@RoyBoy posted:My experience has been that Williams diesels are reliable and great pullers, but the steam engines, not so much.
There are generally five classes of Williams steam locos;
-the old brass full scale ones
-the new Williams by Bachmann O-27 copies of post war Lionel
-the diecast scale Hudson
-the new Williams by Bachmann semi-scale steam locos
-the new Williams by Bachmann ten wheeler
Some of the scale brass steamers run well and some have very noisy gearboxes.
The Williams O-27 Hudson has a motor that is fond of overheating. Curiously, the O-27 Berkshire in my roster seems to be OK. Maybe there was a bad batch of motors.
The scale Hudson has a big motor, but is geared to run way too fast, although a Cruise Commander from ERR will tame it a bit.
The ten wheeler is really the standout gem in this roundhouse. It has a great gear ratio, runs slowly/smoothly, and has good pulling power.
I have not experienced the semi-scale steam locos, which are the old K-Line semi-scale locos. They might be something to look into.
The Williams O-27 Hudson has a motor that’s fond of overheating? I was thinking of purchasing a used Williams PRR steamer, conventional, but this gives me pause now. I have a Williams GP9 that’s a good puller and wondering if I can do the same with the steamer noted above without burning it up. Are they more for show?
