Today my GS class engines arrived and I have done a detailed inspection inside and out. Hear are my findings for those who want to see some of the other models besides 4449
GS-5 4459
This model is decorated in the post 1946 lettering. It is painted as the engine would have been in the early 50s when the stainless steel strapping was removed from the pilot. Overall I felt Lionel hit a home run with this model. The detailing was all done correctly, the daylight paint and lettering is stunning. I think this is the most accurate Daylight paint jobthat Lionel has done to date. The only prototype issue I can really find is that the numbers on the cab, tender, and the Daylight logo are Lark gray instead of silver. Since the numbers and logo are small, its hard to pick up on this. I have to say, this one is my favorite of the group due to how well it was executed.
GS-4 4439 semi-Daylight w/o skirts
This is the model I was most excited for when these were catalogued. I have always loved this paint scheme since it still has the Daylight flavor but offers all the detail that was hiding below the skirts. This model is uniquely SP. There were 8 GS-4’s that ran this way for 2-3 years in the late 40s. They were frequently seen pulling secondary passenger and mail trains.
Overal the model is nice but Lionel screwed a few things up. First the pilot is painted solid silver which I have not seen any photos of this scheme with the pilot this way. It was pictured this way in the catalog so I expected it, I already have a new pilot with stainless straps to put on. The second issue is they used the wrong boiler. The model has a single dynamo, 2 safety valves, and a single chime whistle. It should have 3 dynamos, a 6 chime whistle, and 3 safety valves. My conclusion is they used the GS-2/6 boiler. See my photo that has a side by side of this model, the GS-5, and a GS-6. Lastly, all of the lettering is dark Lark gray instead of silver. I haven’t confirmed that this is wrong but the few photos of real GS-4’s in this scheme I have seen, the lettering appears silver
I’m still happy with the model but these detail screw ups are annoying to a hardcore Espee fan.
GS-1 4470
There are already a few posts about this specific model so I’ll keep it short. Mine arrived with a bit of damage. The walkover plate was loose and scratched the paint in a few spots. The front tender ladders were bent and the train indicator boards are bent. These are all minor annoyances which I can fix. The lettering on this model has a light gray shade to it which makes it look a bit faded or distressed. The lettering should be white but it isn’t really bothersome. The 2 cosmetic issues that really bug me are that the whistle does not cover the whistle steam port and there is a noticeable gap between the boiler and the running boards. The gap was present on Lionel’s engineering sample but I figured that would be fixed when these hit production. The sound is not as impressive as the other models with diecast tenders. It is a little tinny and the tender rattles a bit from the reverb. If you want a GS-1 and want booming sound, don’t get the Vanderbilt tender, get one of the other moddels with the 220R tender. I’ll need to see if I can get the rattle out.
I opened up all 3 models the check for gremlins. Fortunately there were no issues with pinched wires or any of the other reported problems. These are pretty easy to open up. I attached some closeup photos showing where the body screws are in case anyone wants to peek inside. When reinstalling the boiler, be mindful of the pipe and bell details under the smokebox. You have to angle the boiler forward so these details slip under the platform.
