What do you do with your old Big Boys?

most sells theres..its like a real car...when automakers comes out with some new features ,they buy it and sell the old ones..But some would add the features to there older car to be upgraded...but me.i would buy the parts to upgrade it..Im behind times big time...Dont have the money to blow on new trains,Dont have the fat wallets like some of you guys have..,thats why I buy mine used and try to upgrade them..

MU them. As long as they are Legacy it should be an incredible sight. 

Well, I have 4 Lionel BBs and love each one for different reasons.

 

When the layout is built I plan to use all of them doing what the real BBs were designed too-pulling long trains.

 

Each version Lionel releases is unique.  The original Lionel BB is one of my favorites.  Then the JLC Legacy BB came out and blew me away with increased detail, Legacy controls, and awesome features.  Now the VL model-don't have it in my hands yet, but it's awesome from the threads I've been reading and listening too.

 

When mine arrive I'll post a thread comparing all 3 for fun!

 

BTW, I've been waiting on the VL BB since it was rumor over a year ago.  And, as a UP steam fan, it doesn't get any better than this year!

 

I LOVE the VL Challengers but I may have a new favorite in my UP roster.  The only thing I can see wrong with the new VL BB is I won't want to run any other locomotive!

Well, my brother in law is big time into Union Pacific (HO Scale). When it comes to Big Boys, he has one each of all of the "survivors".

 

As for what to do with the "old" Big Boys, I expect to see a virtual fire sale on eBay.

 

Gilly

Run em ALL!

I have 3 Big Boys on my layout.One Legacy and two TMCC's I will run them into the ground.Nick

Yeah, I was expecting a fire sale of 1-700Es when the VL came out.  Good luck - since then the price on these older beauties has doubled.  They are now converging on the prewar 700s.

I have the JLC, MTH Protosounds and Protosounds 2.0 Big Boys, and they all run great.  They will all see action on my layout.  I like the Vision Line Big Boy but Im happy with the three I have and I was interested in other items from Lionel and other catalogs.

First World Problems...

 

Jon

I know you folks have been posting and waiting with anticipation on the release of the latest LIONEL 'Big Boy.'

But how many were released and which is the truest 1:48 scale sized 'Big Boy?'

Thank you,

Ralph

Every time I see a new 'Big Boy' come out, it makes me wish I had space to set up a layout large enough to handle it.

 

I'm pretty much stuck with HO to operate the really big iron in my house.

 

 

I love all the people that buy the new stuff. Then I wait until the price goes down and buy new old stock or like new. Next on the hunt for me is Jlc version. In the train world it pays to wait. John

Anyone can feel free to send me their old used Big Boys. 

Since I model the late 1940s thru the mid 1950s, the two models I have of the UP 4000 class locomotives fit right in, i.e. the "modern" front end. The Sunset/3rd Rail "anniversary" model of #4023, and the MTH model of #4014, fill my needs quite nicely.

Can someone elaborate or at least point me in the right direction to help me learn more about the various different big boy models? I've seen anywhere from $900 to $2700 and its confusing. Do they all smoke chuff and blow down? I'd like to get one eventually but realize that much more research is required first. I'm new to the hobby. Thank you for your time.

they go to the scrap yard and get melted down

Sold it.

Jaypomp, Welcome. All of the MTH versions smoke very well but none have the blowdown feature....YET. Lionel's latest do both but I'm not sure if their earlier versions do. Lionel fans will elaborate.   Joe

I don't have deep enough pockets to worry about what to do with old Big Boys.  I don't own any.  My layout is plenty big enough but my budget isn't.

.....

Dennis

If I had an old one, and got a new one, I would take the old one to Steamtown, so it could keep the rusting 4012 company!

Don

I have the first Lionel Legacy BB, also own the VL Challenger coal fired one and have the best of both worlds.  Would like to buy the new BB.  I just can't pull the trigger.  Wonder if any store has layaway?

I don't play with big boy's, I play with big girl's.

As with all my engines, Run Them !!!

I have 2 Big Boys now, and didn't go for the VL one, just way out of my budget.

