Original Williams Trains

[RRaddict]

Hello,

I hope someone here that can help me. I having been looking for a place to find manuals or just information about original Williams locomotives before Williams was bought out by Bachmann.  I purchase and NH AA F-3 set but didn't get a manual with them.

Thanks,

Kevin 

[Train-O]

Kevin,

Bob, the proprietor of "The Western Depot," dealt with Williams and now, Williams by Bachmann.

http://www.westerndepot.com/index.php/cPath/21_503_265

Good Luck,

Ralph

[stubbsO]

I needed some info awhile ago and was sent this. Here ya go, hope it helps........      http://www.williamstrains.com/InstructionSheets/F3/F3_AA_inst-parts.pdf

[RRaddict]

Ralph,

I'm an idiot it was a F-7 NH set not F-3 and indeed they are original Williams not the Williams by Bachmann which are great too.  The one identifier was that the locomotive only has a horn all the new Williams have bells too.

[Train-O]

RRaddict,

"The Western Depot" in Cal. would be your best bet, as Bob, the proprietor, deals very much with Bachmann and may be able to help you, or he may be able to tell you where to look.

I needed two old Williams(by Williams), full 1:48 scale, E.-L. RR. FB-1 diesel engines from 2004, to complete a 'A' 'B' 'B' 'A' four diesel set, as prototypically owned and ran by the E.-L. RR.
Bob had them 'BRANDEE NEW,' 'OLD STOCK!'

As, I said before, Bob's a retired U.S.A.F. Lt. Colonel of WWII.  (U.S.A.A.F.-U.S.A.F.)

Good Luck,

Ralph

[Train-O]

Here, Kevin,

"THE WESTERN DEPOT" and with a F7-B Unit!

http://www.westerndepot.com/index.php/cPath/21_503_265_366_393

Ralph

[phillyreading]

Ralph,

To find out if your William F-7 has the horn only feature or both bell & horn, you will need to run the engine at both high and low speeds and try the whistle, hold for about three seconds, at each speed. Or if you like take the diesel shell off and see what circuit board is installed inside, just look at the board.

On the new Williams by Bachmann, the True Blast 2, second edition (Williams don't mention this) has the bell feature as well with the TB-2 horn unit. Older TB-2 units(first edition, when Bachmann first took over, over two years ago) don't have the bell feature, just a digital horn that had a grade crossing sequence. The bell feature used to be part of the QSI circuit boards with the Crown Edition engines.

Lee F.

[rtraincollector]

phillyreading

Ralph,

On the new Williams by Bachmann, there is NO bell feature! At least none that I have heard of. The bell feature used to be part of the QSI circuit boards with the Crown Edition engines.

Lee F.

Wrong they do have both bell and horn/whistle check any listing on there site the true blast two has horn and bell on diesels and whistle and bell on steam engines

Now trying to activate it with some of Lionel transformers depending how you have it wired ( for some reason reversing the wires switches which works) you have either bell or horn. If you use the old K-line controller for horn or other as it says which will work the bell. Bachmann to my knowledge hasn't changed a thing electronically since taking over Williams they have deleted some road names and I think add some but thats it its still basically the same exact engine and electronics.

Now the older williams engines had horn only but you have to go back about 15 years I think The trublast II board has both horn and bell

[phillyreading]

rtr,

I just looked at the new listing for the True Blast 2 sound units and they are listed as having the bell feature as well according to the Williams by Bachmann website.

I have an older TB-2 unit, about two to three years old, that has just the horn or grade crossing sound that comes from it. From looking at the new poducts by Williams there must be an up-grade that I didn't know of before today that was added recently. I tried to activate anything other than a horn but can not do so with my TB-2 unit from a couple years ago, I have an MTH Z-1000 and a post-war ZW that I was using with the engine that I installed the sound unit in. I know that you may have to wait up to three or four seconds for the feature in the Williams TB-2 unit to work.

FYI; Williams had the QSI system(Crown Edition, made about 18 years ago) that had both the horn & bell. The first TB-2 by Williams had only horn or whistle(steam engine). TB-2 was made only a couple of years before Williams sold out to Bachmann.

Another new item by Bachmann in the Williams line will be Super Streets if I am correct; look under the "Ask the Bachmann" section Williams. Bachmann says it should be available first quarter of 2012.

Lee F.

[Train-O]

Thanks folks,

My FA-1 power diesel has the TRUE BLAST II Horn and Bell, plus the 6 amp. reversing unit and it and the FA-1 dummy and two FB-1 dummies are all full 1:48 scale size, dimensions and proportions.

I believe, my FA-1 unit might be a Williams by Bachmann, it has a plastic shell, with die-cast metal chsis, tank and attachments.

I feel, the Williams and W./B. goodies seem to be as well made and run, as good as the Lionel Post War goodies.

How, can I determine the difference(s) between Williams and Williams by Bachmann, by the whole body, aside from the electronic guts?

Ralph

[rtraincollector]

I believe you will see the name Bachmann on it somewhere probably near the name Williams

[phillyreading]

Ralph,

To the best of my knowledge, without taking the shell off of the engine, I don't know how to tell one made by Williams(before Bachmann) apart from one made by Williams by Bachmann. Maybe the horn or sound unit could be a clue, how the TB-2 unit works might be the identifying feature without taking things apart. There could be a "made by Bachmann" or "WBB" stamped on the underside of the engine on the frame or on truck assembly that houses the motors.

I don't have a new engine, so I don't know how to tell them apart for sure. But I bought the Platinum Club Car the other year, Plasticville tank car, the knuckle coupler was differant than the older Willams freight cars from a couple years ago.

Lee F.

[Train-O]

rtraincollector and Lee,

I will have to dig out my FA and FB 1's, for a look.

Thank you both,

Ralph