Williams FA-1, What are your impressions?

The WIlliams models are really quite well done. Fairly close to scale in size and a decent amount of detail. Available id some nice schemes too.

Scale size or traditional size?

I have a scale version from 1999 when they came out. It's a solid runner and looks good.  The horn (tru-blast) is weak, but other than that, there is not much to complain about.

Hi Henry, I like everything Williams make. As long as we keep in mind that their products are basic toy trains you will see that there is alot of value for the money. On the other hand if someone wonts to up-grade it to something more it becomes real questionable if it is not better to go with MTH, Lionel ect from the get-go.

Hi folks!

 I guess I should have stated the 'scale' items that are being offered at 'blowout prices'. The Reading,L&NE and B&O units kind of caught my eye. Just for clarification.

Thanks,

Henry J

The scale sized FA-1 is very nice, pretty accurate, and nicely detailed.  They run a little fast but you could change the motor wiring from parallel to series to slow it down.   Alternately, at the blowout prices you could afford to put cruise/command in it and still come out ahead. 

Hi, Henry.

The WBB FA-1 is a nice model for the price. I have the Erie Lackawanna version. The EL herald is not quite right but many observers might not notice it anyway. Probably the biggest nit I can pick is the Williams AAR Type B truck side frames are not properly proportioned. This is another discrepancy which most folks would not find objectionable. Overall, they're nice units. I'll try to post a few pictures of mine this evening.

Regards,

Bob 

The WiLLIAMS FA's are one of my favorite Cab diesel.

Here heading up a TRUC Train

Those look very nice Charlie. Did you add the antenna detail?

The sideframes are a joke, but the rest of the chooch is not bad...especially for the money. Find myself wondering if the MTH sideframes might be made to work on the truck blocks for these guys.  I have the New Haven set in trustee paint...looks good!

I've got the PRR, GN, L&N and B&O sets of WBB FA's.  These are great engines; good reliable runners that look nice and won't kill your wallet.

I've had some issues with WBB GP-38's and GP-9's where the wiring bundles "catch" on the narrow long hood carbody of those engines.  Given how wide the FA's are, this has not been a problem.

Curt

I have the FA-1 (Louisville & Nashville)  I really like it, Runs like a race horse.

Brent

Great runners - look good - especially in warbonnet colors.  

Jim

Jim,

 They do look nice!

But, what doesn't look good in the war bonnet?

BReece,

 The Louisville & Nashville was another really nice scheme. I preferred this scheme over the later grey scheme.

Henry J 

Goodrunners, good pullers.  Only criticism is that there is no way to lock the E unit into neutral which is handy when you want to park a loco on a spur.  Other than that, at the price cannot be beat.   Likedthese so much I bought a set at York in October with the B unit for my son's birthday.  He loves the train.

So Charlie, can I take it your a Pennsy fan? What sound system did you use? Thanks Don

Great video Charlie!

 I am wondering if the Pennsy's FA's made it down through Delaware 'back in the day'?

Henry J

The phone antenna was added plus Williams power trucks were installed on the  dummy B unit.

 The dummy A unit had pick-up rollers for the head light, so it was easier to add the OTT sound system in the dummy A unit.

 Thanks all  for the comments.

Well,

 I gave in. Bought the L&NE AA set yesterday at the LHS. Now to find the FB. Then maybe a set in Reading colors. I plan on checking the gearbox lube and then give them a break in run.

 Charlie, is the conversion easy?

 I will throw this question out in general, is there an easy way to slow these speedsters down? Could a resistor be put in the wire supplying the power to each motor. I ask this since I am note an electrician. But, always willing to learn something new.

 The power trucks come with detailed instructions and integral pick up rollers which makes the installation pretty straight forward. I did not experience any problems.

Charlie,

 Did you only install the power truck assemblies, or does this require any of the other electronics?

 Thanks for the update.

Just wondering how hard it would be for Williams to gear down their products? 

Charlie,

 Did you use the Williams/Bachman website to purchase your power trucks? I tried using the site last night and they only show a few parts for the FA's.

 Or does anyone else have a good lead for these?

Thank You!

Thank You Charlie.

 I will keep a look out for them and hope another forum member might have a lead.

Concerning slowing down the  Williams  FA's, I just installed Electric RR's Cruise Commander and sound.  The engines creep along very slowly.  I am thrilled with the engine's performance.  

Conductor Earl,

 Was that a specific kit (part number) that you used? Cost?   I haven't looked into this idea yet.

Thank You.

Henry,

I ordered Cruise  Commander 4.1 and Railsounds 4  Alco FA sound. It will cost you close to $200.00, but every little thing is supplied, switches, extra wire, heat shrink in two sizes, speaker and baffle.   

Go on their website and look at the instruction manuals.  They are very good. I familiarized myself with the instructions by reading them several times as some info overlaps. I should have orderd a LED headlamp bulb but will do that later. I left the original lamp wired as original. By the way it is designed so that you do not need a resistor for the LED. 

The whole project only took an hour once I knew where I wanted to place everything.

I placed the speaker under the fan opening at the rear of the body. I used velcro to attach it so that I can  detach it when servicing. Don't bother with the fuel tank.  It is die cast and tool shallow for a speaker.  Besides it contains weigths. (While I was investigating I added another 1.5 oz of stick-on wheel weights.

