I am curious with the new Light Mountains in the VII Lionel catalog, what other lines could, would, or should be done? I'm not sure of the differences between a Light Mountain and any of the Mohawk variations, but naturally would love to see some come out. I would want to see some Santa Fe ones as well.
What would you want to see?
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Tennessee Central (My links are not working so google if interested.)
Seaboard Air Line
Johnny Winkler posted:Seaboard Air Line
Now your talking seaboard had some very fine locomotives.Some where converted to oil burners.
According to the MR Cyclopedia, the following roads received USRA light Mountains:
AGS
CNOTP
L&N
MP
NCSL
NH
NYO&W
SOO
SOU.
Relettering your Lionel model to one of these railroads is about 1/3 the job, since they all were eventually "accessorized" by the various railroads. So, you have to track down photos suitable for the era you follow.
I imagine other railroads acquired copies.....
Though not my favorite road. I do like and own a number of NH engines and rolling stock. Mostly in the diesel era. But a few brass steamers. I do own the previous USRA Mountain from a number of years ago . The new version is intriguing but just not much different than my previous version. Now if they swapped out the tender and offered this version. I'd be a buyer.
I converted this Southern Mountain:
into this SAL Mountain:
Scratch built the brass tender and moved some things on the boiler. A Vanderbilt tender would be a welcome addition no matter what! I hated to remove that beautiful paint job but need a SAL Mountain so... I still have the tender painted in Southern green, just no projects to use it for. Diecast tender is heavy!
4-8-2 at least heavy mountains are the one wheel arraignment Lionel has ignored, unless it’s a NYC mohawk. How about a rutland mountain in as built green?????
https://www.railarchive.net/rlsteam/misc.htm
Dave_C posted:Though not my favorite road. I do like and own a number of NH engines and rolling stock. Mostly in the diesel era. But a few brass steamers. I do own the previous USRA Mountain from a number of years ago . The new version is intriguing but just not much different than my previous version. Now if they swapped out the tender and offered this version. I'd be a buyer.
I do love those Vanderbilt tenders on engines.
It would be nice if Lionel did expand on what is being said here with the correct variations to the locomotives. I know that in the past they have received hell for some or almost all of their mishaps. They are trying to get to where they are going towards being true to prototype, but you know they usually miss something. See what comes, that's for sure.
The only think I know about Lite Mountains is:
It seems like Lionel did a very nice job choosing roads that purchased USRA Light Mountains (and their subsequent copies). But I cannot find any information on whether Frisco ever purchased one of the 137 USRA Light Mountains (including the copies post-USRA).
Considering fidelity to prototype, I would be okay with doing roads that purchased any of the 137 originals in Lionel's next run.
I am okay with "what if's" for those wanting to add to their favorite road rosters. (and even fantasy colors too) [Is the green Southern RR Light Mountain a fantasy locomotive?]
TM Terry posted:It seems like Lionel did a very nice job choosing roads that purchased USRA Light Mountains (and their subsequent copies). But I cannot find any information on whether Frisco ever purchased one of the 137 USRA Light Mountains (including the copies post-USRA).
Considering fidelity to prototype, I would be okay with doing roads that purchased any of the 137 originals in Lionel's next run.
I am okay with "what if's" for those wanting to add to their favorite road rosters. (and even fantasy colors too) [Is the green Southern RR Light Mountain a fantasy locomotive?]
About the Frisco, this is the only thing I can find but doesn't really state what the differences are.
Lloyd Stanger's "Steam Locomotives of the Frisco" doesn't list any class of Frisco 4-8-2 as USRA locomotives or copies.
However, the USRA light 4-8-2 could easily visually stand in for the 1500 class.
I wondered about the air horns, but the builder's photo of 1505 clearly shows them. But I don't think they lasted long in service, I haven't located any other photo of a 1500 class 4-8-2 with them.
Rusty
It does stand to reason that the 15 Baldwin mountains that Frisco received in 1923 (and the following 15, 1925/6) would be built similar to the USRA Light Mountains that Baldwin had recently built. Their 1500's ran at a little boiler pressure with a little more tractive effort, logically due to slightly improved technology.
TM Terry posted:It seems like Lionel did a very nice job choosing roads that purchased USRA Light Mountains (and their subsequent copies). But I cannot find any information on whether Frisco ever purchased one of the 137 USRA Light Mountains (including the copies post-USRA).
Considering fidelity to prototype, I would be okay with doing roads that purchased any of the 137 originals in Lionel's next run.
I am okay with "what if's" for those wanting to add to their favorite road rosters. (and even fantasy colors too) [Is the green Southern RR Light Mountain a fantasy locomotive?]
The green Southern light Mountains were real. 
"I am okay with "what if's" for those wanting to add to their favorite road rosters. (and even fantasy colors too) [Is the green Southern RR Light Mountain a fantasy locomotive?]"
No, not a fanyasy - the Southern actually had 2 classes of light 4-8-2 - one earlier that was not USRA-based, and the USRA version (which had some modified externals - like running boards - later). Both classes (Ts and Ts-1) were painted green, and were often used in the same sort of service as the more-famous Ps-4 Pacifics, but were a bit more powerful. (They may have had a lighter axle-loading number, also? More axles.) The SOU did not run these here (Mobile), but the L&N did run their USRA 4-8-2's into town - often at the head of the Crescent Limited, which was a joint PRR-SOU-A&WP-L&N train from New York to N.O.
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My understanding is that the Frisco 1500's were based on the USRA design - maybe the Heavy - but configured differently, specifically having a lower-mounted boiler, which gives it a different, taller-domed look. But, as said above, Lionel's Mountain could make a very reasonable stand-in, especially with a few carefully-chosen changes, unless you want to build one. We have one of these in Mobile, with the wheels painted an unfortunate red (he saw too many Chinese 2-10-2's - and he won't listen; a dangerous type of "railfan".)
The USRA Heavy and the USRA Light 4-8-2's had the same running gear and "engine" - except the Heavy had slightly larger cylinders. Here's hoping that Lionel shows up with a fat-boilered hybrid Heavy Mountain on this frame. Those were big engines.
Most any large modern 4-8-2 model could employ this frame and mechanicals, even if it meant different drivers and trailing truck (that's easy). Valve gear? That need to be changed when necessary, though I do not think that Lionel did this with the latest offerings. (For example, the L&N needs Walschaerts, but the model has Baker, I think.)
As for the black Southern Mountains looks like Lionel is going for the as delivered TS class markings,but for those to be correct the headlight needs to be on top of the smoke box. Southern did repaint at least one Mountain black in the late 1940s,but it had pinstriping like the green engines. 
Great information. I know Lionel has not been great with the various valve gears(most notably the goof on the L-3 Mohawk's not having the Baker).
I would hope that they correct the mistakes were applicable like the headlights and valve gears. I remember that the one Southern engine a few year ago the tender was completely wrong in the catalog but they fixed it when it went into production. Of course the engine was not as detailed as it should have been which still grew criticism which it should. They need to keep up consistency with their Legacy line and not make it a mix of traditional and Legacy.
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