Loved that thing back in the day and love it again as your showing it today. The Berk and the Hudson were both top notch engines that today still hold their value. Great video. Keep'em coming👍
You have an impressive collection and thanks for showing it to us. The cylindrical item on the back of the slope sheet that you pointed to at the 12:32 mark is a steam powered coal pusher. Many roads used those to push the coal down so the auger could grab it. I have several K-Line freight cars, 2 sets of their E8 passenger diesels with the rotating roof fans and the B&A 2-6-6 tank engine. I have considered trying to obtain the K-Line LIMA Demonstrator but the tender they chose to use with it is not accurate in my opinion. Thanks again for all your efforts.
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Yes I would recommend getting them. The detailing is top notch as is the paint and lettering. The motorized roof fans is a nice touch and if you remove the 2 winterizing hatches there are additional fans (non-working though) underneath. I much prefer how the pilots look on those diesels look when compared to MTH or Lionel. I don't think either set of my E8's have smoke units. Not a deal breaker in my opinion. One of my E8 sets is Rock Island and I have the entire set of Golden State extruded aluminum passenger cars for them to pull.
@@allegheny48 I'm jealous of that Rock Island set! My MTH E8s aren't that impressive, but I like more than Lionel. Lionel looks like they got the nose wrong, and the windshield wipers are too big.
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Lionel, in my opinion, has not had the best quality control in quite some time and doesn't seem to care. I also feel that, since MTH closed down, Lionel no longer has any major competitors and has (or is) adopting the "Take it or Leave it" attitude. I much prefer MTH Premier to Lionel.
@allegheny48 I 100% Agree! Notice the lack of lionel in my collection? Lionel is definitely in one of those build for the collector phases now. Arrogance is no way to approach a market, and with a lack of major competition, they make and charge what they want.
I am a big fan of Kline scale engines, frt cars, and there wonderful scale passenger cars. Have been collecting them for years. Lionel.made a big mistake by not incorporating all of there designs into there company. The 21 inch aluminum passenger cars are the best, they command big money now. Great video !
Yow! That is one nice gondola and a fine looking locomotive. The detail on the locomotive is top-notch and the Coffin Feed-water Heater is a cool feature, which makes the locomotive look tough. I really like the finer detail on the gon. The grab irons, brake wheel and trucks really pop. I've always like their cars and I have a few on my layout. Nice and heavy and they definitely need to be at the head of a consist. K-Line made some great stuff and it's too bad that they got slammed by Lionel. A fair ruling, instead of that huge judgement for Lionel, may have helped save the company and kept them out of Lionel's clutches. Their early locomotives, along with Williams and Weaver, were pretty good, but they had DC motors with no flywheels, which made for abrupt starts and stops. We had plenty of derailments and string-lines on our old club modular, until we got used to them. A friend of mine, who has Parkinson's, is getting ready to start liquidating his collection, which includes many top-of-the-line locomotives, from K-LIne, Williams and Weaver, among others. I doubt that I will acquire any of them, but they are great engines and run really well. Either way, an excellent video, as always.
@johnandrus3901 Thank you. I appreciate it. It definitely took K-Line a bit to find their groove, but once they did It was game on. I wish I had bought more of their stuff new, but no one knew they would go under so suddenly. It's sad to think all the companies you mentioned are pretty much extinct. Competition drives innovation. Lack of competition is actually what hurts our hobby, in my opinion 😕
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk How true. The quality control at Lionel, isn't too good and they can't even get colors correct. MTH seems to do OK, but I haven't heard much about their quality control, either way. Even Atlas, who normally puts out a decent product, has some quality control problems. I'll stick with my post-war/MPC era trains and even some LTI, but none of the new stuff.
To me, K-Line's greatest steam locomotives were their scale Pennsy K-4 Pacific, their Mikado, their J1e NYC Hudson, their 2-6-6-T Tank engine and their Berkshire (mine is a Boston & Albany). I have their 2-truck shay as well and it is a beauty BUT, it's out of scale, it's too big. I think it scales out to 1/43 instead of 1/48. It's cab is bigger than my 3rd Rail and Legacy Big Boys. I had my K4, J1E, Tank engine and Berkshire all up graded to PS3. I chose PS3 because I love the fact that you have so much more to choose from when it comes to steam whistle tones. Also, if you look at the ERR upgrade electronics, it's getting pretty old whereas the PS3 boards are 'newer'. Now, their smoke units are MTH and, well, they've worked well since day one unlike Lionel's which have been so disappointing until Legacy finally arrived. I upgraded these locomotives because, as you pointed out, their physical appearance with high quality detailing (looking like a brass model) deserved the better electronics. I kept their original small motors rather than going with a large motor upgrade because they are sufficiently powerful enough to pull whatever I might want to pull. These K-Line models function beautifully under PS3 tech. I got crushed coal and glued it down in layers over the cast coal piles and that really enhances the appearance of these models. I used clear Elmer's glue mixed with water and put in a spray bottle, it's really easy to work with and to clean up. I hear you about missing K-Line. BTW, if you ever find a J1E Hudson, you'll love it. Mine has more detailing than does my 1937 Lionel 700E!! The detailing is sharper, crisper too.
