Lionel Spotlights Weathered Locomotives

There's something wonderful about a shiny new model train that seems to glisten on a shelf, but sometimes you just need a grimy and realistic train to bring you a little closer to the reality of the rails. Lionel's latest spotlight focuses in on a few new locomotives that do exactly that. 

I love realistic and detailed weathering on my locomotives, but it's not something I'm adept at creating myself. That's why I love when manufacturers bring experts to the table to do it for me, creating beautifully realistic, gritty, and masterful creations like the ones below. Check out the full details on Lionel's weathered locomotives straight from the source below. 

New Product Spotlight – Weathered Locomotives

Hard work and harsh weather quickly take their tole on trains. It doesn’t take long before the gleam of fresh paint is covered in soot, dust and grime. And before you know it, the rust starts creeping in. All of this weathering alters the look of a locomotive and makes each one unique. Recreating these effects in miniature is an art.

Weathering is one of the best ways to add realism to any model. While attacking the perfect finish of a fine model can be intimidating, by selectively highlighting certain details, weathering often enhances more of a model’s original beauty rather than obscuring it. And, like the prototype, each weathered model is unique.

We’ve presented some tips on weathering here on the blog in the past. While starting with an inexpensive freight car is a great way to learn, stepping up to a LEGACY locomotive can be scary. Lionel has partnered with artist Harry Heike to bring you the look of some hard-working locomotives without any fear.

A life-long enthusiast and modeler, Harry has turned his love and talents into a commercial venture since 1998. He has already produced more than 75 prototypes for Lionel so there’s a good chance some of his handiwork is already on your layout! Now you can see his artistry first-hand with three new weathered locomotives.

We’re launching this weathering effort with some unique locomotives. For steam fans, there is the massive Union Pacific 9000. These 4-12-2′s earned their keep along the midwestern plains. For more history of the prototype and all of the features of these amazing models, see this earlier blog post.

We’ve chosen an equally distinctive diesel prototype for weathering as well. The Baldwin RF-16 “Sharknose” A-A diesels powered freight trains over many northeastern lines. Weathered versions will be available for both the B&O and Pennsylvania. For more background and model features, see this previous post.

The locomotives are being weathered to reflect a few years of operation – hard working but well-maintained machines. Note that each model will be hand-weathered by the artist, so no two will be exactly the same.

Take your roster to the next level of realism with these new weathered locomotives. Just be forewarned – after seeing how good these look you might be tempted to try your own hand at the process.

The weathered AA (Powered and Non-powered) Sharks retail for $ 829.99 and the weathered 4-12-2 for $ 1299.99. See your dealer to order your custom masterpiece today.

Aren't they wonderful? They have just enough wear and tear to make them look like they just jumped off the rails straight onto the screen. Harry Heike does wonderful work, and the fact that he's handled each and every one of these trains himself means you're going to end up with something fantastic and totally unique. It also means the prices are a little steep, but when the end result is this good, it's well worth it. 

You should keep your eyes out for these (and other wonderfully-weathered) locomotives on the DASH Marketplace. I know I'd give up half my trains just to grab one of these beauties.   

Athearn Tours the Railroad Hobby Show

We recently told you all about the Amherst Railway Society's Railroad Hobby Show, and now we've got an incredible photo-tour of the event thanks to manufacturer Athearn. 

If you couldn't make it to Springfield Massachusetts for this fantastic show, don't worry! There are enough amazing photos below that you'll feel like you were there the whole time! Take a moment to browse them below, then be sure to thank Athearn for this first-hand tour. 

Athearn - 2014 Railroad Hobby Show Photos

The Railroad Hobby Show in W. Springfield, MA is a truly unique event and should be on every model railroader's bucket list to visit at least once. At nearly 400,000 square feet, this is the largest train show in North America. The shows boasts over 40 operating layouts, numerous manufacturers and vendors, and lots of real railroad items. Here's a sampling of what we saw this past weekend.

Wow! There were so many stunning layouts and sights to be seen. It's impossible to pick a favorite scene, but the lively carnival and unbelievably-realistic mountainous snow plowing stood out the most to me. I'm going to have to find an excuse to head to Massachusetts next year, because this looks like an absolutely can't-miss event. I don't know how many railroaders made the trip, but I bet they all left with a big smile on their face. 

Of course you can learn more about the show from their official website, or you can start shopping the DASH Marketplace to find everything you need to create a gorgeous layout like those above. 

Lionel Spotlights Legacy FA-2 and FB-2 Diesels

It's been another great season of Lionel pre-orders this Spring, and Lionel is still shining the spotlight on some of its latest and greatest products hitting later this year, including the stunning new Legacy FA-2 and FB-2 diesels. 

The following product spotlight features some of the most beautiful diesel locomotives ever produced, and they're all faithfully and powerfully captured by Lionel in this new lineup. Read the full details and see the latest images below. 

New Product Spotlight – LEGACY FA-2 and FB-2 Diesels

While EMD’s F units may be early diesel icons, Alco’s FA could certainly hold its own in any beauty contest.

