Lionel Alco C420 Lehigh and Hudson River #28516

1. It has a "modular" reverse unit that can be upgraded to TMCC by replacing that board with an R2LC.

 

2. China.

 

TRW

You need to look on the bottom. I saw one a coulple of weeks ago. It had Tmcc, and odessy speed control. The guy who was selling it wanted 100.00 for it. He thought it was conventional until I showed him the switches on the bottom. 

I had this engine, as PaperTRW pointed out it does not feature TMCC as originally issued.  Can be upgraded to TMCC and Railsounds (comes with SignalSounds) by installing the separately sold upgrade kits.

 

Lionel.com has the instructions for the conventional/command ready Alco C420s

 

C-420 Diesel - Command Ready - 5/00 (Rev. 3.1)

 

 

You can't tell by the switches, both conventional and TMCC C-420's have identical switch arrangements.

 

And the Odyssey System for speed control didn't yet exist when this locomotive was produced.

 

TRW

thanks everyone

 

just what I need to know

 

Jeff

 

 

This one came with a display case and plaque, On the bottom, one switch had run/ program, next switch Speed on/off another switch had railsound or something close On/off. Ran it on his layout using his CAB1 once he programed a number into it. So maybe this one was a special order? I wish I had bought it now.

These early C-420 locomotives had three switches -- Prog/Run, Sound/No Sound, and Smoke/No Smoke. Again, the switches are the same on the early conventional and TMCC C-420s. You could purchase a series of road names shown in the regular Lionel catalog either way, but this JCPenney Lehigh & Hudson River C-420 was only available as a conventional locomotive. There's no such thing as a "special order."

 

The L&HR C-420 was shipped to JCPenney in the summer of 2000. The Odyssey System didn't ship in a locomotive until late 2000. And a C-420 with an Odyssey on/off switch didn't exist until 2004, but no L&HR C-420's ever had Odyssey.

 

As mentioned earlier, the conventional C-420's were advertised as being "command upgradeable." With the purchase of additional components, they could be made to have TMCC as well as full RailSounds. So if you were able to run a L&HR C-420 under TMCC, then someone performed the upgrade.

 

No L&HR C-420's ever came from the factory with TMCC or Odyssey.

 

TRW

 

 

TRW,

You are correct.  I have one of these units sitting on a shelf along with my LV and D&H C-420's.  Hard to believe they were made so many years ago!  I bought the board to upgrade my to TMCC, and know exactly where it is, but have never installed it.

An interesting fact about the prototype is that two of the L&HR's units came with unique angular fuel tanks, including number 22 that Lionel chose to model.  They should have picked a different number in order for it to be correct, but no big deal.

 

J C Penney must not have done well with these as I picked by up as a blow out from some place in Nebraska (Grand Central Hobbies?) at a great price.  It's never been run, has been sitting in my display case for years, and I always liked it a lot.  I think the only other unit ever done in this roadname was an RS-3 by Weaver.

Another interesting fact is that at some point number 21, the other unit with the early production unique angular fuel tank, was returned to ALCO and the fuel tank was replaced with the larger one found on the other 7 units in their fleet making number 22 the ONLY without the fuel tank used by Lionel on their model.  

 

Compared to the prototype, the lettering is the wrong size being too large on the sides as well as the horn being the wrong style and located on a different part of the cab.  Another difference is in the transition of the gray to blue behind the cab being squared on the model instead of curved but it is a very nice model nonetheless.

 

TRW is quite correct. I have several of these and have upgraded them with TMCC and RailSounds boards and externally they are identical to ones that have not been upgraded.  The only way to tell if it has the upgrades is to run it.

 

Weaver has produced several Northeastern style cabooses in the L&HR paint scheme that go nicely with this locomotive.

Photo of the engine and JC Penney catalog ad.

 

 

I have this unit and I have always admired it.  I like the long alligator-like nose!!

 

Alan

I've got one and upgraded it to TMCC.  I like to run it with my Lehigh Valley and Lionel Lines C420s.  Great toy train engine.

I have purchased a new unit, with conventional reverse and signal sounds.

1. are upgrade kits still available? (TMCC, railsounds, coil couplers)

2. If so, does the loco run smooth and slow and steady?

3. Are the railsounds for the Alco, or generic?

4. Or, does the ERR Cruise and new Railsounds board fit in this locos basic board (the one that currently has the conventional reverse unit and signal sounds plugged into it)?

 

thanks

 

Jeff

 

 

Contact GG or Gunrunner. Also go to  ERR website and download the instructions to installing the cruise commander. Pull the shell off and see if it matches the picture.

OK, will do

who is GG?

GG and Gunrunner are one of the repair and conversion experts on the forum. You can do a search on them on the members page.

Hi Jeff,

 

I didn't realize it was you when I first answered your original posting.

 

I'll be sending a follow-up e-mail to you shortly. I think I can help with the upgrade.

 

Regards,

Todd

Jeff,

 

  (1)  The kit is no longer available, but the components are available.

  (2)  The engine is a good runner, but don't have cruise.

  (3)  You can get C420 railsounds.

  (4)  ERR cruise will can be installed, but they are not plug and play with the existing mother board. A couple of notes the DCDR motor driver can be replaced with a Cruise "M" and will need a C08 radio board to operate. The C08 will not operate the headlights properly on the C420.

 

Bill 

suzukovich and Boxcar Bill, thank you for the info. Very Helpful.

Todd, I will look for your email.

 

Jeff