Guys,
Has any body compared these two models? I know some of the differences between headlights in the right location vs. not in the right location, price, etc. But what I want to know is quality and sounds. I assume the Die-cast has the best quality but do not know this for sure and which one has the best sounds or are they the same? Thanks for the help
Joe
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Sorry the diecast hands down is the better model. The detail and it was a perfect copy of the real engine .. Besides the hand rails though I don't a hand rail that could handle 15.20 pounds of weight . Just don't handle them by the rails! The horn was the same till the last 2 years they changed it though I like it more a lot don't. Also the newer ones have better electronics even though there both legacy . The older ones had all the boards separated and there was so much more wiring and the smoke pcbs where kind of weak.
Just the other day I looked closely at the Lionel BNSF ES44 at the LHS hoping to mate it with my die-cast version of the same engine. Its a no go for me..
IMO, while they're both nice, the die-cast version has this tough intimidating look, feel and weight of a bull while the other has the look of any other well detailed ABS diesel on the market. Still not bad, but no comparison to the die-cast beast it replaced .
Joe
I'm fine with the new Lionel ABS ES44's. I own two die-cast ES44's... and while they're impressive, they're also not worth the dollars most sellers are asking today. No way. For me it's a law of diminishing returns in terms of how much detail one can have if it correlates to insanely high prices. Nowadays, buyers can buy 3 (or 4) ABS models and have some change to spare vs. purchasing a Vision Line die-cast ES44 (at market pricing).
I posted a photo here on the forum of the new BNSF ES44 paired with the die-cast version I purchase a few years ago. Aside from the minor paint-scheme difference... if you didn't know the road-numbers, you couldn't tell the two models apart in the photo.
Having said that though, it's funny to see how closely the $649 MSRP of the latest ABS models has come to the original $899 MSRP of the die-cast models of 2010/2011. Had time stood still... For the "extra $250 difference", that's money well spent for the die-cast models. Unfortunately, time hasn't stood still... and a seller recently listed the Lionel BNSF #6436 (reportedly produced in lower quantity than #6431) for $1800 on eBay. And I've seen sellers list the Vision Line GE Hybrid for upwards of $2,400 at times. These are absolutely insane price-points for what the buyer is getting. But as long as buyers believe they can still turn around and sell an item for profit, the price escalator continues... until one day the bottom drops out hard.
David
Ive got 5 diecase ES44ACs and 0 plastic ones. After buying those 5 and seeing the price on the plastic ones I dont need any more
Good Day,
I have owned several die-cast ES44AC's in the past. I liked the detail and monster weight but the engines handrails were too fragile. I sold them all.
Currently I own the Iowa Interstate, Rock Island Heritage and Santa Fe ES44AC's. Overall appearance, detail, sounds and performance are great. I hope Lionel offers more railroad names in 2016! I'd like to see the ES44AC in the "Texas Special" and MKT color schemes someday. Not prototypically correct but hey I love the old Katy! I like color schemes from the past presented with an inventive and traditional style on 21st century diesel locomotives.
Regards,
Swafford
.
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