Alco built the first FA in 1946. Wartime production restrictions had limited the company to switchers and given their competition a big lead in road diesel engineering and sales. Alco rushed a new diesel engine into production in 1944. The hasty design got them back in the market sooner but would ultimately be the downfall of the design.

The FA produced 1500 horsepower and was designed with multiple-unit consists in mind for more power. The FB was a cables booster which offered the same power but without the cost of a control cab. FA-FA, FA-FB and multiple combinations were common. Each railroad had its own preferred method of arranging and numbering the units. It was also common to see locomotives swapped between sets or reconfigured after delivery.

Alco introduced the improved FA-2 in 1950. Externally it was very similar to the previous model with the biggest difference being the radiator louvers moved slightly closer to the front of the locomotive. This reflected the space allocated inside for an optional steam generator. All of the FA’s shared a front end style similar to that of the larger PA – Alco’s passenger engine.

Despite its good looks on the outside, the 244 engine within met with little enthusiasm. Hampered by its maintenance-prone engine and a growing preference for road-switcher style locomotives over cab units (thanks in great part to Alco’s own RS-1,) Alco ended FA production in 1956. Production in Canada continued until 1959 resulting in a total of 1,401 locomotives across all of the FA and FB models. By comparison, EMD built 1,483 F7B units alone.

Bad memories from the 244 engine would haunt Alco for years to come despite improvements in the design. Most of the FA’s met their fate as trade in locomotives for newer power. A handful survive in museums today, mostly later model units from Canada.

LEGACY FA-2 and FB-2

Lionel is proud to bring back the FA-2 with LEGACY control. Offered as FA-FA sets with one powered and one non-powered unit, add-on FB locomotives (powered and non powered) are available for each road. The non-powered units will all feature fan-driven smoke units so your consist will all appear hard at work. (But you can always turn the smoke off in one or two for that all-to-often prototypical look of a troublesome unit shutting down on the road!)

Powered FA locomotives feature:

• LEGACY control system – able to operate with LEGACY, TMCC or Conventional
• Odyssey II Speed Control
• LEGACYRailsounds featuring
  • CrewTalk and TowerCom
  • Six official railroad speeds
  • Eight diesel RPM levels
  • Quilling horn
  • Single hit or continuous mechanical bell
  • Sequence control
  • Speed and fuel status dialog
• IR Sensor for operation withSensorTrack
• Dual maintenance-free motors
• Die-cast metal trucks and fuel tank
• Metal frame
• Fan-driven smoke unit
• Directional headlight
• Directional marker lights
• Cab interior light
• Illuminated numberboards
• ElectroCoupler on front
• Separately applied metal detail parts
• Detailed cab interior with crew figures

Non Powered FA locomotives feature:

• Die-cast metal trucks and fuel tank
• Metal frame
• Fan-driven smoke unit
• Directional headlight
• Directional marker lights
• Cab interior light
• Illuminated numberboards
• ElectroCoupler on front
• Separately applied metal detail parts

Powered FB locomotives feature:

• LEGACY control system – able to operate with LEGACY, TMCC or Conventional
• Odyssey II Speed Control
• Die-cast metal trucks and fuel tank
• Metal frame
• Fan-driven smoke unit
• ElectroCoupler on rear
• Separately applied metal detail parts

Non Powered FB locomotives feature:

• Die-cast metal trucks and fuel tank
• Metal frame
• Fan-driven smoke unit
• ElectroCoupler on rear
• Separately applied metal detail parts

All locomotives will be available in the following road names: Ann Arbor, Baltimore and Ohio, Erie, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, New York Central, and Pennsylvania. Note that, as pictured in the catalog, the Pennsylvania FA-2 locomotives will come equipped with appropriate Trainphone and 3-chime air horn details.

Minimum curve is O-36. MSRP on the FA-2 sets is $ 749.99. Powered FB-2s are $ 449.99 and non-powered are $ 349.99.

 

Diesels just don't get any better looking than this. The sharp, smooth lines of the locomotives hearken back to a stylish era while the color schemes are bold and nostalgic. The blue, black, and gold of the Baltimore and Ohio is particularly striking to me, and it's going to be hard to pass on adding this train to my collection. Then again, I think any of these new locomotives would find a nice home on my shelves. I certainly wouldn't refuse them! 

You can keep an eye out for these and other new Lionel locomotives on the DASH Marketplace. You'll see them alongside some older favorites as well!

National Train Day at Union Station St. Louis [Part 2]

National Train Day was a special event held across the United States a few weekends ago, and DASH was able to join in on all the incredible railroading fun. We made a trip to Union Station in St. Louis to see a few great layouts and special real-life locomotives too!

National Train Day was a great excuse to get out and celebrate the rich history of the rails in this country. People young and old were able to enjoy trains up-close in a way many never had before, and now you can too. Check out some of our photos of the layouts and trains at the show.

We hope you enjoyed this closer look at National Train Day, and we can't wait to bring you more railroading event coverage in the future right here on DASH Flash.