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I am going to play devil's advocate for a moment, only to get competing thoughts..

A lc or lc+ GG-1 might be a bad idea.

I know it will sell to existing enthusiasts who want to share trains with their grandkids, but if the idea behind LC  loco's was to bring new kids into the hobby, why bother with a GG-1?  While an absolutely iconic and classy engine with an amazing service record, what kid today has ever seen a GG-1 run?  I am 42 and live in Pennsylvannia and I've never seen one run. (Although I own 2!) A steam locomotive can be related to as a cool machine in general, regardless of it's accuracy ( within reason).  Modern diesels and older diesels are something that can be seen running in general or in tourist service.  But a gg-1 is now a footnote in history.  Fantastic machines that will likely never run again due to the economics not of the repairs, but of a cantenary system to run under.  A GG-1 could be used as a tourist engine if a line actually had a working CAT system, but how likely is that?

The kid being marketed today has no idea what a GG-1 is, what it should look like, sound like or how it should behave when he/she is given a remote to play with.  So if getting a youngster into the hobby is the whole point of using blue tooth electronics in 3 rail toy trains, then I say the GG-1 is not a good choice.

Feel free to pick this argument to shreds, that's why I put it up - to get differing opinions and the reasoning behind them.

My vote is split between a GG1 and a Big Boy, or Challenger.  My 2 newest LC+ locos, a 726 Berkshire and scale sd60 are awesome locos, IMO, one of the best features of this Lioncheif is being able to hand a guest a remote, and have them join in on the fun, i do agree a more adult version of the remote would be nice, however its not necessary....after all....these are just great toys and i havent seen anyone yet whom couldnt figure it out and join right in on the fun

jhz563 posted:

I am going to play devil's advocate for a moment, only to get competing thoughts..

A lc or lc+ GG-1 might be a bad idea.

I know it will sell to existing enthusiasts who want to share trains with their grandkids, but if the idea behind LC  loco's was to bring new kids into the hobby, why bother with a GG-1?  While an absolutely iconic and classy engine with an amazing service record, what kid today has ever seen a GG-1 run?  I am 42 and live in Pennsylvannia and I've never seen one run. (Although I own 2!) A steam locomotive can be related to as a cool machine in general, regardless of it's accuracy ( within reason).  Modern diesels and older diesels are something that can be seen running in general or in tourist service.  But a gg-1 is now a footnote in history.  Fantastic machines that will likely never run again due to the economics not of the repairs, but of a cantenary system to run under.  A GG-1 could be used as a tourist engine if a line actually had a working CAT system, but how likely is that?

The kid being marketed today has no idea what a GG-1 is, what it should look like, sound like or how it should behave when he/she is given a remote to play with.  So if getting a youngster into the hobby is the whole point of using blue tooth electronics in 3 rail toy trains, then I say the GG-1 is not a good choice.

Feel free to pick this argument to shreds, that's why I put it up - to get differing opinions and the reasoning behind them.

Hi jhz563: For what it's worth, I don't follow along with the argument that model trains sell better when they're models of trains that run today or that still operate somewhere.  I'm 29 and one of my own personal favorite engines is the GG-1.  It looks amazing and it has an interesting service history - that's good enough for me.  I went to college in New Jersey but I don't really want a model of the NJ Transit system.  To my mind, it's boring.  I want models of trains that look really cool (like the PRR GG-1, T1, etc.) or that had interesting service lives (like the NYC S-motors).  These are subjective criteria: what looks cool to me might not be so attractive to another enthusiast.  But my general sense is that there's a mainstream consensus that the GG-1 is a strikingly handsome engine.

I don't know whether I'm an outlier or statistically representative of other people who buy model trains.  Maybe most people are in this for models of real engines they've had personal experience with.  But there are lots of popular models of trains that most people have never seen operating.  E.g., the Big Boy has not operated in decades.  And even though the Challenger has been operating in my lifetime, I've never seen it in person.  That didn't stop me from getting a Lionmaster Challenger in the 2015 version (my first Legacy engine).

I'll jump on the GG-1 LC+ bandwagon.  It would be really amazing if Lionel took the opportunity to do a GG-1 in Lionmaster (their first electric Lionmaster) but I'd settle for re-purposing the old O-27 tooling and putting in LC+.  (I have an analogue Lionel GG-1 in O-27 that's not very old so I hope they've still got the tooling around somewhere...)

I'd also probably get a dockside switcher in LC+ if they did it with whistle steam.  I don't know the economics behind whistle steam and whether that works in the LC+ price range.

