Comparing SD40's: Lionel, MTH and Atlas 6-loco review & comparison, head to head
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- Comparing six different 3-rail, O Scale-sized, SD40 variants. Two from Lionel, two from MTH and two from Atlas. Legacy, TMCC, PS2.0, PS3.0? What's best? Who makes the best looking locomotive - who's is the most accurate? Which loco pulls best and has the smoothest operation? How about the features and general pros and cons? Let's take a deep dive.
#lionel #mth #atlas #oscale #sd40
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0:00 Intro
2:15 The Locomotives
3:01 Legacy SD40E
8:29 TMCC SD40T-2 w/Odyssey
13:30 Atlas Master SD40 TMCC/EOB
18:28 Atlas Premier SD40-2 PS3
20:54 MTH Premier SD40-2 PS3
23:18 MTH Premier SD40-2 PS2 5v
28:43 Differences
36:10 Legacy SD40E capabilities
38:42 TMCC SD40T-2 capabilities
41:08 Atlas Master SD40 capabilities
45:07 MTH PS2 SD40-2 loses its shoes
48:10 MTH/Atlas PS3 SD40-2 duo capabilities
50:49 Legacy and Atlas running together?
55:18 Final summary
56:44 1st place
59:55 2nd place
1:03:09 3rd place
1:04:08 4th place
1:06:59 5th place
1:10:29 6th place
1:14:14 Final Scores & Outro
Lionel, LLC is an American designer and importer of toy trains and model railroads that is headquartered in Concord, North Carolina. Its roots lie in the 1969 purchase of the Lionel product line from the Lionel Corporation by cereal conglomerate General Mills and subsequent purchase in 1986 by businessman Richard P. Kughn forming Lionel Trains, Inc. in 1986. The Martin Davis Investment Group (Wellspring) bought Lionel Trains, Inc. in 1995 and renamed it Lionel, LLC. Currently, Lionel markets its products to several levels of skills and budget. As in the past, the higher-end, limited run products tend to retain the highest collectible value for the future. These products include the Legacy equipped steam and diesel locomotives which are accurate and highly detailed scale models. Lionel introduced the Vision Line of locomotives and cars in 2009, with the goal of providing the most innovative and detailed O gauge models available.[9] Ready-to-run sets and cars are also offered at lower price points. These sets are in the tradition of, and many are reproductions of, the entry-level sets of the classic Lionel era. In March 2012, Lionel released the first American Flyer exclusive catalog, featuring many all-new models with advanced electronic features and increased scale compatibility.
MTH Electric Trains is an American toy train and model railroad designer, importer, and manufacturer. A privately held company based in Columbia, Maryland, MTH is known as Mike's Train House. MTH's founder, Mike Wolf, started assembling and selling trains at the age of 12 in 1973 for Williams Electric Trains, which had begun producing reproductions of vintage trains manufactured by Lionel Corporation, in the early 1970s. By 1980, Wolf was operating a mail order business selling Williams trains and parts out of his bedroom in his parents' home.
Atlas Model Railroad Company, Inc. makes scale models in N scale, HO scale, and O scale. The company is based in Hillside, New Jersey, United States. They produce a wide variety of locomotives, rolling stock, and vehicles. Atlas is well known for their flex track and codes 55, 80, 83 and 100 track. Atlas also produces a line of compatible structures and bridges. Stephan Schaffan, Sr., an immigrant of Czechoslovakia founded the Atlas Tool Company in the garage of his home in Newark, New Jersey, in 1924. In 1933 his son, Stephan Schaffan, Jr., came to work for his father at the age of sixteen. Steve Jr. built model airplanes and frequented a local hobby shop. He would often ask the owner if there was anything he could do to earn some extra spending money. Not taking his inquiries seriously, the store owner challenged Schaffan to come up with better track components using the materials available in the shop. In those days, railroad modelers had to assemble and build everything from scratch. Steve Jr. created a "switch kit" which sold so well, that the entire family worked on them in the basement at night, while doing business as usual in the machine shop during the day. Subsequently, Steve Jr. engineered the stapling of rail to fiber track, along with inventing the first practical rail joiner and pre-assembled turnouts and flexible track. All of these products, and more, helped to popularize model railroading and assisted in the creation of a mass-market hobby. The growing company quickly outgrew the garage and basement of the family home. Realizing they could actually make a living selling track and related products, the first factory was built in nearby Hillside, New Jersey, at 413 Florence Avenue in 1947. On September 30, 1949, the Atlas Tool Company was incorporated. - Розваги
**correction** The UP SD40T-2 is only capable of 32 speed step operation. It does not have 100 speed step capability. I hope this video is helpful to anyone wondering what the different manufacturers in the command era have brought to the hobby. My final scores are not only personally subjective, but are also hopefully a solid barometer to help you make a good decision if you're thinking of buying a brand new or second hand SD40 variant for your collection. Happy railroading, everyone!
Awesome video! Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to this!