I drilledout hole for the Pro/Run switch just behind the tank on the engineers side.

The cruise is very good.  The Alc sound is very good and quite loud. The horn and bell are the same as most Atlas engines.  I plan to do more.  Beside my LNE ABBA set I have a E-L set of FAs squirred away somewhere. I am lokoing for a deal on another powered FA so that I can switch bodies and upgrade the second A unit. We pull long trains on our club layoutand I need the power.

Good luck with your new engines.

Earl 

The scale Williams FA-1's are indeed 1:48; careful you don't compare them to the Alco

FA-2 locos, which have also been offered by others: the real FA-2's were a few feet longer

than the FA-1's (the FA-2's had room for a boiler for passenger train heat).

Williams FA/FB locos are very nice replicas; I painted/weathered an A-B-A set for the

Gulf, Mobile and Ohio - the very first railroad to own the Alco FA (the NYC had to wait

on theirs because of this order) - and both FA's have 2 motors; the FB is a dummy.

I then installed TMCC and Railsounds in both FA's, and run them MU'd.

I eliminated the swinging pilots with frame-mounting and installed an Electro-

coupler on the front of each A unit; short shanked - look really tucked-away.

Also removed the dynamic brake detail on the roof (GM&O's FA's did not have

them). 

Quite a project; wore me out a few years ago when I did it. I'm proud of them, though.

There is no cruise control (I used Train America Studios kits, and no EOB), but they 

aren't speed demons. I plan to "series" the motors, one day.

The Williams FA's are great. (The little 0-27's are actually FA-2 models - and are 

appealing as heck in their own right.)

Henry J,

   You really do get more than your monies worth with most Williams Engines,

and with these you get more than that.  As was mentioned, even with adding the sound kit, its still a big time bargain.

PCRR/Dave

We just acquired a set from Forum member Christopher Esposito in the green PRR scheme. Very handsome and I ran them last night for the first time at the club. Smooth and quiet. I'm thinking that Chris may have rewired them and I'll ask him.

Here they are about to be passed by a Lionel SD90

Thanks for all of the great information folks! I really appreciate it.

 On Monday I carefully removed the trucks on the powered unit enough to check the lube, per another Forum members advice. (Glad I did, little to no lube in either assembly). Added a little lube and re-installed the trucks.

 On to the test loop for several hours in each direction for 'break-in'. Then an eight PW cars added on. Off they went for another couple of hours in each direction.

 As everyone here has stated, very quiet and smooth runners. A was surprised how quiet given the openness of the shells.

 I am very much a fan of ALCO's. Thinking about the new MTH Premier FA-2's - Very Much  . But, I would like to add power to the other A unit and find at least one B(maybe even power that unit). Can't explain why the L&NE scheme appealed to me so much - it just did.

 I am very glad I found this set and at the 'blow-out' price. Finding the FB(s) at an equally appealing price might not be so easy. But, I've got time. And York is coming soon. For the $149.00 spent, I couldn't go wrong, IMHO.

 Conductor Earl, thanks for that information. That gives me a second route for upgrading. I was also considering the MTH Proto 2(or 3) option. I think it would look awesome to see a set(A-B-A or A-B-B-A) with all units smoking and 'barking it up' as only ALCO's can!  

 D500, gotcha on the differences. If I remember correctly, FA-1s 51' long, FA-2's and the few Canadian FPA-2's 53' 6" and the Canadian FPA-4's 54'. FA-1's 1500 HP 244V12. FA-2(FPA-2) 1600 HP 244V12. FPA-4 (and the original FPA-2's upgraded) 1800 HP 251V12. The Canadians ran their's far longer than the American railroads did.

 C.Sam, your PRR FA's look great! How long a train did they pull?

 PCRR/Dave, I really believe this was a great deal. Even if I only rewire them to slow them down, I know they will make me happy for a long time!

Thanks again!

Congratulations on your purchase of the LNE units!

Bob

 C.Sam, your PRR FA's look great! How long a train did they pull? 

This was just a quick check of the layout mostly Henry. I really don't know how many they will pull....

Bob,

 Sometimes things are as simple as 'black and white'

I've been eyeballing the L&NE set at that price myself.

Have a # of Williams engines various types, and they mostly look great, pull hard and run fast. Some models are more detailed and closer to scale then others.

At only 7 volts they fly along with string of cars behinc with little effort. But sure wish Williams would just regear them to run a bit slower and be better for slow speed switching etc.

Henry J,   If you're looking for Williams repowering kits for their dummy units, check with 'The Western Depot' out in California. 

henry,

to slow them down and wire the two motors in series, look for my post "need williams advice". very easy to do, I just bought a F7 AA set in B&O and looking to buy more WBB engines.

Wowak,

 With your talents on the other projects you're doing, I don't think you'll be disappointed with them(IMHO). (P.S. I am looking for a set of the Reading units.  

kj356,

 I think most will agree with you. Several others have made the same comment. How I see it, the Williams products appeal to people who like the simplicity and 'toyness' of them. The fact that some of the models are scale size with added on detail just makes them better for the price.

lightningstripe,

 Thanks for the lead.

DL&W Pete,

 It's funny you mentioned that, I just came across that last night. Thanks for the information.