Toy train operating and collecting

Ever since the Hogwarts Express first appeared in the Lionel catalog, it's been a "got to have" item for me.

With the $200 sale price at Charles Ro, I couldn't pass up the chance to own one. This is my first brand new, current production Lionel item in a long time, and I was really excited to receive it.

After a few shipping hiccups, with the set having been delivered to the house where I lived when we last ordered from Charles Ro 12 years ago(despite me telling them the correct current address), I finally now have it in my hands. 

The first step was to set it up on the living room floor with the included Fastrack and CW-80. I did buy some Fastrack when it first became available, but this is my first exposure to the silver center rail track, as well as to the CW-80 transformer. I really like both products. The CW-80 is no ZW, but it's still a heck of a nice transformer. Mine worked flawlessly to the extent I used it. It's certainly different from any other transformer I've used, and features like the direction button ramp up took some getting used to, but overall it's a nice product. 

Now the set:

The engine ran great after some break-in pulling nothing, although I did notice the delayed startup when first powering it up that has been reported here. This seems to have improved with operation, and I imagine that it will continue to get better.

The smoke unit works great-it made a haze in the room after a few minutes of operation. 

I went ahead and taped off one of the whistle chambers to give it a more British-sounding whistle. I was a bit disappointed in the volume of the whistle when activated by the CW-80. 

The passenger cars are great, if a bit lightweight. All of the fine print is nice, crisp, and readable. If, however, Lionel offers the diecast trucks from the new Shakespear set  as a separate sale item, I'll be investing them. 

I then took it up to the layout to run on the O42 tubular curves of my main loop.

The set runs much better, in my opinion, when powered by an (old) ZW, and the whistle seems louder. 

This leads me to the bad news, however:

I have a K-line manual O42 switch(circa 2000) on my outer loop in place of one of the curve sections. 

The engine really, really does not like this switch. It took a generous application of electrical tape just to get it to go through without shorting. Once I got it to go through, it made the loudest racket you've ever heard. 

This leads me to the really bad news:

On one trip around, the engine derailed on this switch, and took a tumble off the layout. It bounced all the way down against the wall, and landed on top of the cast iron Remington typewriter I have stored under the layout. The engine was mostly unscathed, except for the emblem above the nameplate on the front of the smokebox. I'll be calling Lionel on Monday to see if I can order a replacement, or otherwise I'll dig out the broken piece and superglue it back on. 

The problematic switch has now been removed from my layout, and I'm enjoying the set once again. 

This also leads me to a question. Does anyone have any personal experience with the newer K-line switches that have the low-profile motors, and their compatibility with the HE engine?

Thanks,
Ben

Ben,

Consider putting some type of backstop (even a short one) around your layout, made from plexiglass or Masonite. That will ensure that no further trains fall to the floor. Too bad that happened to a brand new loco.

Jim 

Jim,

The place where the engine fell off only has about a three inch gap between the table and the wall. I've had trains come off the track here before, however they've never fallen off the table.

I think that tomorrow, I'll be doing as you suggest. I have a scrap 2x4 lying around that I think will be just perfect for closing the gap between the table and the wall, or at least closing it enough to keep trains from rolling off the table. 

In any case, though, it seems as though the problem with rough operation through the switch was related to a missing track pin. That pin has now been replaced, and operation seems to be smooth enough. There's still the shorting problem, and the less than elegant electric tape solution I came up with, but at least trains run decently through the switch. 

I think, too, that a little bit of superglue will do a great job putting the emblem back where it should go, and things will be good as new. I hate it too, though, that this happened to a new engine. 

Hi, sorry to hear about your accident. I was enamoured by the Hogwarts set at first until I saw it in person. I don't know what it was but it didn't thrill me as much after seeing it. I was wondering if the Shakespeare would be a bit better. I think the thing that did it in was the consist. I was surprised to find it didn't have an observation (and the cars look so modern). I had hoped they would remedy this in the Shakespeare set but it doesn't appear they have (is the observation purely an American thing?). I also noticed that they have corrected the whistle in the Shakespeare set. perhaps it would be fun to get both sets.

Scott 

The cars are almost scale in size.  There are some differences in the window arrangements from the prototype and the train set is one coach short of the consists used in the films.  There is no observation car on the real train.   The couplers are american style instead of British.  Here is a link to info on modeling the train as seen in the movies:

http://www.newrailwaymodellers.co.uk/harry-potter.htm 

I was impressed when I saw the HE running at the LHS. It's bigger than I had imagined. Very nice.

Jim 

Pennvalley wrote:

Heh, my wife was watching the Harry Potter movie marathon Saturday & yesterday & thinks we should buy the Hogwarts set. Who am I to argue, will order it today.

Paul,

Now THAT'S cooperation!  This movie angle has some real possibilities.

My wife chatted me up around the holidays to see if I'd be interested in the HE set. She's a Harry fan. I had heard a lot of people complaining about the set then. Notable to me, the alleged problem the loco had with O36 radius curves. So I passed. Now they are selling just down the road a piece at C. Ro for $199. I'll hold out for a Mallard, Gordon, or the Flying Scotsman.

Jim 

Caboose Hobbies,http://www.caboosehobbies.com/catalog/index.php,  Denver, has the HE for $166.33 as of yesterday

37fleetwood wrote:

I was surprised to find it didn't have an observation (and the cars look so modern). I had hoped they would remedy this in the Shakespeare set but it doesn't appear they have (is the observation purely an American thing?).

Hi Scott,

Yeah, the observation car is an American thing. On british railways, they never had them as part of passenger trains. I must say, I have the opposite feeling that I find the observation car takes away from the look of the consist. But then, I guess it's what you grow up with and what you're used to seeing

Tom

Has anyone heard of a TMCC retrofit to HE?

Ben,

I feel your pain about the damage to your Hogwarts loco.

A section of drywall fell from my ceiling last night and knocked my Hogwarts engine down 14 steps,and ended up in the kitchen.

My wife thought I fell down the stairs,but the sound she heard was my loco taking a tumble.

The damage,2 broken buffers,1 broken handrail stantion,a cylinder bent in a little, a bent truck axle,and numerous scratches and dings.

Also damaged was my Lionel Alaska GP7,and the tender for my postwar 250 (the drywall hit this one dead on).

Very Sad Right Now,

Carl T.