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Well after missing the previous releases, I was finally able to get the latest Scale Polar Express locomotive from Lionel 6-84685.  I picked it up yesterday from forum sponsor "The Imperial Train Company" and as always Regis let me test it out before taking it home.  All worked and with that I left like a boy the night before Christmas.  I also have the coaches on order from Imperial as well.

Without a current layout I set up a test track tonight and played at bit and got some photos and videos to share.  First off everything looked great.  No flaws in the finish and look. If you see a spot it's some Styrofoam I probably missed.  No loose pieces or parts.  The sounds especially the movie dialog is clear and loud.  Probably the best use of crew talk ever.  The only thing I wish they had was a way to trigger "All Aboard! This is the Polar Express" independent of the other dialog.

Smoke, whistle smoke, as well as all other functions worked out of the box.  I did not try Bluetooth so I can't comment on that.

Well enough of the chit chat.  Picture and videos to follow.  The dialog changes when the engine is in motion.  I didn't get any of those clips.  I also haven't seen but a couple of posts on this engine so I hope this give everyone some good views!

 

Well packed and in the better upright position.

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Sharp Looking.  It feels bigger than the other Berks I have even though it's not.

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Nice cab figures although as someone pointed out not the movie figures.

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The over exaggerated Polar cow catcher.

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Very sharp number boards and builder's plate.

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The nicely lettered tender.

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I love the box as well. 

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And the videos!

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Last edited by MartyE
Original Post

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Carl

I was really surprised how well the dialog came across.  Lionel really did an excellent job on the sound files for this engine.  As I said the only thing I could possible whine about is not having a discrete trigger for "All Aboard! This is the Polar Express".  I think this line of the movie would be awesome to trigger on command.  I'll leave my engineers as is for now at least as these figures look ok.  Maybe latter I'll do as you are and get them more "prototypical" to the movie.  Now I can see why @Andy Hummell always runs his at the Kennywood Lights event.  This thing is a show stopper.

It has been a long time that a train purchase has gotten me this excited.  I've put off buying this locomotive ever time it had been released due to other purchases in the que, lack of funds, or something else that had come up.  After even the few minutes at Imperial Trains and then again last evening checking it out. I am even more stoked.  Can't wait to see the new cars behind it.

Last edited by MartyE
MartyE posted:

It has been a long time that a train purchase has gotten me this excited.  I've put off buying this locomotive ever time it had been released due to other purchases in the que, lack of funds, or something else that had come up.  After even the few minutes at Imperial Trains and then again last evening checking it out. I am even more stoked.  Can't wait to see the new cars behind it.

Same here Marty!
Actually, it was the passenger cars with snow on top that finally made me decide to get on board with this set. Can't wait to see them.
(Now, if they would make a scale hobo car using my method of activation along with some "HoboTalk", that would be the "icicles on the tunnel"!)

Thanks for the videos. Sounds like there is a good variety of sounds...and, they are much better than the standard nonsense! 

Marty - I share your excitement - I purchased the 2014 edition - and it arrived the day before Thanksgiving that year - although I received a PM tender Lionel remedied that in short order. I also have the scale version from 2010 - although that is actually a PM locomotive and the PE tender was offered for separate sale. Lionel did an excellent job making the "real PE."

I was just running my PE Berk and cars a couple of weeks ago. I added Arttista figures to the cab - its not an easy process because it requires cutting the die-cast tabs - but once done they look really cool. I'll snap some photos to share.

Big Jim posted:

Same here Marty!
Actually, it was the passenger cars with snow on top that finally made me decide to get on board with this set. Can't wait to see them.
(Now, if they would make a scale hobo car using my method of activation along with some "HoboTalk", that would be the "icicles on the tunnel"!)

Thanks for the videos. Sounds like there is a good variety of sounds...and, they are much better than the standard nonsense! 

Jim

One of the sound bites is the Hobo talking about the ticket.  It only triggers while the engine is moving.  I agree an operating hobo car with the sounds would be great.  So much you can do with this train if you had the $$$ and Lionel had the time to do it.  I was hoping for a more accurate deck on the observation car and to Ryan's credit he really tried to make it happen but the cost to change it was prohibitive.  I know one of the members here reworked theirs so I may have to dig up that thread.

Last edited by MartyE

I love my scale PE Berk and 18" cars.  I too wish that Lionel had made a SS dining car for this set.  It would have been so much fun to have the Hot Chocolate song play on command.  Even better if a smoke unit was on board with hot chocolate scented Mega Steam of course!  Here are some pics of some of the mods I did to my engine and cars..

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MartyE posted:

As I said the only thing I could possible whine about is not having a discrete trigger for "All Aboard! This is the Polar Express".  I think this line of the movie would be awesome to trigger on command.

