Show Us Your "Pilot" locomotives..

I own one, and one is all I will ever own. It has never been run, and never will. It sits in its case on the mantle, next to photo of the real engine that my wife took.

 

The Milwaukee Road S-3

 

 

SWINGING PILOT

 

 

FIXED PILOT

 

Geez guys, am I the only one who can play this topic straight?

 

I never understood why they called them "pilots" anyway.

I was thinking it was a locomotive pilot....

 

 

 

My best guess

Because it leads(guides) the locomotive. Like a ship pilot, that comes aboard to navigate unfamiliar waters. Railroad used a lot of terms from old technology used before there was railroads.

I can be serious on this topic also, it just caught my funny bone at first.

 

I understand the concept of pilot models, but personally don't have an interest in them.  I saw the Lionel models at York in the Orange Hall.  Coming from the old HO tradition, I have several kits I could have built in that manner, but I always painted them.  

 

I have a two sets of 3rd Rail E7 pre-production factory samples and I enjoy having them in my collection. However for me, they were a tool that I used to find defects so the factory could correct the tooling.

I'm certainly not dissing anyone who enjoyed this line of models offered by Lionel.  It takes all types to make this hobby as vibrant as it is.

They are like unpainted brass locomotives. Sure I'd buy a brass locomotive, but it's gotta be painted.

I have three, and I enjoy them all greatly and I love them because of their refreshing appearance although the paint schemes weren't prototypically accurate they are different.  I have the Pilot GS-6, the Pilot L-2A Mohawk and the Pilot Pacific (Blue Comet).

I believe that he was referring to why they are named "pilot models", Klem. Nothing to do with a steam engine's leading or "Engine truck".

More like a cow "tosser" because they all had a raised ridge, protruding forward more than the sides, at the center, and the left and right sides sloped outward so a cow or bison could be scooped-up and tossed aside, away from and off the tracks. I think the early "General"-type locomotives could be derailed by livestock wandering onto the tracks.

FrankM

Thank you Jack. My best guess would be that they were pulled off the line first before the regular production run.

Elliot and Marselangelo - thanks for your contributions.  Beautiful locomotives. Now if only the peanut gallery would actually constructively contribute ...

You're welcome Peter. I think the guys have seen so many of these "show me " topics that they don't take then very seriously anymore. Add to that, your query involves something that most people don't own. Look at it this way, they are kind of funny and they keep the topic alive.

Here's mine!

Long before showing off cheap pot metal was in, there was this! 

 

Bruce

Took all fun out of this topic

When that "fun" stretches to posting images of things other than trains, and especially scantily clad women, you have crossed a line.

 

Remember...children read this forum.

Ditto !

 

Jerry

Proud Member Of The Peanut Gallery

Toys are not to be fooled with. This is serious stuff. This post reminds me of another misfired title, why are we running our trains with outdated technology? Remember that one? The only saving grace I can find in life is my sense of humor. Without it, life can be pretty grim at times. Scantily glad women are a staple of life or so it would seem and at my age a picture is worth a thousand words.

I can agree with Rich's point.  That last post was across the line and I knew the thread was dead at that point.  Too bad he didn't just take that one down.  In the process of all the back and forth banter, I was actually learning something.

 

Remember the first rule of aeronautical engineering.  Thrust = Flight.

I didnt cross any line

Well I'm glad Ad Man edited the thread title to be more specific....

 

I wasn't sure what Peter wanted to see...it just said "pilots"

I wasn't trying to be difficult, but soon as I saw the title I knew what picture I wanted.

We do this all the time on threads, just seemed like someone used the nuclear option this time.

 

Jerry

With no offense meant to the OP on this, I just felt the need to bring a humorous component back into the thread. 

 

Is this image on topic now? 

 

 

 

All kidding aside, It would have been nice to seen this line offered as kits.  I know only about 20 would be sold in this day and age, but assembling a steam locomotive kit from a bag of parts is truly a pure pleasure.  I built a few Bowser HO kits in my day and they were just relaxation defined.   

 

The other nice thing about an unpainted model is the ability to make your modifications before painting it.  Kitbashing cast locomotives is a lot easier for me than working in plastic as the metal is more forgiving with my Bremel tool. 

 

I understand that people who purchased these picked them up as an interesting collectible and they certainly serve that purpose. 

 

Also, correct me if I am wrong, but I don't believe MTH has ever formally issued models in this manor.  As I recall, MTH used to show unpainted sample models of preliminary tooling on their Facebook page, but those were not production run models.

Glad I can help Peter, I try with every visit to the forum to learn as much as possible and aid and assist whenever I'm able to with any info I can provide.  I also tried to get a similar topic put out to the forum but to no avail was I able to get a good response.  I guess what this says is there are members out there that have "Pilot Locomotives" but apparently not that many who have an invested interest in the topic..Nonetheless, keep on doing what you're doing and take care - MARSHELANGELO

I was going to post a photo or two of my Lionel Pilot locos (2) and my MTH Engineering

steamer (1), but this turned into a real garbage thread.