Much appreciated. I’ve been wanting to make this video for quite some time and had a lot of fun putting everything together. Cheers!
This was a great video brother and very helpful and it does not bug me how long the video is and it is educational and the teaching is great on these different locomotives also very helpful brother.
glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice and thorough review. I really enjoyed watching. Thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful! We appreciate you dropping by the channel!
where were you with this level of in depth review like 6 years ago? LOL
To be honest I think a video like this sets a precedent for the O scale hobby. I understand you wouldn't be able to do this without others sending you locomotives for review but I would love more reviews in this style with other loco motive types.
bravo good sir, through review and well appreciated
It was a fun video to make and gave me a reason to run SD40’s all weekend lol. I plan on making a similar Geep video in the future. Thanks for visiting the channel.
if you ever want to check out a Legacy ES44ac (US army or KCS Heritage), I will gladly send one of mine in for review! @@TheLEMRR
@@doubleutubefan5 thanks man - I might take you up on that. I don't currently own any Legacy ES44 units
@@TheLEMRR Let me know! I would gladly send either or both if you really want. I pay shipping! The Army Es44ac has some really neat features that only Lionel can pull off. My other one is a KCS heritage unit, something you don't see often in O scale. Something I wanted to scoop up before the CPKC merger
David
The O scale market SHOULD be like the HO and N market with standard DCC control. I know it all comes down to the mighty dollar, but all these different and proprietary systems are down right ridiculous if you ask me!!! Boy does it turn me off. So glad Im a HO guy where we have one system and one throttle for all our locomotives and layout control.
It would make it easier for sure. Atlas has rights to DCS now and their current Premier and future Master Series locos are said to have PS3. Lionel has always sort of held the market captive. It’s unfortunate. Thanks for visiting.
Informative films like this can never get tiring. There's always something new to learn. Well done Steve....thank you !
👍👍👍
Thanks Jim - I wish there were videos like this to help me when I first got into O… I made a lot of mistakes based solely off of my HO and N experiences.
Great video and exposition Steve.
Thanks for sitting through it, Hunter. It got a little too long. I could've gone on for another hour or two, easy, lol.
The Lionel Legacy unit looks great. The next step in realism would be to offer the ability to add a true fixed scale pilot with full length handrails for those of us with wide curves. The kinematic pilots just don’t quite do it for me.
I applaud Lionel for trying to get a scaled look on something that can still operate on O-54 curves. Kinematic are great - when they work right. I envy anyone that can run true O scale because that eats up A LOT of space. Space that we just don't have in the layout room here unfortunately. Thanks for visiting!
@@TheLEMRRthe kinematics are a big improvement and I know most people can’t run with scale pilots. I’d love to see Lionel offer a conversion to scale fixed pilot kit. I’d doubt it would ever come standard. Oh well, At least with the kinematics you can easily use a scale coupler.
The only issue I'd see is Lionel would need to offer separate handrails as well. And since you need to buy the entire shell if you should happen to break one of your 3-rail handrails... what are the chances of that happening? I'm sure the 3-D printing guys could make something happen. There are a couple that have done so online. I do like the fact that MTH offered fixed pilots and the longer handrails. I have a couple I've converted up front to have a more scaled look, while keeping the 3-rail setup out back. Business up front, party in the rear, lol
@@TheLEMRR it’s too bad MTH no longer offers the scale pilots. At least atlas does this with the MTH tooling for 2 rail. It is interesting Lionel can’t offer handrail parts, scale or hi rail. I’m amazed you can’t just buy a set of handrails.
Whenever I see scale pilots for sale, I snatch them up to convert something over up front, haha
Nice engines
Thanks! Love ‘em all, lol
I'm curious about the Great Train Show for March 23-24. Is that the same as it was last october?
Different show but should be a good one. That show will be in the IX Center at Cleveland Hopkins Int’l airport. The show in the fall is the Great Berea Train Show at the fairgrounds off of Bagley Rd.
@@TheLEMRR OK Got it! I'll be there!
The CSX engine looks way bigger than the rest. Maybe the video angle?
Yes, camera perspective. The three up front are all the same exact tooling. The UP model in the middle rear is actually the longest as it is a tunnel motor variant. Thanks for visiting
I left lionel diesels in the dust, MTH or ATLAS premier are the highest quality ever built. Sorry? Lionel is no better than williams. Never again. Lionel Steam is Top Notch notch along with MTH. I've eorked on liknel diesels - poor quality, crappy sound boards😮 my opinion not anyone elses. Like Chevy v ford
LOL - no need to apologize for your opinion! I've been lucky with my MTH locos and about 75% of the collection is PS2 and PS3 variants. I've been fortunate with my Lionel stuff too... At some point, I will have to pay the piper though, haha. Thanks for visiting!
@@TheLEMRR It's all good! Alk OGauge trains are cool. I have lionel diesels in my collection I just stopped buying them 11 years ago, they still run great