@asdfdsa45 Right on and well said. I'm glad you chose PS3 vs. Lionel based electronics. I agree on the factory installed motors. After all, they sit right over the drivers. I have a Lionel AC-9 that will probably be my first upgrade locomotive. PS3 more than likely. I'm still a conventional runner, and I like how PS3 lets you access more features in conventional. I will definitely keep an eye out for a J1e. My NYC Niagara is lonely 🙁
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Thanks. When you find a Hudson, you won't be disappointed. I would add that the prewar Lionel 700e does beat the K-Line Hudson in two ways; one, the scale sized pilot wheels and second, the flanged middle drivers. Can't really do anything about the blind middle drivers on the K-Line model but K-Line did offer a larger, close to scale pilot truck for the more discriminatingly picky, scale guy. I do wish Lionel would make their Legacy components more readily available for upgrading. BTW, look up Sid's trains if you haven't already and search for his Blunami DCC upgrade on a scale 3-rail model, It's really nice.
Ya I have a completely diecast 40' PS1 Box car from K-line and it feels as though is weighs 5 lbs. or so ..lol I bought it more as a collector item plus it's in the Cotton Belt Blue Streak paint so.....had to get it. It's really not a practical car to pull around if you run decent sized trains.
Loved that thing back in the day and love it again as your showing it today. The Berk and the Hudson were both top notch engines that today still hold their value. Great video. Keep'em coming👍
@user-era4mi2zd6ys Yes sir! Thank you.
Great review and history Matt! There’s a whole lot of amazing detail on it! I love that water heater! Very cool gondola too! 🚂😎
@naxshack Thanks Brian. I always appreciate it. You need the Boston & Maine one. Would go with your pacific!
That would be pretty cool!!! 🚂😎
Finally got around to subscribing to your channel. K-line stuff was ahead of its time, and a great value to add to one's collection.
@DelHudson1 Thanks, Del. I miss all the variety we had back in the day. Quality went up, and prices came down...
Great detail on that engine Matt.
@huntercoleman460 Thanks Hunter.
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk what do you think of the Right of Way transformer Matt? Think it looks like a music board?
@@huntercoleman460 Sid from Sid's trains says it's the best transformer ever. I have never seen one personally.......
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk he sure did. Ever had a ZW?
@@huntercoleman460 Have my dads. Runs my inner loops
You have an impressive collection and thanks for showing it to us. The cylindrical item on the back of the slope sheet that you pointed to at the 12:32 mark is a steam powered coal pusher. Many roads used those to push the coal down so the auger could grab it. I have several K-Line freight cars, 2 sets of their E8 passenger diesels with the rotating roof fans and the B&A 2-6-6 tank engine. I have considered trying to obtain the K-Line LIMA Demonstrator but the tender they chose to use with it is not accurate in my opinion. Thanks again for all your efforts.
@allegheny48 Thanks for watching! I have been eyeballing a set of K-Line SP E9s on the bay, just haven't pulled the trigger. You would recommend?
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Yes I would recommend getting them. The detailing is top notch as is the paint and lettering. The motorized roof fans is a nice touch and if you remove the 2 winterizing hatches there are additional fans (non-working though) underneath. I much prefer how the pilots look on those diesels look when compared to MTH or Lionel. I don't think either set of my E8's have smoke units. Not a deal breaker in my opinion. One of my E8 sets is Rock Island and I have the entire set of Golden State extruded aluminum passenger cars for them to pull.
@@allegheny48 I'm jealous of that Rock Island set! My MTH E8s aren't that impressive, but I like more than Lionel. Lionel looks like they got the nose wrong, and the windshield wipers are too big.
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Lionel, in my opinion, has not had the best quality control in quite some time and doesn't seem to care. I also feel that, since MTH closed down, Lionel no longer has any major competitors and has
(or is) adopting the "Take it or Leave it" attitude. I much prefer MTH Premier to Lionel.
@allegheny48 I 100% Agree! Notice the lack of lionel in my collection? Lionel is definitely in one of those build for the collector phases now. Arrogance is no way to approach a market, and with a lack of major competition, they make and charge what they want.
I am a big fan of Kline scale engines, frt cars, and there wonderful scale passenger cars. Have been collecting them for years. Lionel.made a big mistake by not incorporating all of there designs into there company. The 21 inch aluminum passenger cars are the best, they command big money now. Great video !
@Thomas-z1y6s Thank you. I agree 💯 Lionel should have used much more of the tooling
Man, would like to have several of those gondolas!
