Jim R. posted:I guess I’m not sure why your 1982 Berkshire should be relegated to “the dustbins of history.” What you have are two completely different models that really shouldn’t be compared against each other.
For one, your new locomotive and that older Berk aren’t even based on the same prototype. Lionel’s postwar Berks were freelanced models loosely derived from New York Central Hudsons, not the S-2 Berkshires of the Nickel Plate Road on which the Legacy model is based. In fact, the tooling on the older Berk was initially used for the standard Lionel Lines roadname and had nothing to do with NKP.
Second, your first Berk isn’t a scale model. It’s traditional sized, meant to run on tighter radius track with the variety of postwar equipment that Lionel made and which were the basis of the hobby for so many postwar kids. That part of the hobby is still the focus for many on this forum. I enjoy both sides of the hobby, running my scale equipment at the club and my traditional stuff at home on a small layout. So I appreciate both.
And finally, one is a conventional model, the other is command control. Again, plenty of hobbyists have stuck with tradition, appreciating the simplicity of conventional operation and the easy serviceability of the electronics inside. I do both, and appreciate both.
The only connection between your two models is that they are both Berks and both lettered for Nickel Plate Road. You might want to rethink your view and appreciate both for what they represent independent from each other.
Jim;
I assure you, I am well acquainted with the lineage of the 1982 Berkshire. If I place it next to an old 736 in my collection, the casting is almost indistinguishable. Of course, the finish of the ’82 version is a marked improvement over the PW version (the shiny finish, the white accents, the die cast tender, and, of course, the sound of steam) – a small step for train enthusiasts!!!
I am painfully aware that the PW and ’82 versions are not scale, but as an O-scale engine, it was comparable to almost all the Lionel rolling stock I owned at the time, or was available. I do realize that there are many in the hobby today that run and prefer PW/late 20th Century conventional equipment. I think that’s great, but it is just not for me. I have caught the scale bug, and have no desire to be cured!!! In addition, as a confessed techno-peasant, I can not see myself trying to run conventional on my Legacy/TMCC layout. Another small step for the train enthusiast.
Finally, while most people who know me would tell you, I am something of a traditionalist. But when it comes to my trains, I am a 100% command control addict. The ability to have all the control in my hand (trains, switches, accessories, etc.) far outweighs tradition – although I do use two PW ZW’s to power my layout. Finally, a giant leap for mankind 
As for the “dustbin of history”, that is a euphemism for a closet – similar to the Island of Misfit Toys!!! Since I know I will never run any of this equipment again, I store it until I can try find a new home for it where it will be used and appreciated. Over the last year, I have “gifted” a bunch of items from the dustbin to new home (Mitch M. did some unmentionable things to an engine or so, but it makes me feel good that it is being used). I am sure that I will be looking for a new home for the old Berk as well as a number of other items in the next year or so.
In the end, all of your comments sort of validate my original post – we have come a long way from what passed for a PW/‘82 Berkshire to a scale model with all the bells and whistles… literally. And if my “relegation” of the old Berk upset you, I would recommend you don’t read my next post on this thread in the next day or so – the “dustbin” is filling up again.
