, SUNSET and Williams, etc.

 

So if you are going to mix-and-try-to-match engines and cars I'd check out orange colors first to see if the match is OK with you before purchasing.

Excellent point. Thank you. Can I trust, sight unseen, that K-LINE will match K-LINE?

I love my K-line 'semi scale' loco. Many here will tell you how wrong it is but it runs great, looks scale pulling my SL cars and at less than $200 in my comfort zone!!!

Pictured here with my RK J 611....a big loco itself!

Lionel's Southern Pacific Legacy Daylight the best hands down.  Best sounds, best looks and performance.

 

TEX

Steve

I have six Daylights from three manufacturers...the above is true.

Obviously you have not seen, nor operated, the new Sunset/3rd Rail SP GS-4 models.

Actually, the best Daylight engine is the one the City of Portland OR owns!

 

I have seen the Sunset one.  I have seen and heard the MTH model.  I was impressed with it.

Again, thanks to all for these responses. You are my only model RR club!

Must be the "Sunset" Railsounds

The 3rd Rail engine does have surprisingly good sound given its Railsounds 4. Obviously not the full spectrum as you would get with a Legacy engine but for someone interested in the basics of whistle, bell, and chuff its as good as anything out there.

As for detail, the differences in streamline engines between diecast and brass has gotten smaller in recent years. In this case color match and command system might be more important than rivet detail.

 

Pete

Not in my opinion! Since the SP GS-4 locomotives are NOT "fully streamlined" like a NYC Dreyfus Hudson or an N&W J, there is plenty of "detail stuff" UNDER the skirts on the Sunset/3rd Rail model, just like the real thing. Since I got the black GS-4 model, I took the shirts off (only 4 small screws on each side), and you wouldn't believe the detail parts that are now in view.

 

Since I pretty well know every square inch of the real GS-4, the Sunset/3rd Rail model is probably the most accurate O Scale model of an SP GS-4 ever produced!

I still think the legacy unit is by far the best. A friend of mine does have the 3rd model and yes it is very nice, very well detailed and painted. Putting them side by side is an awesome sight. But the sound and control is what pushes it over the top for Lionel's version at least for me. Both are great picks. You can't go wrong with either.

Since I operate most of my Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotive models with the Cab 2, Legacy controller anyway, I don't really see the "advantage" of the Lionel "Legacy GS-4 model". Besides, there is one glaring error with the Lionel GS-4 Legacy model.

 

The new Sunset/3rd Rail GS-4 model even has the Lionel "latest" SP "deep whistle" sounds anyway.