The New Lionel Legacy Verandas Are Here!!

Nice! I didn't get one but I've been excited to see how these come out. Looks like a beefy unit!

The video speaks volumes, quite literally. Mine should be here Wednesday from Legacy Station  

One quibble, shouldn't the diesel cut out when the turbine cuts in?  The diesel ran throughout that little demo.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

One quibble, shouldn't the diesel cut out when the turbine cuts in?  The diesel ran throughout that little demo.

Correct.  The diesel served two purposes.  1: Provide power to move the locomotive around the yard with the turbine off.  2: To start the turbine.  There's no reason to keep the diesel running once the turbine is running.

Rusty

I'll be interested to see if I get the Rio grande I ordered to pull my ski passenger set.

@Rusty Traque posted:

Correct.  The diesel served two purposes.  1: Provide power to move the locomotive around the yard with the turbine off.  2: To start the turbine.  There's no reason to keep the diesel running once the turbine is running.

They got this right with the TMCC version...

It’s a small clip on a test track.

The small engine is always running - according to Dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPW18Tf-BeQ

@TK posted:

The small engine is always running - according to Dave

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPW18Tf-BeQ

As near as I can tell from sketchy information, that's not how the prototype operated.

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/...0#156842928545439120

Per the above link, Dave stated the diesel is always running but you can use the Aux 3 key to turn the turbine smoke unit on and off.

Just paid for mine!  It should ship tomorrow!

Here is the video from a few months ago when Dave did a demo.

I'll stick with my TMCC version.

I can tell I'm not going to be very happy about the truck mounted front drape and coupler.  For the price of this unit, the front drape and coupler should have been body mounted with the ability to mount it to the truck.

Ummm.   Lionel got it right.  The prototype Veranda turbine the pilot was mounted to the truck span bolster, not the locomotive frame.

Rusty

@Rusty Traque posted:

Ummm.   Lionel got it right.  The prototype Veranda turbine the pilot was mounted to the truck span bolster, not the locomotive frame.

Rusty

Makes note not to remove the pilot and attach it to the frame upon receiving unit.

I opened the Veranda this evening and found 2 bags of what seems to be a total of 8 spacers and screws. Anyone know what these are for? I'm assuming it has something to do with Kadee coupler installation...    unless....    perhaps.... these are the internal engine mounts and somewhere deep within the manual is a small note that says "do not run the engine without first installing the mounts or the rich thick plume of smoke you will see is actually the burning of the drive train"    bwah-hahahahahahaha  (OK- take away my 5th cup of coffee and tell me to go sit in the corner and have a timeout).

@ScottV posted:

I opened the Veranda this evening and found 2 bags of what seems to be a total of 8 spacers and screws. Anyone know what these are for? I'm assuming it has something to do with Kadee coupler installation...    unless....    perhaps.... these are the internal engine mounts and somewhere deep within the manual is a small note that says "do not run the engine without first installing the mounts or the rich thick plume of smoke you will see is actually the burning of the drive train"    bwah-hahahahahahaha  (OK- take away my 5th cup of coffee and tell me to go sit in the corner and have a timeout).

Kadee Coupler mounting hardware.

Dang it I was hoping someone would say the spacers go in the locomotive 😅

Mine was at the club today, and 20 min in it took off like a bat outta H***. Damaged 5 of my PFE reefers. No reset or anything fixed. Sounds like a call to Lionel Monday. Speed step 1 and it’s off and gone, then the only way to shut it down is kill power

I’m a big fan of the Department of Defense veranda. Unique and awesome paint scheme and paint job. The green really pops.  Love the red lights in reverse, looks mean.  The turbine smoke start is awesome, makes a plume of smoke when it fires.  So the element must be somewhat on even though the fan isn’t??  Could be just what the next “ Diesel cold start smoke affect” needs but with a fast fan speed instantly. I do have a minor issue wondering if any others. Speed aero 1-10ish is jittery.  But the. Smooths out above it.  Happy to report it navigated an 060 curve without issue.

I don’t use smoke much but wanted to test in my new veranda.  Diesel smoke great.  Turbine smoke just gives a puff at speed step 15, then nothing. I realize the turbine comes on at step 15 so no smoke before that.  But like I said I just get a puff at 15. Any ideas what would cause this?

