From reading all the comments about the Sunset GG1s poor performance, I think it’s time for Scott to re issue them with an improved drive system. A second run done in Loewys Futura with a more glossier finish would be incredible.
One other criticism, put the thin red stripe around the cab windows ,on the car body not the window frames.
Also, on the Tuscan GG1s, while doing research for another manufacturer, I realized the first batch of Gs painted Tuscan had gold leaf paint. The side and nose keystones did not have the toulidine red background instead it was Tuscan red, the same color as the body. I don’t believe anyone including Kohs did this early version, something for Scott to think about if he wants something unique for the GG1.
I want to add that I have not experienced any running or mechanical issues with any of the other Sunset Locomotives I have owned:
P5a Modified
GP7
GP9
SD9
F3 (both A & B)
M1a
O1a (pair)
The only exception was a High Iron K4, but that was an experiment with a China maufacturer. And fortunately it was never repeated
Based on my experiences as cited above, I would have no qualms about purchasing a Sunset Product
The 3rd rail E1 and EA are works of art and run great
I’d honestly seek out a Vision GG-1 or wait until they reissue them. The factory equipped TMCC GG-1s discussed above are not worth the trouble imo unless they have been serviced and can be had for a bargain price. The JLC ones were really nice but the zinc rot issue is awful and Lionel should have stepped up. The 3rd Rail would look OK on a shelf if you could get the thing to sit straight. I’d still take a JLC one over the 3rd Rail.
If you could get a Weaver or MTH one cheap enough or even free, you’re still looking at ~$300 worth of ERR boards to make them TMCC.
@Norm Charbonneau posted:If you could get a Weaver or MTH one cheap enough or even free, you’re still looking at ~$300 worth of ERR boards to make them TMCC.
Agreed, but we have to realize that this figure applies to updating anything with TMCC (with cruise).
For a good scale GG-1 it might be worth it.
For a humble F3 though, and many other examples, probably not.
Mike
@John Sethian posted:Thanks! Good words from a Real Railroader are worth a lot!
No thanks necessary, the realism was breathtaking.
@Norm Charbonneau posted:I’d honestly seek out a Vision GG-1 or wait until they reissue them. The factory equipped TMCC GG-1s discussed above are not worth the trouble imo unless they have been serviced and can be had for a bargain price. The JLC ones were really nice but the zinc rot issue is awful and Lionel should have stepped up. The 3rd Rail would look OK on a shelf if you could get the thing to sit straight. I’d still take a JLC one over the 3rd Rail.
If you could get a Weaver or MTH one cheap enough or even free, you’re still looking at ~$300 worth of ERR boards to make them TMCC.
This is very good information. I do have a couple of beautiful JLC GG1s that do not suffer from zinc rot. I have one more unopened so who knows about that one. I was lucky. So many others weren’t so fortunate.
@GG1 4877 posted:Did someone mention scale GG1s?
For TMCC only the Lionel JLC version came factory equipped with it. 3 rail 3rd Rail GG1s were conventional. That was one of the last locomotives released by 3rd rail without command control.
Weaver brass 4866
Weaver 4876
A collection of Weaver, Williams and the Lionel JLC 4925 in this photo. The road numbers are incorrect for the Tuscan Single Stripe Weaver - It should be 4907 or 4916 and the Williams 4980 is a completely fictional road number for the GG1.
This photo includes some MTH models.
Sunset/3rd Rail Bicentennial 4800.
2 rail Sunset brass version.
Lionel Vision Line 4877 with Legacy.
2 rail Sunset/3rd Rail 4800 in its second paint scheme.
A small collection of GG1s.
Weaver in Penn Central.
Out of this collection, only the Sunset/3rd Rail and Lionel versions are truly scale length. Weaver, Williams, and MTH are all about 1/2" short of scale.
Good luck in your search!
WOW thats alot of GG1s probably the greatest engine ever made
how many gg1s do you have?
@paigetrain posted:WOW thats alot of GG1s probably the greatest engine ever made
how many gg1s do you have?
That is a great question. I haven't counted recently. However, I do know in O scale I have 18 scale O GG1s and one Postwar Lionel 2332. I have 6 in N scale. The question is my HO collection. I haven't counted and when I go to a train show and find one cheap, I usually pick it up. Probably a little over 50 in HO models that date from the late 1930's to the 1980's and in various conditions. Some of my cast HO models have suffered from zinc rot over the years, especially the late era Penn Line and Varney ones sadly.
