Best Friend of Charelston

[Locomotive681]

 Hey everybody

 Id like to know what you think about this set.Is it worth buying,does it run well,how dose it look and so  on. I was really thinken about one for Christmas so any info would be good and pics are also welcome.

Mike

[sir james I]

The reports I've read say it runs ok but it is suggested not too buy the extra car unless you just want a display. They say it has trouble pulling that extra car.

[Brutus]

I bought 2 extra cars based on the original which had 3 passenger cars.  These cars are pretty heavy for the size.  The locomotive has no traction tire or apparent magnetraction at all.  On a flat, with the original passenger car and 1 add-on, it will ease into motion and run fine.  With 2, you have a serious slippage problem.  This is on flat track.  I would only buy the regular set and maybe add 1 add-on car if you like the original set.  I'm going to use my 2nd add-on as scenery, but also promised to sell it for cost to a friend in the future if he gets the set and these become scarce and drive up the price.

I have had to use loctite on two of the screws that hold the driver rods on the locomotive - the screws on the rear left and right wheels.  Once I did that, no problems!  In forward, the drivers actually apply friction to these screws in the direction that unscrews them - bad design in my opinion!

I'll grade this set as a B+ as far as a "normal" train set.  There is no smoke and you select direction with a switch (box) on the tender by hand.  But I'll up that to a A+++ when factoring in the cool factor and overall presentation of the set.  I would buy it again in a heartbeat, but only with 1 add-on car.

BTW - if you click on the pic, you can see that this was taken when the rear screw was working out - prior to use of loctite!

[jimhaleyscomet]

Who manufactures this set?

 

Jim H 

[sir james I]

JHCOMET-     LIONEL