Who here likes locomotives for under $140?

[Jumijo]

I just scanned Williams' web site. Although most of the tenders are sold out, they are/were offered in two varieties and several liveries.

A Berkshire style sells for $99.95 and an S2 type for $79.95. Both types appear to have 6-wheeled trucks.

Williams' tenders do have a bell as well as a whistle, but even so, the Lionel tender is much less expensive (by almost half).

Jim

[mersenne6]

A locomotive for under $140. HA!!!!!! Not anyone I know - my associates think 401K is the minimum amout of money you need to build a starter layout. The only use they have for mint conditioned MTH Rail King and Lionel Traditional die cast engines is for ballast in their yachts. They won't bother with a mint, boxed train unless there is clear evidence of Cowan's fingerprints on the engine. They belong to the exclusive subscribers list of CTT and OGR and have their issues printed on vellum and hand delivered by Niel and Jim. I mean, please, $140 engines....really!!!!!! [:D]

[jwse30]

I was just looking at the K-line 05 catalog, and noticed something. The engine on the front cover is less than $140. Can't recall ever seeing that before.

J White

[1688torpedo]

Who likes locos for under $140.00 I do! 1688s are a bargain. Between $ 75.00 - 125.00 in most places depending on condition and if it doesn't run I can get it to run just fine with some Rubbing Alchohol,Q-tips,and a Screwdriver.[:)].............Keith

[jwse30]

1688torpedo,

I saw a1688 at a local store for $125 a few days ago. I dare say it would have been in E condition, if it didn't have a rust spot a half dollar would barely cover. Needless to say, it's still for sale.

While I'm thinking of it, will the 1688 work with modern era o27 switches? I seem to recall some of the prewar x-4-x units didn't. (the number 1654 comes to mind)

J White

[Jumijo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jwse30

I was just looking at the K-line 05 catalog, and noticed something. The engine on the front cover is less than $140. Can't recall ever seeing that before.

J White

Take a look at the NYC Pacemaker Frieght set on pages 14/15. The wheel on the rear truck of the loco is off the track!

Does anyone out there own one of these K-Line Starter sets? I'd like to know more about them - how they run, smoke, whistle sound, etc. Also, I noticed that they are just the opposite of Lionel's versions in that the PRR version has Railsounds while the NYC version is whistle only set. I think K-Line's add-on pacs are nicer too, especially the passenger cars, which have diaphrams.

I received some Williams' brochures in the mail last night and was disappointed to see that they have raised prices of the post war repro locos by an average of $30.00 each. At $299.95 for their repro Berk, I can buy a gorgeous Lionel Berkshire with railsounds and still have $100.00 left over. I no longer see Williams as affordable. Yeah, their products are nice and I like the simplicity of the electronics, but the prices should reflect that simplicity.

Jim

[cnw1995]

I have some of the K-Line sets and would recommend them - recently purchased the Santa Fe Steam Chief set for about $112. I believe this is an older set. It has a Railsounds tender and three passenger cars (that's why I got it)- along with a 120 v transformer, and oval of their snap-track. I just got it out last night - the train runs fine, nice smoke, the tender works, each passenger car is lit and has separate grab-irons and some other details but it's certainly not scale. I also have their most low-end of low-end sets - the Pennsy battery-powered set - a GP and three cars for less than $40 retail. It's oversized and plasticy - the cars are super-light with plastic wheelsets - but it has an infra-red remote that works great - and if one uses rechargable batteries, it's good to run - at least on my 027 layout - as an 'extra' train. The other low-end K-Line sets I have played with are about $109 and have an MP15 and five cars and an oval of train and transformer. The engine has a horn that works - sounds a bit tinny but thrills the kids. The cars I would consider to be equivalent to MPC-era Lionel ones. They looked fine - had opening boxcar doors, etc.

[1688torpedo]

Hello JWSE30! Prewar 1688's do not like newer 027 switches,You will have to find older prewar 027 Switch Tracks for the 1688 & other prewar 027 engines to run through or you can just set up a oval for them to run on. If you buy that 1688 I know of a Gent who can refurbish it and make it look like brand new again.Just e-mail me. Have a nice day everyone.......................Keith

[jwse30]

Keith,

Thanks for the info on the 1688; I was guessing that those engines had the same issue as the other 4 wheel steamers of the era. Now I know. I guess I'll have to wait on that engie until I have more room to add an additional loop of track (next layout, probably 06 or 07 at the earliest)

I've also got a Marx 999 with similiar issues regarding switches. I set it up under the tree two years ago pulling some 6" tin cars. Looked very sharp. My next layout will have at least one ROW for these "older" engines.

J White

[Anonymous]

Got a K-Line B&O F-7 A&B motorized units Sunday at Just Trains for $149.(list $380.) Just has the basics (a horn that could wake the dead), but hey, less stuff to go wrong. I like the E unit that will always start in "forward" after it sits for a short time (I have a small layout, and do very little backing-up). A large and handsom pair for "cheapskates", however, it will not work on 027 track. Joe

[daan]

Yep, me too. The only engines I can buy new in europe are the types costing over 400 euro's. There is a slight change however. On a german ebayshop they also sell new K-line engines. Only a few, but hey, it's a start. They are in the pricerange between 200 en 300 euro's. Most of my equipment is around 100 euro's per engine. So wel below the 140 dollarline mentionned. Mostly from ebay or secondhand from big trainmeetings. (there are a few in holland big enough to find 0 gauge) Even my lionel sd 28, which was new, was below 140.
The thing with cheap engines (motors in the trucks) is their derailmentquota. They derail much faster then the others. Because the motor is in the truck, the front axle lifts when pulling causing derailments on switches and in curves. I tried to springload the front end of the trucks, but if I apply enough load to keep them from lifting, the truck doesn't follow the track in curves anymore. I'm still working on that, probably going to add serious weight..