@Tanner111 posted:

I don’t use smoke much but wanted to test in my new veranda.  Diesel smoke great.  Turbine smoke just gives a puff at speed step 15, then nothing. I realize the turbine comes on at step 15 so no smoke before that.  But like I said I just get a puff at 15. Any ideas what would cause this?

Is it blowing some oil up and “plugging” it?   Maybe blow down it as an check?

@Tanner111 posted:

I don’t use smoke much but wanted to test in my new veranda.  Diesel smoke great.  Turbine smoke just gives a puff at speed step 15, then nothing. I realize the turbine comes on at step 15 so no smoke before that.  But like I said I just get a puff at 15. Any ideas what would cause this?

How many drops did you put in? It will probably take a good 30 to get it primed the first time. Also it’s a big funnel make sure it actually got into the smoke unit

@zhubl posted:

How many drops did you put in? It will probably take a good 30 to get it primed the first time. Also it’s a big funnel make sure it actually got into the smoke unit

Is taking the shell off easy??

@zhubl posted:

How many drops did you put in? It will probably take a good 30 to get it primed the first time. Also it’s a big funnel make sure it actually got into the smoke unit

I put 20 drops in so far. I didn’t want to overfill but it does look like a big bowl.  I didn’t look into removing the shell yet.

6 screws it’s not bad, main LCP board is in the back. First connectors are on the switch board that’s on the roof 2 of them. Then one for the backup light and antenna

no connectors up front thanks to this

Got mine today.  Even though I’m still building my new layout.  I got to put some track down and run it.  Just got to check her out.

@zhubl posted:

6 screws it’s not bad, main LCP board is in the back. First connectors are on the switch board that’s on the roof 2 of them. Then one for the backup light and antenna

no connectors up front thanks to this

Got any other pictures of the inside?  Love to see the engineering on this.

Ok just excuse the mess on the workbench

They used a pretty cool idea to connect the lights for the front of the locomotive  

Found out how the Bluetooth is supposed to work with the die-cast shell. Little hole in the sheet metal frame right under the antenna

I didn’t take a picture but I was surprised that in the tender there’s another LCP3 (I think that’s the right number for the diesel board) so there’s a motor driver in there that isn’t used. I imagine they mainly used it for the already integrated Bluetooth board

Where's the generator smoke unit at?  I see the turbine one

Nice clean arrangement in there. The TMCC version had Pittmans but I'm not surprised they weren't used this time around. I sort of regret selling my Veranda but it went to a good home. I'm disappointed that the PRR version hasn't been posted yet.

Oh whoops I moved it out of my way in that picture  

Of all places it sits right over the the LCP3 board. The bracket has two legs as the Bluetooth board sticks out right there also

Not a fan of smoke units over boards.

I thought we'd see "more power" under the hood. All of that locomotive, and its really just a basic 4 axle diesel.

@RickO posted:

I thought we'd see "more power" under the hood. All of that locomotive, and its really just a basic 4 axle diesel.

Not easy with all that lateral movement in the front and rear truck assemblies, unless you went old-school, k-line-esque and put the motors in the truck assemblies!  Of course then there's no wheels.

It may have the same two motors that’s in most plastic body diesels but this has the weight of the diecast shell and very little will hold it back. I saw @ericstrains.com video and I’m pretty sure he said it had 4lbs 12oz pulling power with his test. That’ll give the Vision Big Boy a run for its money

@zhubl posted:

It may have the same two motors that’s in most plastic body diesels but this has the weight of the diecast shell and very little will hold it back. I saw @ericstrains.com video and I’m pretty sure he said it had 4lbs 12oz pulling power with his test. That’ll give the Vision Big Boy a run for its money

The Veranda came in at 4 pounds 6 ounces, which is more than the big boy. It should be more…the thing weighs almost 17 pounds lol.

-Eric

Definatly made some fanasy units.  To the best of my knowledge, UP was the only road to use them.

@ericstrains.com posted:

The Veranda came in at 4 pounds 6 ounces, which is more than the big boy. It should be more…the thing weighs almost 17 pounds lol.

-Eric

Ok I was off 6oz but still it is very heavy 😅

@Melvin P posted:

Definatly made some fanasy units.  To the best of my knowledge, UP was the only road to use them.

Nope, they’re all based on real life examples…especially the department of defense Veranda.

-Eric

That’s good to know.  I thought that the Alaskan and the Rio Grande were fantasy.  If had known I would have gotten the Rio Grande.

@ericstrains.com posted:

Nope, they’re all based on real life examples…especially the department of defense Veranda.

