I like that your still doing review on up to date excursion engines. I personally love the 261. Broadway limited did a nice job as always with their locomotives. nice video James.
Great review. Childhood memory - I remember crawling all over 261 when it was on display at the National Railway Museum in Green Bay. Gonna have to pick up one of these for sure.
Hello James. New subscriber. I've watched you vids for a while now and I especially like your reviews. Very thorough and informative. Unfortunately I can't afford it at the moment, but I'd love to eventually get one of these. As a kid living in West Virginia, three things I looked forward to every year were my birthday, Christmas, and the New River Train runs with NKP 765. In 1994, freshly restored 261 stepped up and handled the runs that year after 765 went down for her overhaul, so I have fond memories of both of these awesome locos. Thanks to CSX, it was also the last year for steam on the New River Train and it's been pulled by lame Amtrak diesels ever since. I bought the Proto 2000 765 when it was released years ago, maybe sooner or later I can get ahold of one of these too. Keep the great vids coming!
I got this model yesterday and it is a beauty. Only problem is UPS did a smash up job, and my box is torn and dented quite a bit. I was lucky no damage to the model.
James, nice to see this model reviewed. The real 261 visited eastern Nebr in 2000 on the BNSF for several trips from Lincoln, up around Omaha and return. Beautiful engine and a nice crew. It is auger-stoked for over the road, but when I visited the engine one morning I got up in the cab and watched the fireman tending the fire and using a shovel to throw in coal to keep the steam up while parked.
Hey man, I love your vids and would like to congratulate you on the bondage with Canadian Pacific. One of my recommendations for a review would be the BLI N&W Y6b Paragon 2. It is a beautiful steamer and has a MSRP around 549.99 and was used to haul coal in the mountains. Thanks and again, I love the quality and workmanship of your videos!
jlwii2000 Hi James. I want to set up a layout. I need to know what to buy for power to the tracks, DCC controller etc. all I need to set up a layout. could you help? I hope so . A big thanks!!
one thing that I like your chanel is that you tell us the price unlike other chanel's because you can be like this train is cool so I may check it out at the model train stores when you may think that it is a 80$ set and it turns out to be a 200$ set and this goes for all of your videos
Very attractive looking Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 type locomotive, I would like to own one of these for myself in the future but first I need to receive higher earnings at the job place.
I like the longer video reviews, your previous reviews seemed like they were caught somewhere between a short and quick to the point review and a long highly detailed review. Now that you do product demos those could become like the short and to the point reviews and these more detailed.
I am awaiting delivery of mine. Now, is the loco equipped with a smoke generator from the factory by default? Also, can the front coupler be exchanged from a dummy to a Kadee?
For possible future review products, I think it would be cool of you to check out some Wheeling & Lake Erie diesels. I've seen Intermountain has an SD40T-2 about to come out, and I think there are either GP-38s or GP-40s somewhere on the market. Please, thank you and great channel to check stuff out on.
It seems like this one suffers from the same problem my Y6b has: the whistle is WAY too quiet out of the box. It's a relatively easy fix, but it's a little annoying considering how phenomenal the rest of the engine is.
Hi, I would like to ask you a question, what are the brand of those Milwaukee road passenger cars that the S3 was pulling?. Also, your review of this steam engine was fantastic.
Very cool and awesome review jlwii2000! The S3 4-8-4 in your review reminds me of UP's older FEF-1 4-8-4s. Wish I could get both types of steamers. I am a newcomer to the hobby and currently (and very slowly) building an N-scale layout in a 25in by 48in area. I wish I had a larger room to work with and build a layout in HO-scale and have a collection like yours. I look forward to seeing more cool stuff on your channel.
After I owned 2 releases (1984 & 1998) of Milw 261 of OMI, I can tell this BLI model is a good model that I put of same league of PRR T1 and N&W class A. Some dimensions may be wrong such the size of pilot truck wheels. The driver wheels are very beautifully detailed, but I suspect that they are smaller than the scale 74 in. I also noticed that there is a lot of space on the back side of pilot. This is the opposite of OMI models that actually had not much space between pilot and leading truck wheel. So, my guess that BLI had to extend a bit the smoke box in other to accommodate the smoke unit and the headlight & emergency brake wiring. Next, I wish that BLI would reproduced the whole diaphragm and its mechanism between cab and tender. That was a real nice feature in the OMI model.
