WHOA!!! Lionel's H7 Steamers Have Perfected Whistle Steam!
Nov 16, 2024 4:36:23 GMT
dennym57, JKP, and 5 more like this
Post by rockymountaineer on Nov 16, 2024 4:36:23 GMT
UPS delivered the Lionel Legacy Pat's Trains custom-run C&O H7 yesterday, and it's already made a quick maiden voyage on my Allegheny & Pacific Railway layout for a short 4-minute video clip. The color scheme is a simple and deep rich blue... proving that less can be more in an era when custom-run graphics can be a bit overdone at times.
This pleasant blue is apparently reflective of the C&O's Cincinnatian passenger train colors. But I'll be pairing this beauty of a locomotive with Lionel's Baltimore & Ohio "Columbian" passenger train, which was manufactured with seven 18" aluminum passenger coaches circa 2004. I'm somewhat embarrassed to say the StationSounds diner in the video saw its first light-of-day in nearly 20 years, and it worked GREAT!!! Lionel really delivered some VERY well-made aluminum passenger cars back in those days. And each one that I own is a real keeper too.
As for Lionel's newly re-issued H7? All I can say is: "WOW!!!" It's a highly detailed locomotive very much along the lines of a Vision Line offering. The only feature it's really missing is roadname and roadnumber-specific Crewtalk and Towercom dialogs that's unfortunately reserved for Vision Line locomotives. Short of that, the H7 is a grand slam. And by far, it has the best implementation of Lionel's whistle-steam feature to date. No exceptions. I'm hoping whatever Lionel did for the H7 whistle-steam feature will carry over to all new Legacy steam locomotive offerings.
I pre-ordered Pat's custom-run H7 shortly after he announced it earlier this year, because I was looking for a flagship steam locomotive to head up my B&O Columbian passenger train that's been patiently waiting in storage. And Lionel's Legacy H7 fits the bill to the nines.
But between the exquisitely detailed locomotive piping on the H7 and its superb implementation of whistle-steam, this could spell bad news for my wallet... as I've also been seriously contemplating The Train Loft's custom "Chessie" H7 as well. And that model is a real eye-catcher, decked out in an orange and silver-plated paint scheme with a dark smokebox serving as an excellent background to its silver piping details up front. Oh boy!!! 
Anyway, here ya go folks. Enjoy!!!
