Hi all -- While I have no need for more locos and will probably never buy one of the Lionel products just for that reason, I will second Ed’s opinion of these locos. I was truly impressed by both their looks and performance. Even the U33C is NOT the same as the first run and now looks much more like a scale model than a toy – very close to what one would find in the higher end HO stuff.
Bill Winans ----------------------------- >> Looks like a step backwards to me, much like the twin motored O scale toy train drives that O scale modelers hate? <snip>....DaveBranum ---------- >> in O scale, the problem isn't the drive as much as using the wrong gear ratio, so the 3R trains can still run 150-200 SMPH like the old Lionel trains did. All depends if you operate toy trains or scale model trains. Butch Holtgrieve ------------------------------- I hate to disagree with a couple of train buddies, BUT the new AF locos by Lionel will change your minds about vertical motors mounted directly onto a truck. Lionel’s newest creations, the Y-3 and SD70, both have two small motors mounted directly to trucks. So how do they run? At the recent O SCALE WEST + S convention, both locos ran on my layout for the layout visiting tourists. They both operated on DCC. I must say they ran as well as any other loco S scale has seen to date. They started smoothly, ran slowly, pulled a lot (heavy weight), and were quiet. Simply put, I could not find fault with them. The Y-3 pulled about 40 plastic hopper cars up a grade without breaking a sweat. I suspect another 40 cars could have been added to the train without much difference. .... Ed Loizeaux