Still drooling on the MTH 2013 Premier catalog one tho, can't pull the trigger there either.

I run the Imperial Big Boy wherever I set up. The Scale one gets run if I'm on O-72 or larger mainlines.

Same thing I'll do with the new one, and with the other I plan to get my hands on, run them!  And I promise you shortly after I get my VL Big Boy and run it for a bit, I'll be trying to MU it with my K-Line Big Boy.  And then I'll find a flat car and have them pull my N scale Big Boy around.

I was hoping to see someone say they pitch them in the trash. I was going to go on a road trip! 

 

You need to post a picture of that one, considering that the K-Line Big Boy is closer to S scale than it is to 0. To make it even more interesting, maybe you could borrow a Lionmaster Big Boy from a friend and have three different size Big Boys running together!

Hello Jay, welcome!

The first Lionel BB, #6-28029, was a scale BB with TMCC and modest details.  It came in an orange box.

 

The second Lionel BB, which came in many cab numbers, one of which was # 4012 (6-11126), was scale with Legacy and nicely detailed compared to Lionel's first attempt at the BB.  They're highly desirable.  These locomotives were part of the JLC Series of locomotives and introduced Legacy (TMCC II is what the catalog called it).  It does have the blow down effect (no smoke) and is an excellent runner.  Came in a black, dark blue and red box.

 

Of course, you can read about the VL BB on Lionel's site.  Hope this helped.

 

When I get my VL BB, I"ll put a thread up comparing all 3 models.

I have the JLC. I'm keeping it. I've always been a buy-and-hold kind of guy (land/cars/collectibles). After seeing what Lionel did with details on the previous JLC to standard Re-release of the UP H-7 I decided not to order the vision line big boy. 

I'm certain the detail will be the same. I don't run smoke and the alternating stack puffs are interesting but not essential to me.  Everything I've seen has shown the sound will be awesome but for  the price I can live with the JLC (questionable whistle and all). I prefer the static real coal load and auger detail on the JLC.  I'll defer to others judgement on the long term viability of the depleting coal load. Finally I run conventional. (I have simple tastes) so I don't think I would ever take advantage of all of the features.

All said I'm still excited to hear and see all your pictures and comments when they come.  What a great opportunity to add a super-star to anyone's roster.

Congrats to all on your awesome new acquisitions!

What do all the members here do with their Big Boys?

 

Well......

 

They send them to Pete so he can admire them and run them on his layout.

 

 

Eventually that is. LOL

Pete

I'll let you know when I finally get to run the MTH PS2 4014 I picked up at York a couple of years ago (prior to the announcement that the real one had been chosen for restoration, I believe).

 

I'm it's third owner so maybe the loco knows the answer better than I do

...

..

.

(spoiler: I didn't order the VL, so I'm keeping what I got   )

 

---PCJ

That would require me knowing someone locally with a LionMaster Big Boy, which I don't.  But I'll gladly post photos of them together, and if they do run together (Maybe even if they don't.) I'll also do a video.  And when I get around to getting LionMaster and RailKing versions (Both on my locomotive hit list.) I'll put them all together.  The Big Boy is my favorite locomotive, followed very closely by the AD60 Beyer Garratt.  But since there is no AD60 to get for O gauge, I'll fill up on Big Boys.

Well, I have only two, and the answer to the question is "I keep them 'cause I don't get a new one.  I have,

 

A JLC BB in perfect condition which stays on the shelf 364 days a year while lesser locos run all the time.   For my purposes it is as good as the new Vision, which while having new features will not do any better job of sitting the shelf and looking like a Big Boy than this puppy does.

 

A Lionmaster Big Boy that I wore out -literally wore the gears and drivers down to way to too much slack, etc., running it maybe 3 hours a day 300+ days a year for five or six years.  I had to make minor repairs twice but it was an outstanding loco.  I keep it on a  shelf out of respect for it.  If Lionel ever releases a new one, I will buy two.  My favorite loco of all time. 

Gee, nobody is being politically correct and tossing old ones into recycling?

I didn't order the new VL Big Boy since I have several of the past productions....but...I love large articulated locomotives so I tend to keep all of them!

 

Alan