 

I'm sorry that some of us feel the urge to buy "cheap pot metal"; silly fools, I guess.

We can't all be heroes.

 

When and if the discussion of this subject (unpainted model locomotives) occurs again in a

more civil manner, maybe it will be worth reading. There may even be a contribution.

Does this train require a "Pilot"

Yeah Buddy, Flying Scottsman!!!

I agree with Rich.  Also, many times a topic I find interesting or informative dies off because posts of cats, dogs, grandkids, "pilots", whatever turns off folks that may have good inputs.

 

I came back to this topic hoping to see some more posts of Lionel's Pilot locomotives, but there are no new on-topic posts.  Too bad.

That's because nobody buys pilot locomotives. If they make 50 pilots of each run then there is something like 450 pilots out there. If 10% of O Gaugers are active participants on this forum then you could expect to see 45 now lets say that only 50% of the owners active on this forum actually care enough to post a photo or a reply to this topic, you're down to 22 locos, you've actually seen 4 It's the guys who post throe funny off topic comments that generate interest in the topic and stimulate conversation and keep the topic alive i.e. at the top of to forum listings where they will get seen. So you say it dies off becuase of posts about cats and dogs and pilots and what not but I disagree. This topic has gotten way more interest because of those posts than it would have gotten without them.

My original Snoopy & Red Baron got axed.  So here is Snoopy with a pal in front of a real train.

 

 

I agree with Matt, on the forum we've always had fun with "off topic" postings since the beginning days. Yes sometimes someone crosses the line and posts a comment or picture that really shouldn't be here but for the most part many are pretty humorous and at worst they are groaners. But there seems to be a growing segment who are taking things way too seriously or take it upon themselves to decide what should or shouldn't be posted, (MODERATORS EXCLUDED) or to refer to those who do as "The Peanut Gallery" . We're all here to have fun, share ideas, storys, pictures, JOKES  and what not. In the past people have asked things like, WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DUMMY? and the inevitable pictures of Lamont Sanford and Crazy Guggenheim showed up. Or your favorite crane, with Bob Crane or Frasier Crane. How about the IS THIS KOSHER? thread about an interlocking tower where claims of antisemitism by one particular individual were met with really bad attempts at Yiddish culminating with posts about a huge light bulb being held by a girl whos eyes didn't track together very well. It had a cousin thread a few weeks later called IS THIS PROTOTYPICAL? which was met with a "YES IT IS PROTOTYPICAL BUT IS IT KOSHER?" tongue in cheek response along with more really bad attempts Yiddish and off the wall pics.

These threads got more life that way then they would have normally and we all had a good laugh with everyone posting a pic or video or comment that tried to top the last one. To turn the forum into a dry bland technical thing serves none of us.

 

Jerry

 

Holy smokes Jerry, all i cloud think about was the "lighten up Francis" scene from Stripes too

It never ceases to amaze me at how wildly offended people can get at some good natured humor. This is a hobby to be ENJOYED at our leisure and in our free time. All in all the jokes remain appropriate and respectful and nobody gets their feelings hurt. This is a place for us to gather and share information, ideas and expand our creativity. What we all need to remember is at the end of the day we are all a bunch of grown men (and women) that still play with electric trains and for that reason alone nobody here can be taken seriously

 

 

Does this meet the requirements for a "Pilot Locomotive"?

NO, this is a piloted locomotive, totally different animal.

 

Jerry

Whatever, do not let Lee see this. I can see addition now to his rocket train.

Matt,

 

The point was to see photos of these clear-coated locomotives.  If only 4 people posted photos of them, then so be it.  Frankly, I find your argument absurd - that if not for these errant posts, the thread would have died.  So what?  Unless you can't distinguish between form and substance, then clearly, the point of a thread isn't to "stay alive," but rather to share data on a given topic.

 

Certainly, some of the posts are funny.  But at some point, it got ridiculous.  There wasn't a mix of substance and nonsense posts - it became all nonsense.  Anyone who wanted to actually contribute likely decided it was a waste of time. 

 

So now, if I (or anyone else) would like to start a thread to actually discuss and see photos of these locomotives, we must start a new thread and then hope all those with a third grade mentality miss it or learn some respect.  

 

Peter

 

 

There was a person running a clear coat locomotive at O Scale West a couple of weeks ago on the Lionel club's modular layout.   Much to my surprise it looked great at the head of the train.  I am sorry that I didn't get a photo of it.

 

I think I saw that UP jet shown above making an approach to Oakland airport last month.  I wasn't able to get a photo of it either.  

 

Joe

This thread