York Videos are up and Pictures

MTH said the first things out will be F3's, freight cars and track.  The tooling is being modified for the DCS/DCC electronics and freight car tooling is also being modified to make assembly easier.

 

The Flyer SD70's, hopper and Y3 look pretty nice from what I could see.  The TCA camera man didn't waste a lot of effort to show these and of course, the Lionel guys were tired from holding up the O gauge die cast stuff...

The Y3 looked really nice to me. I have the Texas set on order so it is nice that it looks like it is ready to ship. I was surprised they did not have any of the new U33c's on display, I have the SF and Milwaukee units coming. I would probably do a few of the bnsf heritage units if Lionel did that paint scheme in S. Ben

No comments on the pictures of the NS SD70ACe on my original post?  Come on, I shouldn't have to poke and prod this out of you S gaugers!!!!

 

Ben 

Lionel is living up to my expectations (negative) regarding their new "S" scale trains.  They catered to the 3R guys in O when I was doing O 2R and they wouldn't even add Kadee coupler pads for those 2Rer's or 3RS guys who wanted to convert them.

 

Putting vertical motors in their "S" locos takes me out of the picture and we'll have to see what their rolling stock is like..........if no scale wheels are offered I will pass on those as well. I can certainly live without Lionel products.

 

I have high hopes that MTH will see the light and be scale friendly as they are doing in "O". Purchasing SHS gives them a leg up in my book. I just hope they don't do what Atlas did with the RC Geeps and the IM rolling stock and compromise them with vertical motors and oversize couplers.

 

Bot my fingers crossed! 

 

Butch

I'm not going to throw in the towel on vertical motors until I see how they operate.

 

I'll agree the mixed signals coming out of Lionel regarding scale wheels is disturbing.  It seems like every other day the rumor mill comes out with yes, no, maybe, don't know.

 

When I checked yesterday, the UP SD70's and U33C's from the dedicated Flyer catalog are still available with scale wheels, it's apparently too late in the process to change their minds on those, but the current back of the O gauge catalog doesn't mention scale wheels, except for the confusing descriptions on the cylindrical hoppers.  I'm hoping that will be corrected in the next dedicated Flyer catalog.

 

I just submitted this blunt, point blank question to Lionel: "Is Lionel abandoning scale profile wheels on new American Flyer product?" Maybe others so interested should do the same.

 

We'll see what they say, but I'm expecting a stock answer indicating they are unable to know at this time.

 

Lionel's Mike Regan seems to follow the 3 rail side, but doesn't peek over here, so all the chatter here seems to just fuel speculation.

 

Rusty

I understand and respect your feelings Rusty. I just have a really bad taste in my mouth (and chip on my shoulder) for vertical motored locos that carries over from my O scale days.  From my personal experiences (yes, I owned some Atlas GP-9's and still own some beautiful Lionel scale F3's converted to 2R) the final drive gear ratio produced by the "China Drive" is too high to allow really smooth starts or realistic top speeds. I understand for most 3R and many Hi-Rail S operators this isn't a problem, but for someone who likes to switch or enjoys realistic starting and stopping locos.....it is.

 

I undertand the "China Drive" can be slowed down and jack rabbit starts smoothed out a little with modern electronics or wiring the two motors in parallel, but the correct final drive gear ratio would eliminate the problem completely. If it's physically impossible to change the ratio they should say so, but if its only because they don't want too change it, then I can't support them with my $$$. I doubt if I ever buy any more "China Drive" locos regardless of who imports them.

 

I've got my fingers crossed that MTH won't compromise the SHS line of locos with vertical motors like Atlas did with Red Caboose and P&D. 

 

But, as you said, we'll have to wait and see.

 

Butch

Butch, I can understand your point of view also.  I have one scale O Atlas locomotive, a GP15.  It looks great, but as a straight DC locomotive, it runs like (insert colorful expletive here) with no low speed response.  My pre-Proto1 MTH conventional stuff runs better.  One of these days it'll get DCC or I'll do the old Williams trick of putting the motors in series.

 

Lionels's going to be stuck with vertical motors because their electronics take up most of the available space in the shell.  It's pretty tight inside the U33C.  It's even be hinted that if there's going to be a smaller diesel locomotive, like their FM H12-44 or an F unit, it might have to have one vertical motor. 

 

Lionel's Jon Z. has lobbied for a better gear ratio and the SD70's are supposed to get it, so we'll see what happens there.

 

Rusty

Lionel's Jon Z. has lobbied for a better gear ratio and the SD70's are supposed to get it, so we'll see what happens there.

 

 

That is good news for "S" and shows that someone is paying attention and cares at the big "L".  Lucky for me I model the transition era so most modern locos aren't of interest to me. 

 

I would think a single truck powered loco in "S" would be a serious step backwards and in an "F" unit a financial disaster. I don't expect that idea to fly.  

 

Butch