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The GS-4 was not a Vision Line engine.....just a plain old Legacy engine. I was once on a BM&R #425 excursion, when they stoped to turn around a couple guys got on top of the engine and changed the whistle. When I asked why they said someone had brought it and wanted to hear it so they hooked it up. Goes to show you when people talk about engines having the correct whistle I tend to believe it is BS  I can’t carry a tune so why should I say a whistle is correct. As long as it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up that is all that counts.

JohnB

When the 4449 first came thru El Paso as the American Freedom Train and then again in the early 80's headed to the worlds fair, a group of us that was maintaining the SP 2-8-0 #3420 we worked on the train from El Paso to San Antonio, it was a blast to say the least.  We were chatting with Doyle McCormick the 4449 Guru and he told us that the whistle on the daylight at that time was not the original whistle but one from a steam boat from the Mississippi River boats.  Not sure but they probably found a whistle that was from a steam engine somewhere in California and traded it out.  Then again, it might still have that old steam boat whistle.  Either way, it sounds fantastic.  If there are no other  GS class locomotives running that are totally intact, then how do we know what it really sounds like?  If Doyle hadn't said that it was a steamboat whistle, we would have never guessed it.  Sounds great to me and from all the videos I've seen of it, it sounds like it still has the SB whistle.  It was also my understanding from talking with ex-SP shop guys, no two whistles were ever the same, there was always some tonal variation. 

Just maybe. Whistle and horn sounds seem to be a huge buying factor for LEGACY engines nowadays, and most of the people back in 2016 weren't happy with the sound of those GS-4's, not unlike how some were displeased with the whistle change on the 2015 UP FEF-3's (among other things).

I don't know if it impacted how well either of those engines sold 4-5 years ago, but I imagine having the 2008 whistle on the new Vision GS series locomotives might help.

A 4449 is on my short list of model steam locos yet to buy....but I'm not preordering anything any more.  I won't commit to buying a new one until I see and hear it first.

Also, on the running gear, can't they use most of the running gear from their 844 offering as a starting point to help make their model more accurate?  The thin/small running gear doesn't cut it for me.  The rods on their 844 have a nice, hefty look to them, IMHO.

Last edited by Berkshire President

I sold my Legacy 4449 because they used the wrong whistle in it. They got it right in the previous GS4 with 4436...… so hopefully Lionel has listened and read all the CUSTOMER feedback on this and will use the correct one. No pre-orders for me on anything. Once items are delivered and known to be correct or not to have any issues, then I will get one.

One of the features of new Legacy tech (engines cataloged in the 2020 Big Book and beyond), is the option of multiple whistles/horns.

The VL GS Series of engines will have 3 whistles and 2 air horns. You'll be able to switch through them using the Aux1 button or using the LC APP. The bell will also have 5 different pitch levels to choose from. The engine will retain which whistle/horn/bell you choose through power cycles.

And yes, the default whistle will be correct this go around. Hard to misidentify the 4449's whistle.

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