Just stopped by the Lionel booth in the orange hall

Well then, I feel sorry for the JLC owners.

It depends if your priority is an accurate model or what its made of. Kadee proved 20 years ago that an accurate plastic model could be made with more detail than any brass car made up to that time. If someone were to try and duplicate that detail today in brass it would cost at least ten time as much as a Kadee car. 

I would have ordered this set if was offered without the engine. With two ESE hudsons I don't need a third one. That and I already have a GGD set. 

Pete

Why feel sorry?? I have the JLC and for me its a near perfect model of the prototype with great electric sound. The VL will be a electronically upgraded version of the same engine...BORING...

Don't need toy like features on a scale model.  Instead, Lionel should have found a way to include those four large stairway handle grips missing on the JLC pilot trucks.

Joe 

Interesting.  Begs the question how much different the VL model will be from the tooling used for the exquisite JLC units -- aside from the electronic upgrades, sprung pantographs, and rivet details on the three "rivet models".

David

I agree the JLC GG-1s were great scale engines! They can easily pull a set of aluminum passengers cars as well. This would be a second chance to purchase these Lionel engines with the upgraded Legacy control. There are some good points about these engines besides the bad points some members point out. I am sure other manufactures do a nice job on these engines too.

Thanks to H24-66's video, the guy from Lionel says they will be trying to lower the body on the frame.

quote:

Don't need toy like features on a scale model.  Instead, Lionel should have found a way to include those four large stairway handle grips missing on the JLC pilot trucks.

I understand and totally agree with you, but, according to the folks that like to eat up the Menards flat cars with the "holes-in-the-head", nobody minds fixing what shouldn't have happened to begin with.

Thanks to TrainWorld, we have the video of the Empire State Express in action!

I'm not too sure what to think sound wise, at least for now.

The chugging sounds like the Vision Line Hudson's, which I like, but the whistle sounds very much like the Vision Line Challenger's. I don't say I hate that, but it's rather peculiar...

I know what you mean, Thomas.  I'm not 100% sold either.  In fact, since I opted for the 8-car GGD passenger cars -- which I'm told may need some hefty locomotive power to pull -- I may just go with what I have using the MTH NYC E8 ABA configuration (w/2 powered A's).  That was my intent all along before Lionel announced this new ESE w/21" cars and another steam loco.

I looked up the existing CC ESE steamer on Lionel's parts website, and it does not appear to come with a dummy O-Gauge coupler for double-heading.  So having both #5426 and #5429 up front doesn't appear to be an option.  Can anybody who has an existing CC ESE steamer (or who has knowledge of Lionel's upcoming new ESE steamers) confirm that?  Thanks!!!

David

Any Pittman motored Hudson should handle those 8 cars, no problem. Both my MTH and 3rd Rail engines can. 12 cars are a bit tougher.

Pete

The problem with some locomotives isn't the motor's ability to pull, it's the traction necessary to move them.

Thanks, Pete.  That's good to know.

David

Thats true but 8 cars should not be a problem at least on the flat. Depending on how picky David is will be finding or making an engine to match the cars. The finish will not match Lionel, MTH, or Weaver engines. You might come up with a match by mixing some brass paint with silver. or wait for a 3rd Rail engine to come along.

Pete

Pete, I think one option might be Lionel's new offering with the PT tender, which is an all-black tender.  So that may act as a buffer of sorts between the brushed silver trim on the Lionel locomotive body and the brass-tinted silver of the GGD cars.  We'll see.  The cars are terrific though.  Glad I found a complete 8-car set, and the seller sold them to me for what he paid after only displaying them.  Still had the receipt from JusTrains in the box.  

David

Thanks for posting the video