Somebody suggested a Cab Forward.  It's probably a pipe dream but if Lionel has the old LM tooling around and put in LC+ and a Daylight paint scheme (with whistle steam!) I'd definitely get that.

I'd like to see Lion Chief models made with the correct trucks!!!   ALCO RS3's had AAR B road trucks not EMD Blombergs.  EMD NW2's had AAR A switcher trucks not AAR B's.  The catalog depicts the switchers correctly, but they were delivered incorrectly (at least my Southern)  I called Lionel to inform them and got the story that catalogs are just depictions.  No corrections on later issues.  I converted my NW2 using MTH sideframes.

No more diesels for me, but I must admit the US 2-8-2 is has my interest peaked.

    I don't think I ever saw anything "old" running but some RS,GP, F or FAs. The former hold no real interest for me other than as "tools"; i.e. not enough style to please me. I mostly run things I'll never see. It aways has been that way too.  I'm attracted to the mechanical movements in steam, the inovation of electrics, and good style; not by what I've seen running daily.(I've always lived near tracks too)  I have 4 diesel switchers that came along by chance and a Marx E .. thats it. Lucky if they run 2 hours year total.

IMO the bigger trains are a ''no go". The LC & LC+ should remain low and midgrade items not requiring over a 52" curve MAX. ( the 40s would be better and out of 7 small layouts, I only have 2 lines of 0-36.)... I think we are straying from "mainsteam" simplistic thoughts of "a train would be cool" and into ''that's too big for my place" even at 52".  I eventually had to deal with 0-27 because Mom felt O and Super O took up too much room.  Do you really think that perception among most parents has changed?  (yea, eliminating 0-27 didn't help much imo ...but the plastic roadbed scratching wood floors less also got Mom into a PE for the tree (but notnwithout wishes it was tighter) Tho it really didn't matter as a rug always protected things. But anyhow, the too large perception needs every inch cut it can, "overhang be hung"; most folks don't notice that for a long time)

Any bigger than 52" is "pro" territory to me, not a starter or intermidiate range loco.(though a "cheap" big boy might be an "shortcut" leading to "pro" without the immediate command investment. (A loss leader of sorts; skipping right to the higher end of intermidiate for a deep pocket newbie with zero interest in smaller trains...but do they exist? )

The T1 fans might go for the Southern Australian 520 too 

I like the GG-1 idea... but there are so many. R1 or the smaller drive of the DD2 instead?

What I really would like would be a small steeple cab, but the "manditory" use of complex sound/control boards means thats likely not going to happen till boards shrink even more. Crap crap crap....I sure wish they would have done one in conventional before dropping it  I'd even settle for a Mac version vs electric.

The TA would be an interesting departure from a million E and Fs, but not too far out to not be recognized as "family".

  And of course, there is not enough made from the 1800s through to the turn of the century plus a few years.  Take your pick there

"Doesn't matter, I'll probably get hit by bus anyhow" 

 

I'll throw my vote to a semi-scale GG1 in at least 5 (in order of preference) paint schemes:

  • PRR Silver w/ single red stripe Congressional
  • Conrail 1976 Bicentennial AND/OR Fantasy - Patriotic (think K-Line's US Liberty design)
  • Holiday GG1 (yes fantasy schemes ...hey why not?  It'd look cool)
  • Christmas GG1
  • Hanukah GG1
  • PRR DGLE-Black feather stripe
  • PRR Tuscan single stripe
Last edited by Keystone
Country Joe posted:

My other big want is the FT in New York Central.

My Dad would LOVE this. NYC is his favorite.

numerous users posted:

GG-1

Good to see many of us are on the same page about this.

paigetrain posted:

here are my ideas

ET44AC this one seams most plausable because of the BNSF tier 4 set released in C1

OldMike posted:

Ge Evolution, with charging lights, otherwise I will be forced to buy an MTH Gevo.

Oldmike

Having grown up in the 21st century, I would absolutely buy a LC+ 21st century locomotive. Then I would have an excuse to buy some 21st century rolling stock

What I would most like to see however is a Wisconsin Central GP38. I used to see these every now and then.

Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Any LC+ steam or diesel engine that is a great puller with both traction tires and Magnetraction. If LC+ has already made such a locomotive, I would like to know what that is.

 

My New Haven LC+ E33 rectifier has 2 powered trucks with the end (outside) axles of each truck with magnetraction and a traction tires on both sides of each inside axle.  Needless to say it pulls very well.  

Last edited by bostonpete

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