LIONEL's GG-1 %$@#*& on less than 072"

[AlanRail]

Well

I'm still testing the GG1 on my layout which up until now I thought was a dual line 072 or greater. The new LIONEL GG1 is proving to be quite the track radius testor. It found one place already where a hand-bent gargraves to 072 was not 072. The front truck came off the track. Oops.

I needed to lift off the offending section and replace it with 072 Ross sectional track; however the first time thru it still derailed a low speeds. HUMMM. I'll need to recheck the elevation too.

I am now testing MTH's Little Joe with Lionel GG1. Even though one ran on AC and the other DC in the catenaries; they will both need to share my catenary.


Alan

[92hatchattack]

aww, thats a shame.... its too bad lionel couldnt make a scale gg1 that could run on a smaller radias, with pivoting trucks or something .... not everyone that likes to collect trains runs a huge layout .... oh well, guess im out for now.....

i just hope in the future when i have a house and enough room for a 6 foot turn that these, or a new scale model is still being offered :(

[92hatchattack]

ps, besides the radius issue, how are you enjoying it?? anything else to report?

[ChiefEagles]

Alan, might try a little banking of track [like race car track]. It helped me on my old layout. Got my first TMCC [Lionel SD80 MAC] engine yesterday. Got it working on DCS and DCS remote. Pretty good. Got its pros and cons as compared to MTH. Now I can run anything made. [:D] OH, no problems with signal strength and running MTH's and TMCC on same loop or loops. Will see when I get my permanent layout built.

[AlanRail]

C.E.

I was thinking of using a reverse bank on an elevated curved section I am building.
Instead, you are suggesting a normal bank?


Alan


P.S. the engine is working fine; I am trying set up a section with my modified PITT-MARK catenary. The pantographs have enough play up and down; however the Little Joe has more.

Th pantographs are fully removable on the Little Joe ; the raising and lowering is accomplished by two hidden levers that extend in to the cab body.

It is hard to see how he Lionel pantographs operate because of the ornate design of the GG1 pantograhs; this is not to take away from the nicely designed Little Joe pantograph but the designs are different;

A far cry from the early LIONEL and MTH pantograph electric engines where all the pantographs were alike. I'm told that even the MTH South Shore litle joe pantographs are different style from the Milw Rd. little joe pantographs.


Alan

[Anonymous]

I have gone with precurved O72 track as my curved ones that I made 20 years ago are not that accurate and my 3rd rail northerns did not like many of them.
I even had a MTH DM&IR yellowstone jump the curve on a precurve o72.
I had it from a customer to put in a QSI 3000 and he was using something larger than 072 for it as he had the same trouble.

dave

[Anonymous]

Alan,

When I did my comparison, the Lionel GG1 derailed at the same spot on the track every time (Atlas 072). The hobby shop owner and I both thought it was probably something minor in the track.

I went back and ran the MTH GG1 again, and it did not derail in the very same spot that the Lionel did.

[AlanRail]

CE

The bank on the sectional 072 track worked; GG1 no longer derails

thanks

[Buckeye Riveter]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ChiefEagles

Alan, might try a little banking of track [like race car track].

Chief, after all the knowledge I have imparted to you over the last year and you still use words like "banking". The correct term is superelevation. [:D][:D][:D]

Alan, if your superelevation is too much, string-lining of the cars can occur especially if there is an increasing grade and a heavy consist, but a GG1 commonly was a passenger engine in the 1950's. I used see these great engines as we entered Washington, D.C. aboard the PRR and B&O.[8D]

[ChiefEagles]

AH, my brainy engineer friend corrected me. I just remember on my old layout [which was long], I had a high speed problem with front trucks on a certain engine derailing. Tried the shimming under ties to "bank" the track and it worked. Can't beleive that a senile old guy like me would remember something done 20 years ago. [;)] Glad it worked for you Alan.

[Anonymous]

I finally had the opportunity to test an MTH scale GG1 on 054 (K-Line 027 profile).

It glides around silently with not problem.

[92hatchattack]

^^^^ so are u saying the brand new MTH GG1, the one being compared to this lionel GG1 can navigate 054 curves?????

[Anonymous]

Yes! The new MTH Premier GG1 can navigate 054 curves with no problem.

It also runs slower and more smoothly at very low speed than the Lionel and has a finish and detail that is at least as good.

The pantographs, although not as detailed, operate much more smoothly and are spring loaded to operate off of working catenary if desired (there is a switch on the bottom of the locomotive to switch between the pick-up rollers and the pantographs).

The Lionel is not designed to work from operating catenary. I do not know if it can be adapted to or not. My understanding is that Lionel warns that the pantographs are not to be pressed down when up. I have not seen the Lionel instruction manual to confirm this.

Both, by the way, are knockout gorgeous models.

[92hatchattack]

^^^ thats great news.... ill be honest, i got back into the hobby now that i have a son ... and all ive ever know was lionel, but ive seen some real nice stuff coming out from this MTH .... hopefully i will be able to muster up some $$$ before they stop making this one!! ... how long do u think MTH will prodice these for???

[92hatchattack]

by the way, any chance of throwing up some video of the MTH on 054??? does such a long loco look awkward on it??? ... also, do you know if MTH offers matching passenger cars for their GG1?????

[Anonymous]

92hatchattack,

There is no way to know how long the MTH GG1's will be out there. I don't know how many have been produced, or how much in demand they will be (probably pretty high). I know that I worried that I would not be able to get an S-1 when they came out a couple of years ago-looked at the Lionel S-1 and the MTH S-1 and grabbed the MTH S-1 (the LIonel is still sitting in the case at the hobby shop). All the MTH S-1's are long gone from that shop.

Pennsy Fleet of modernism cars are supposed to be due out shortly. Those would look good behind the GG1.

As far as posting video, I apoligize, I do not know how to do it. I will try to post a photo from above showing the overhang. Hopefully, that will suffice.

[92hatchattack]

^^^ cool, thanks for all the info ..., and as far the pics, im sure no-one here would mind a few pics!!! haha