Just a few comments, and nothing against your review. But as one that is DC and not DCC, yes, it will run on DC. No, not very well. Unless you buy another piece of equipment that will allow you some control over the sounds, what came from the factory is what you're stuck with. And that is both loud and unnecessary. They do provide a switch under the cab to kill the smoke, I'm not fond of oil vapor on everything, but the switch is difficult to get to. The plus is that it's there. The sounds come on at about three fourths throttle, and that remaining one fourth is what you have left for speed control. It has momentum on, without the added unit to kill it, what you got is what you get, nothing more. BLI says twenty two inch radius, accept that, it will not normally negotiate eighteen inch. For those that have DCC and more room than I have, probably a good addition. For me, something to put in a display case. (And that's why I have it.) I haven't tried it yet, as iteration number X+1 of a layout is on the thinking boards and I don't have any turnouts yet, but it will probably require No.6 turnouts, or greater. Still, BLI did a nice job, it'a a well done version of an interesting loco.
I agree with you, I got into this hobby a year ago and learned kinda fast in order to really run this stuff you need an outer 26 so you have the ability to pull the train into a yard etc. I did manage to get myself an outer 24 and one switch off it, will have to work till I get to next build in a dedicated room. I do love DCC though
I hate saying anything bad about your videos, but I have to say some constructive criticism, I am sure you put alot of work into the new intro, but I think the previous intro was alot better and seemed more professional.
How come there is such a big gap between the cabin and the coal tender? Isn't it unsafe? How does the fireman feed the fire with coal? Is that a realistic gap?
The gap is not to scale and probably has to do with the tunnel on the front of the tender. If you look for Ericstrains review on his 261, different manufacture and scale, you can see the gap is far better and is dealt with using a new spring system. As far as feeding coal goes I believe its mechanical not human fed.
Hello Sir, first I sincerely wish to thank you for this as well all thee other educational reviews you post on youtube as they truly are indeed an aid to the novice modeler as myself trying to learn, save money and avoid mistakes. Which segues into my question, i.e. I recently purchased this model and what I do not understand is if the wire from the tender must be connected to the locomotive or not, for I am having the darndest time trying to connect the two, and simply coupling and uncoupling them without fear of snapping or braking something. I would genuinely appreciate your assistance due to hating destroying this beautiful machine I have been waiting for months to receive., thank you in advanced. Sincerely.. Fabian Luciano.
Personally, I love this model and the real engine. I had my model preordered back in June when I found out they were making this one.
The side bracing saved my models as UPS gave it hell in shipping!
I like that your still doing review on up to date excursion engines. I personally love the 261. Broadway limited did a nice job as always with their locomotives. nice video James.
Great review. Childhood memory - I remember crawling all over 261 when it was on display at the National Railway Museum in Green Bay. Gonna have to pick up one of these for sure.
My local train shop is selling those for a deal and a half. It shows the original marked price at $600 and the marked down price is $380
Hello James. New subscriber. I've watched you vids for a while now and I especially like your reviews. Very thorough and informative. Unfortunately I can't afford it at the moment, but I'd love to eventually get one of these. As a kid living in West Virginia, three things I looked forward to every year were my birthday, Christmas, and the New River Train runs with NKP 765. In 1994, freshly restored 261 stepped up and handled the runs that year after 765 went down for her overhaul, so I have fond memories of both of these awesome locos. Thanks to CSX, it was also the last year for steam on the New River Train and it's been pulled by lame Amtrak diesels ever since. I bought the Proto 2000 765 when it was released years ago, maybe sooner or later I can get ahold of one of these too. Keep the great vids coming!
I got this model yesterday and it is a beauty. Only problem is UPS did a smash up job, and my box is torn and dented quite a bit. I was lucky no damage to the model.
Great review! I was actually thinking about getting that loco for my birthday.
Not surprised they are going fast. Great review and model. The new intro is great as well.
