The top pix is the Lion under steam and the two below more of the John Bull.
Went down to the local shop to plunk down my debit card for a John Bull .... boy was I surprised also NOT EVEN A SMOKER ! Lord the General which is way below on engineering was smokin it's little heart out . Well back in my wallet went my card . then i came home and read these ... wish it would have been posted about that before I made that trip ....
Smoking inflicts body with many irreversible damages and reduces the human life span by 25 years. That's why I don't mind if it does not smoke.
I love mine - great action on the locomotive and it runs very smoothly. No smoke, bell or whistle, but I'm not sure if they had a whistle back then? Bell? It was made in England, right? Nice set, glad I got it -- it can keep Buford the Best Friend of Charleston company while we wait for the Lion next! I was very glad to find it has a working lamp!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXKxqVmVvwc
RIP Chewy - best dog I ever had.
Quotes from my above pictures. The picture is taken from Popular Mechanics "RAILROAD ALBUM" dated 1954. The caption readsNow in the Smithsonian, the John Bull is the oldest locomotive in America. Built by Stephenson in 1831 for the Camden & Amboy RR,it originally looked much like the other early four-driver locomotives. The pilot truck, with it's cowcatcher,was added when it was rebuilt in 1833; the headlight, whistle and bell were added later. [Pennsylvania RR photo]From the other Photo taken from "150 Years of Train Models" [1999]The John Bull remained in service until 1865. In 1893 it ran 973 miles from New York to Chicago's Columbian Exposition with two coaches after which it was returned to the then U.S. National Museum in Washington, D.C., now the Smithsonian.
brutus ... can you believe lionel did'nt put a smoke unit in a beautiful ... fantastic engine like that though ? Why they skrimped on something that would have only cost them $3.00 at the factory ... man they are beautiful .... fantastic really . I'd like to stick my finger in the eye of their marketing manager ... LOL .
Well, the catalog did not indicate smoke etc and the BFOC had no sound or smoke, so I wasn't expecting it. OTOH - Yes, a smoke unit and a whistle & bell would have made it even better
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