New Visionline GS 4449 might have the wrong whistle again!

I picked up my GS-4 a week ago and I am also very pleased with it too. I was running it and the engine stopped working randomly as it was going around my track. I tried turning the engine back on and the tender came on just fine but the engine only had the engine number boards on. I can't get it to run at the moment but I'm working on trying to get it to run again. I was thinking it was the drawbar that had to be adjusted but that didn't do much. What you suggest to do?

I spent several days with #4449 in Owosso, Michigan. I rode the train it pulled and listened to the whistle quite a few times. It is dead on to me. It also comes with the ability to change the whistle. It is also the most amazing model locomotive I have ever seen and I have seen thousands.

@Salvatore Micciche posted:

I picked up my GS-4 a week ago and I am also very pleased with it too. I was running it and the engine stopped working randomly as it was going around my track. I tried turning the engine back on and the tender came on just fine but the engine only had the engine number boards on. I can't get it to run at the moment but I'm working on trying to get it to run again. I was thinking it was the drawbar that had to be adjusted but that didn't do much. What you suggest to do?

Don’t even try to fix, just return to Lionel for repair.

I had my new gs4 sent right to Bruk who tested it out with his usual thoroghness  he

found that the dynamo was not working and repaired it .
it was worth every penny to have it fixed without sending it back to lionel

it’s a shame but seems to be a given that they will not work straight out of the box.

hmmm do you think Lionel will refund my cost???

@tangoman posted:

I had my new gs4 sent right to Bruk who tested it out with his usual thoroghness  he

found that the dynamo was not working and repaired it .

Please explain further, i.e. how does the "dynamo" (which the SP GS-4 models have 3) work on a model locomotive?

it was worth every penny to have it fixed without sending it back to lionel

it’s a shame but seems to be a given that they will not work straight out of the box.

hmmm do you think Lionel will refund my cost???

@Hot Water posted:

It was the dynamo steam feature Lionel put in for that #4449 model.

@tangoman posted:

it was worth every penny to have it fixed without sending it back to lionel

it’s a shame but seems to be a given that they will not work straight out of the box.

hmmm do you think Lionel will refund my cost???

Probably not. If I recall correctly Vision Line locomotives have a 2 year warranty which includes return shipping.

Having said that, aside from the money. You probably had it repaired by Bruk much faster, and with much less aggravation than sitting on hold for an RA#, and then waiting for its return from Lionel.

IMO,certainly Bruk is as, if not more qualified than Lionels service dept these days.

@Isaac Schuster posted:

I don’t mind the whistle being used as the second whistle, but for how much I’m spending, I want an accurate whistle, not a close to accurate.

This is another reason why we should switch to DCC. Here is the sound demo from ESU of their 4449 sounds. Actual recordings.

http://projects.esu.eu/project...cat=4&q=Daylight

@Bruk posted:

This is another reason why we should switch to DCC. Here is the sound demo from ESU of their 4449 sounds. Actual recordings.

http://projects.esu.eu/project...cat=4&q=Daylight

I believe the O.P. of this old thread may be mistaken.

The original Legacy GS4 offering 4436 does indeed have 4449's whistle tone. ( I think Hotwater can attest to this)  This is also the 1st whistle tone on the new model.

Some folks need to realize that the Legacy quillable whistle is only 3 tones stepping up. It is not infinitely variable like an actual cable operated whistle which has a much wider range.

@RickO posted:

I believe the O.P. of this old thread may be mistaken.

The original Legacy GS4 offering 4436 does indeed have 4449's whistle tone. ( I think Hotwater can attest to this)  This is also the 1st whistle tone on the new model.

Yes, that model of the GS-4 #4436 did indeed have the correct whistle sound, in spite of some other glaring physical "errors" on that model. I seem to remember that the next Lionel models of the SP GS-4 (don't remember if they were Vision Line or not) did NOT have the correct whistle.

Some folks need to realize that the Legacy quillable whistle is only 3 tones stepping up. It is not infinitely variable like an actual cable operated whistle which has a much wider range.

@RickO posted:

IMO,certainly Bruk is as, if not more qualified than Lionels service dept these days.

He's exponentially more qualified........

@Berkshire President posted:

He's exponentially more qualified........

Agreed....I was trying to be nice  The Lionel "service guy" I trusted.....no longer works there.