Lionel Conventional Engines

I just found the specs on this engine on the Lionel page. You may want to do a search on YouTube to see if someone posted that engine to hear what it sounds like.

 

http://www.lionel.com/Products...neID=&CatalogId=

The manual makes no mention of a backup battery, so I'd guess the answer is no.

 

If you are buying this, you are getting a good basic loco that Lionel makes sure is eclipsed in every way possible by the model of the same loco in its more expensive premium grade series of offerings.  You just have to decide if it is worth it.  Generally, if you are looking at the lower cost line, the answer is "no."

 

My experience with other Lionel diesels (I have no GP30s but I have GP7s in both lines, etc.) is that the basic locos have generic sound that is quite satisfactory, while the Legacy versions of the same thing  have sound that is impressive as the dickens and I remember as special.

Thanks everybody for feedback! Just what I wanted to hear!

If you enjoy sounds you will not like a model like this.  Every time you change directions sounds stop and the engine starts up again.  G

That is why I was wondering if the units took a 9 volt battery, because the Legacy ones accept one. Either way, I think I would still be okay with the flaw.

I thought of another question: do these units feature some kind of speed control?

No.  Go to a LHS that has one to run.  Trust me you will really get annoyed with the sounds.  Especially an engine like a switcher where you might do a lot of direction changing.  G