James, nice to see this model reviewed. The real 261 visited eastern Nebr in 2000 on the BNSF for several trips from Lincoln, up around Omaha and return. Beautiful engine and a nice crew. It is auger-stoked for over the road, but when I visited the engine one morning I got up in the cab and watched the fireman tending the fire and using a shovel to throw in coal to keep the steam up while parked.
Hey man, I love your vids and would like to congratulate you on the bondage with Canadian Pacific. One of my recommendations for a review would be the BLI N&W Y6b Paragon 2. It is a beautiful steamer and has a MSRP around 549.99 and was used to haul coal in the mountains. Thanks and again, I love the quality and workmanship of your videos!
Great new opener. I like it! Gorgeous locomotive. Great review as usual.
+JRegier80 Thank you!
I really enjoy your new intro, very cool and well done. I also like the smoke transition effect, during the intro as well.
+The Tech Guy Thanks man!
jlwii2000 Hi James. I want to set up a layout. I need to know what to buy for power to the tracks, DCC controller etc. all I need to set up a layout. could you help? I hope so . A big thanks!!
Great video and I love the Milwaukee Road Cars.
nice serious detail on this steam locomotive, great!
Great review, nice looking engine
thank you for your review it was very helpful !ps mine is on its way should get it some were like 4/13 or 14
Great review! I also have one and love it!
Love the new intro
awesome locomotive, and video.
The new intro is Fire! 👌🏼
one thing that I like your chanel is that you tell us the price unlike other chanel's because you can be like this train is cool so I may check it out at the model train stores when you may think that it is a 80$ set and it turns out to be a 200$ set and this goes for all of your videos
Great video James
Nice video and review!
I like the reviews!!
For most part I'm not a fan for Northerns. But this engine I make an exception for. I will buy a few.
very nice model, good review!
Very attractive looking Milwaukee Road 4-8-4 type locomotive, I would like to own one of these for myself in the future but first I need to receive higher earnings at the job place.
I like the longer video reviews, your previous reviews seemed like they were caught somewhere between a short and quick to the point review and a long highly detailed review. Now that you do product demos those could become like the short and to the point reviews and these more detailed.
I am awaiting delivery of mine.
Now, is the loco equipped with a smoke generator from the factory by default?
Also, can the front coupler be exchanged from a dummy to a Kadee?
For possible future review products, I think it would be cool of you to check out some Wheeling & Lake Erie diesels. I've seen Intermountain has an SD40T-2
about to come out, and I think there are either GP-38s or GP-40s somewhere on the market. Please, thank you and great channel to check stuff out on.
James, if they ever make L&N Big Emma auxiliary tenders, do you plan on getting the Milwaukee Road tender?
Awesome!
Nice video, James. What passenger cars should be used with this locomotive?
what dcc hand contrler do you have and what watch do you have and how do you change the cvs
My hobby shop just got 7 S-3's in stock as of now. 4/5/16
What’s the name of the hobby shop? *Im sure those 7 S-3’s are long gone*
It seems like this one suffers from the same problem my Y6b has: the whistle is WAY too quiet out of the box. It's a relatively easy fix, but it's a little annoying considering how phenomenal the rest of the engine is.
I work with the 261 and the loco did pass and fright
Are you going to do a review of the BLI Commodore Vanderbilt?
Wonder why the class light's aren't lit ?
what controler could i use when i buy this loco
How strong is the S3 against the Athearn FEF-2?
Hi, I would like to ask you a question, what are the brand of those Milwaukee road passenger cars that the S3 was pulling?. Also, your review of this steam engine was fantastic.
+The Tech Guy Walthers.
+jlwii2000 Thank you very much.
WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEM MAKE ONE WITH BLOW DOWN VALVE GEAR....
Does the Mars Light work?
Very cool and awesome review jlwii2000! The S3 4-8-4 in your review reminds me of UP's older FEF-1 4-8-4s. Wish I could get both types of steamers. I am a newcomer to the hobby and currently (and very slowly) building an N-scale layout in a 25in by 48in area. I wish I had a larger room to work with and build a layout in HO-scale and have a collection like yours. I look forward to seeing more cool stuff on your channel.