-Eric

That DoD is my very favorite of the bunch!

@ericstrains.com posted:

Nope, they’re all based on real life examples…especially the department of defense Veranda.

-Eric

A 1950 Westinghouse 4000-horsepower gas turbine demonstrator was tested on several railroads in both passenger and freight service, but had no buyers. In 1949, however, the Union Pacific had already placed in service as its No. 50 (though the UP never actually owned it), a 4500-horsepower double-cabbed demonstrator built by General Electric in 1948 in cooperation with the American Locomotive Company. It had four two-axle trucks. Ten more units, Nos. 51-60, were delivered to Union Pacific beginning in 1952; they had the same wheel arrangement as No. 50 (which was returned to the builders), but had a cab at only one end.

Beginning in 1954, GE delivered the second-generation units, Nos. 61-75. These differed from the earlier group in having a recessed walkway along the side; hence they were popularly styled "verandas." The third generation of gas turbines, Nos. 1-30, were delivered from 1958-1961. These 8500-horsepower locomotives were in two units, each having two three-axle trucks; the turbine prime mover was located in the second unit, while the first unit carried the diesel generator.

@Stephen G posted:

That’s good to know.  I thought that the Alaskan and the Rio Grande were fantasy.  If had known I would have gotten the Rio Grande.

A 1950 Westinghouse 4000-horsepower gas turbine demonstrator was tested on several railroads in both passenger and freight service, but had no buyers. In 1949, however, the Union Pacific had already placed in service as its No. 50 (though the UP never actually owned it), a 4500-horsepower double-cabbed demonstrator built by General Electric in 1948 in cooperation with the American Locomotive Company. It had four two-axle trucks. Ten more units, Nos. 51-60, were delivered to Union Pacific beginning in 1952; they had the same wheel arrangement as No. 50 (which was returned to the builders), but had a cab at only one end.

Beginning in 1954, GE delivered the second-generation units, Nos. 61-75. These differed from the earlier group in having a recessed walkway along the side; hence they were popularly styled "verandas." The third generation of gas turbines, Nos. 1-30, were delivered from 1958-1961. These 8500-horsepower locomotives were in two units, each having two three-axle trucks; the turbine prime mover was located in the second unit, while the first unit carried the diesel generator.

@zhubl posted:

Dang it I was hoping someone would say the spacers go in the locomotive 😅

Mine was at the club today, and 20 min in it took off like a bat outta H***. Damaged 5 of my PFE reefers. No reset or anything fixed. Sounds like a call to Lionel Monday. Speed step 1 and it’s off and gone, then the only way to shut it down is kill power

I see from this thread that you've had your engine apart and maybe you have diagnosed the fault - as a board issue? I haven't run my one yet but on opening the box, I found that some metal piping on the roof had been dislodged and one end of this has a wire leading down into the shell. I have a vague memory that the TMCC Veranda had the same arrangement for its command control antenna, and you had to be careful about handling that because it could lead to signal issues. If the antenna on yours has got dislodged/disconnected, might that not account for your jackrabbit starts?  

Only asking because I am hoping that there is no latent board defect in these models.

@Hancock52

Yes I opened it hoping to find something simple but it wouldn’t go in reverse and I had no other signal issues I could start it up and get all sounds. I hope I just have a isolated incident but it definitely seams like 2 of the drive FETs short when they are activated. When I tried everything with rollers so it wouldn’t zoom off I started to get a noticeable heat from 2 FETs.

I can confirm the antenna is the pipe that is on the roof towards the back of the locomotive

I called Lionel yesterday talked with Aaron and got my RA it sounds like yesterday they launched a new system so I’m supposed to actually receive update emails through the warranty process so I’ll be interested to see if this actually works

Update

I got my turbine back today very thing looks good and runs good now. Packing in the box looked as good as factory and nothing came out broke.

I did receive a couple of emails through the process with the new system. 2-3 weeks after it had arrived I received one that said they just received the product, I suspect that is when a tech was actually able to get to it and start the process. Then I got a email when they were done with it then another when it was headed back my way.

I always double box any locomotive as anyone that’s seen a shipping carton after FedEx or UPS gets their hands on it no wonder things show up broke. They shipped it back in the same manner with my second box to help protect the locomotive.

Everything worked out of the box they replaced the LCP3 board as suspected, hopefully I’ll get to go back to the club soon with it