That was one of only two complaints I had with the with the previous 10th Anniversary edition (the other was the relatively low maximum sound volume compared to the original stand-alone tender I run behind the original PM 1225).  Both are minor complaints at best.

Enjoy it, Marty, it is my favorite set of all-time for good reasons.

Andy

Hey Marty, you are gonna love your PE Berk (well, actually, it sounds like you already do!).  I have the 10th anniversary edition and it's one of my favorites.  I noticed from the new catalog thread you were going to order the PE scale gondola.  I've bought all of the scale PE freight cars over the years and have collected a decent sized PE freight consist.  The #1225 Berk pulls the passenger cars and I have always thought it would great if Lionel offered a different scale PE locomotive for the freight set.  I realize they've done "Polar Railroad" and "North Pole Central" scale engines, but I would like an actual Polar Express freight engine.  Maybe the license doesn't allow for it, but I would be in for one.  Enjoy your new engine!       

Rider Sandman posted:

Hey Marty, you are gonna love your PE Berk (well, actually, it sounds like you already do!).  I have the 10th anniversary edition and it's one of my favorites.  I noticed from the new catalog thread you were going to order the PE scale gondola.  I've bought all of the scale PE freight cars over the years and have collected a decent sized PE freight consist.  The #1225 Berk pulls the passenger cars and I have always thought it would great if Lionel offered a different scale PE locomotive for the freight set.  I realize they've done "Polar Railroad" and "North Pole Central" scale engines, but I would like an actual Polar Express freight engine.  Maybe the license doesn't allow for it, but I would be in for one.  Enjoy your new engine!       

Yep.  I started to pick them up but that caboose is a bugger to find.

MartyE posted:

Well after missing the previous releases, I was finally able to get the latest Scale Polar Express locomotive from Lionel 6-84685.  I picked it up yesterday from forum sponsor "The Imperial Train Company" and as always Regis let me test it out before taking it home.  All worked and with that I left like a boy the night before Christmas.  I also have the coaches on order from Imperial as well.

Without a current layout I set up a test track tonight and played at bit and got some photos and videos to share.  First off everything looked great.  No flaws in the finish and look. If you see a spot it's some Styrofoam I probably missed.  No loose pieces or parts.  The sounds especially the movie dialog is clear and loud.  Probably the best use of crew talk ever.  The only thing I wish they had was a way to trigger "All Aboard! This is the Polar Express" independent of the other dialog.

Smoke, whistle smoke, as well as all other functions worked out of the box.  I did not try Bluetooth so I can't comment on that.

Well enough of the chit chat.  Picture and videos to follow.  The dialog changes when the engine is in motion.  I didn't get any of those clips.  I also haven't seen but a couple of posts on this engine so I hope this give everyone some good views!

 

Well packed and in the better upright position.

IMG_3362

IMG_3364

Sharp Looking.  It feels bigger than the other Berks I have even though it's not.

IMG_3373

Nice cab figures although as someone pointed out not the movie figures.

IMG_3376

The over exaggerated Polar cow catcher.

IMG_3377

Very sharp number boards and builder's plate.

IMG_3378

IMG_3379

The nicely lettered tender.

IMG_3380

IMG_3381

IMG_3382

I love the box as well. 

IMG_3386

 

And the videos!

Hey ever thought of running her with a mixed train.That is half freight and half passenger.I bet that would look really slick.

Gandalf97 posted:

Marty...    I'm so happy for you!  

Are the scale cars new ones or are they the ones that have been out for a while?

Are you going to do any custom painting?  I am interested in a few custom paint jobs and one custom lettering job if you are doing it or know someone who does.

I'll be getting the new ones when they become available. 

MartyE posted:

Jim

One of the sound bites is the Hobo talking about the ticket.  It only triggers while the engine is moving.  I agree an operating hobo car with the sounds would be great.  So much you can do with this train if you had the $$$ and Lionel had the time to do it.  I was hoping for a more accurate deck on the observation car and to Ryan's credit he really tried to make it happen but the cost to change it was prohibitive.  I know one of the members here reworked theirs so I may have to dig up that thread.

Marty,

Hope you enjoy your locomotive and cars. Glad to see they finally placed the "Polar Express" lettering in the correct location, never, ever understood why they did it incorrectly for no reason. I think the snowy roofs will look great, hopefully without all the footprints!  You are saying the observation car will still have the flat ended roof?

Just got a chance to pull out my new Bluetooth PE engine. Lionel 6-84685(2018).  It is flawless looking and the sounds are great!

The Bluetooth control works nice. I just can't get the movie sounds to activate via BT. They work fine with the Legacy controller.  

Anyone have the new PE engine and experience this? Am I missing something?

thanks

 

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