At the last two Greenburg shows in Monroeville, PA there was a vendor selling the above engines at a decent price.
Anyone know of any vendors that carry these engines.
Thank you
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Which one as there are 3?
Thank you, any of the three will do.
Are they reliable?
I have all three and they work well. Remember the Big Boy was the first Flyer steamer with Legacy so it was a ground breaker. The last one the 2-8-8-2 Y3 is the latest and best for operation.
1. Big Boy: Generally reliable, but the Cherry switch for the chuff and smoke tends to get out of adjustment. Backing through Gilbert turnouts in the turned position) is very problematic unless one has the Tuveson mods done on this engine. The box-stock version has an overly wide trailing truck (under the cab), tender lead truck, and faux centipede truck sides on the tender that run afoul of accessory third rails. Although a compromised model, the BB has the best sounds and speed control (true Odyssey II) of any Flyer articulated. If you favor this engine, the Tuveson aftermarket mods are worth very serious consideration.
2. Challenger: Reliability has been pretty spotty by my non-statistical reckoning. The Challenger suffers from some conductivity issues on Gilbert track but is OK on modern hi-rail track. Gilbert sectional track can be 'tuned' to obtain good operations. If you are seduced by the prototype, my recommendation is to be extra sure to purchase from an authorized Lionel dealer who can provide you with a dated receipt or can/will perform warranty repair service.
3. Y3a: General field experience appears to have been good for these. These are the best engineered and the best model vis-a-vis prototype of the three Flyer articulateds. The Y3a suffers from some conductivity issues on Gilbert track and SHS turnouts, but is otherwise OK on modern hi-rail track. Gilbert sectional track can be 'tuned' to obtain good operations. Of the three, the Y3a reverses (by far) the most reliably through Gilbert turnouts in the curved position. Aftermarket scale flanges can be machined at a price.
IMHO, the Y3a is the best overall of the three. Your mileage, of course, may vary.
Hope this helps.
Bob
I do not have the Y-3 but the Big Boy and the Challenger do grace my layout. If I were to do it over I would have 2 of the Big Boys and changed number on one of them, and yes the Tuveson mods are a must. I see the B B as the best of these two, have had it since it first came out with no issues, my Challengers have made trips to Lionel shops twice.
Ray
Originally Posted by daylight:
Thank you, any of the three will do.
Are they reliable?
Originally Posted by Rayin"S":
I do not have the Y-3 but the Big Boy and the Challenger do grace my layout. If I were to do it over I would have 2 of the Big Boys and changed number on one of them, and yes the Tuveson mods are a must. I see the B B as the best of these two, have had it since it first came out with no issues, my Challengers have made trips to Lionel shops twice.
Ray
Originally Posted by daylight:
Thank you, any of the three will do.
Are they reliable?
Unfortunately,the Flyer Big Boy is oversized (about 1:58 scale) and I didn't buy one for that reason. It looks sorta OK by itself, but it was more of a compromise using the old K-Line tooling to test the market more than anything else.
I wouldn't be surprised if we see a properly scaled Big Boy in the near future. I would strongly consider buying one then (Especially if it could be converted to scale wheels like the Y3.)
Fortunately, my Challenger and Y3 have been problem-free.
Rusty