@joeystrains.9316 Not too hard to find, sir. And I think the only die-cast scale gondolas made in O gauge
Yow! That is one nice gondola and a fine looking locomotive. The detail on the locomotive is top-notch and the Coffin Feed-water Heater is a cool feature, which makes the locomotive look tough. I really like the finer detail on the gon. The grab irons, brake wheel and trucks really pop. I've always like their cars and I have a few on my layout. Nice and heavy and they definitely need to be at the head of a consist. K-Line made some great stuff and it's too bad that they got slammed by Lionel. A fair ruling, instead of that huge judgement for Lionel, may have helped save the company and kept them out of Lionel's clutches. Their early locomotives, along with Williams and Weaver, were pretty good, but they had DC motors with no flywheels, which made for abrupt starts and stops. We had plenty of derailments and string-lines on our old club modular, until we got used to them. A friend of mine, who has Parkinson's, is getting ready to start liquidating his collection, which includes many top-of-the-line locomotives, from K-LIne, Williams and Weaver, among others. I doubt that I will acquire any of them, but they are great engines and run really well. Either way, an excellent video, as always.
@johnandrus3901 Thank you. I appreciate it. It definitely took K-Line a bit to find their groove, but once they did It was game on. I wish I had bought more of their stuff new, but no one knew they would go under so suddenly. It's sad to think all the companies you mentioned are pretty much extinct. Competition drives innovation. Lack of competition is actually what hurts our hobby, in my opinion 😕
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk How true. The quality control at Lionel, isn't too good and they can't even get colors correct. MTH seems to do OK, but I haven't heard much about their quality control, either way. Even Atlas, who normally puts out a decent product, has some quality control problems. I'll stick with my post-war/MPC era trains and even some LTI, but none of the new stuff.
That's right Matt!!🤘🤘
@@davidkasparian4089 Thanks!
I have a K-line SP 4449 and a PA K-4s both great looking models
@@jackcurran1122 Right on! I would love to have both of those!
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk I think Lionel’s K-4s used the K-line tooling
@@jackcurran1122 You are correct
To me, K-Line's greatest steam locomotives were their scale Pennsy K-4 Pacific, their Mikado, their J1e NYC Hudson, their 2-6-6-T Tank engine and their Berkshire (mine is a Boston & Albany). I have their 2-truck shay as well and it is a beauty BUT, it's out of scale, it's too big. I think it scales out to 1/43 instead of 1/48. It's cab is bigger than my 3rd Rail and Legacy Big Boys. I had my K4, J1E, Tank engine and Berkshire all up graded to PS3. I chose PS3 because I love the fact that you have so much more to choose from when it comes to steam whistle tones. Also, if you look at the ERR upgrade electronics, it's getting pretty old whereas the PS3 boards are 'newer'. Now, their smoke units are MTH and, well, they've worked well since day one unlike Lionel's which have been so disappointing until Legacy finally arrived. I upgraded these locomotives because, as you pointed out, their physical appearance with high quality detailing (looking like a brass model) deserved the better electronics. I kept their original small motors rather than going with a large motor upgrade because they are sufficiently powerful enough to pull whatever I might want to pull. These K-Line models function beautifully under PS3 tech. I got crushed coal and glued it down in layers over the cast coal piles and that really enhances the appearance of these models. I used clear Elmer's glue mixed with water and put in a spray bottle, it's really easy to work with and to clean up. I hear you about missing K-Line. BTW, if you ever find a J1E Hudson, you'll love it. Mine has more detailing than does my 1937 Lionel 700E!! The detailing is sharper, crisper too.
@asdfdsa45 Right on and well said. I'm glad you chose PS3 vs. Lionel based electronics. I agree on the factory installed motors. After all, they sit right over the drivers. I have a Lionel AC-9 that will probably be my first upgrade locomotive. PS3 more than likely. I'm still a conventional runner, and I like how PS3 lets you access more features in conventional. I will definitely keep an eye out for a J1e. My NYC Niagara is lonely 🙁
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk Thanks. When you find a Hudson, you won't be disappointed. I would add that the prewar Lionel 700e does beat the K-Line Hudson in two ways; one, the scale sized pilot wheels and second, the flanged middle drivers. Can't really do anything about the blind middle drivers on the K-Line model but K-Line did offer a larger, close to scale pilot truck for the more discriminatingly picky, scale guy. I do wish Lionel would make their Legacy components more readily available for upgrading. BTW, look up Sid's trains if you haven't already and search for his Blunami DCC upgrade on a scale 3-rail model, It's really nice.
😊😊❤❤❤❤
I very much want to get one of those k line berks, absolutely beautiful engines. Really a shame k line went the way they did
@@davidstrainsandlego Agreed
Ya I have a completely diecast 40' PS1 Box car from K-line and it feels as though is weighs 5 lbs. or so ..lol I bought it more as a collector item plus it's in the Cotton Belt Blue Streak paint so.....had to get it. It's really not a practical car to pull around if you run decent sized trains.
@@PhilBender612 Dude! That Blue Streak Freight scheme is awesome!
I think there’s a 3rd rail SP version on Trainz right now.
@@carldebellis7310 That's the one I was referring to 😆
Is that Berk a k-line?
@@williamkolina3988 Sure is
@@UncleSalty-nz5uk the first steam engine I got was a k-line mikado
It's still my favorite
I won it at auction for 203 bucks
They make some good stuff