Which cab Units - scale size, appearance?

Well being a K-line man I would take either their F-7 or E-8. Also they made some sweet passenger cars. Both those engines built will all the bells and whistles. Don

A Williams F-7 diesel is a very good size, close to scale, and very dependable, you may not have the command control features with Williams but you have good pulling power and no problems. There were some Crown Edition F-7's that came with QSI sound circuits wich have the diesel engine sounds, train leaving announcement, and horn & bell features.

The only problem that I have found with Williams and WBB is that they don't always do the research when issuing a run of a certain engine, F-7's in the 900's for Reading Lines, also GP-38's for Reading Lines, the engines are not always prototypical for certain railroads. Should have been FP-7's and GP-39-2's for Reading Lines. Go to Wikipedia.com and search for EMD diesel engines and see who bought what from EMD Corp.

I am not trying to be what people call a rivot counter but try to sell something that a person knows isn't the exact model of something and it may not sell many.

Williams by Bachmann(WBB) may also make some nice F-7's in Pennsy colors, but you get the True Blast 2 horn unit with them.

K-Line used to make a three unit set of diesels that all had two motors in each engine and were hooked up by a cable between the three engines with the lead A unit controlling direction of all three engines. I had a couple of K-Line engines, but had a problem or two with them and K-Line would always repair the engines for me, just had to pay to ship it to K-Line.

I was thinking of buying the K-Line set of three powered diesels if K-Line had stayed in business a couple of years longer.

Lee F.

Williams is probbly the most 'trouble free' per your original post but their F7s are 'awkward-looking' to say the least! The nose is way off. Their F3s, FAs, and sharks are much better models.

The MTH Railking Scale F3s are virtual clones of the old Lionel F3s and are near scale length but not as tall. The MTH units have their command system PS2/3 which is a great way to run the tarins. Lionel also makes various diesels in scale and traditional sizes.

The choices are so many that it's a great time to be in the hobby!

I am kind of partial to these 3rd Rail / Sunset E7's for many reasons, the most important being how accurate they are. 

After receiving these I will likely be selling my K-Line set or using the chassis and upgrade the shells with my 3rd rail engineering sample shells.

Williams is probably the most 'trouble free' per your original post but their F7s are 'awkward-looking' to say the least! The nose is way off. Their F3s, FAs, and sharks are much better models.

As well as their E7's too! FYI, Williams F3's are Faux. The F3's are just postwar lionel copies that really didin't exist with those types of grills and the squashed cab windows.