There are FEF-1s, but not in n scale. Sunset models has one. It's a vintage brass model, you can pick it up for like 900 bucks.
+ktrainbfs HO FEF-1's run about $300. O scale are probably more. I think that might be the $900 one you are looking at
After I owned 2 releases (1984 & 1998) of Milw 261 of OMI, I can tell this BLI model is a good model that I put of same league of PRR T1 and N&W class A. Some dimensions may be wrong such the size of pilot truck wheels. The driver wheels are very beautifully detailed, but I suspect that they are smaller than the scale 74 in. I also noticed that there is a lot of space on the back side of pilot. This is the opposite of OMI models that actually had not much space between pilot and leading truck wheel. So, my guess that BLI had to extend a bit the smoke box in other to accommodate the smoke unit and the headlight & emergency brake wiring.
Next, I wish that BLI would reproduced the whole diaphragm and its mechanism between cab and tender. That was a real nice feature in the OMI model.
Silly question James !! What system are you running that on and can I run it on NCE ? Thanks James keep up the great work... Lance 🚂
+CHESAPEAKE & OHIO I ran this on MRC Prodigy Elite and you can use NCE or any DCC system to run it.
+jlwii2000 why do you prefer the MRC Prodigy Elite system vs. NCC or Digitrax? pros/ cons of each?
cool cool cool
Just a few comments, and nothing against your review. But as one that is DC and not DCC, yes, it will run on DC. No, not very well. Unless you buy another piece of equipment that will allow you some control over the sounds, what came from the factory is what you're stuck with. And that is both loud and unnecessary. They do provide a switch under the cab to kill the smoke, I'm not fond of oil vapor on everything, but the switch is difficult to get to. The plus is that it's there. The sounds come on at about three fourths throttle, and that remaining one fourth is what you have left for speed control. It has momentum on, without the added unit to kill it, what you got is what you get, nothing more. BLI says twenty two inch radius, accept that, it will not normally negotiate eighteen inch. For those that have DCC and more room than I have, probably a good addition. For me, something to put in a display case. (And that's why I have it.) I haven't tried it yet, as iteration number X+1 of a layout is on the thinking boards and I don't have any turnouts yet, but it will probably require No.6 turnouts, or greater. Still, BLI did a nice job, it'a a well done version of an interesting loco.
I agree with you, I got into this hobby a year ago and learned kinda fast in order to really run this stuff you need an outer 26 so you have the ability to pull the train into a yard etc. I did manage to get myself an outer 24 and one switch off it, will have to work till I get to next build in a dedicated room. I do love DCC though
Is it a plastic body?
Hey James! I just wanted to know if you ever got the letter from me. Remember Bryce?
+BN Holden I did get a letter that I will be mentioning in the next few weeks! Thanks Bryce!
+jlwii2000 Thank you! Im so excited!
I hate saying anything bad about your videos, but I have to say some constructive criticism, I am sure you put alot of work into the new intro, but I think the previous intro was alot better and seemed more professional.
+5dmc1 I take back my previous statement, the new intro is growing on me :)
lol
Is there a cv you recall that can turn up the blower on the smoke unit ?
How come there is such a big gap between the cabin and the coal tender? Isn't it unsafe? How does the fireman feed the fire with coal? Is that a realistic gap?
The gap is not to scale and probably has to do with the tunnel on the front of the tender. If you look for Ericstrains review on his 261, different manufacture and scale, you can see the gap is far better and is dealt with using a new spring system. As far as feeding coal goes I believe its mechanical not human fed.
Look at that decaled on Builder Plate....
+BNSF5608 check your private messages. You're about 3 seconds from being banned. I've already deleted several of your idiotic comments.
Burned! Ouch!
Need an ice pack?? +bnsf5608
Dman Dc lol
+ktrainbfs You think that's a roasting? Spare me.
Lionel ir bachmann
,?
Never liked the smoke. Too expensive without it.
Hello Sir, first I sincerely wish to thank you for this as well all thee other educational reviews you post on youtube as they truly are indeed an aid to the novice modeler as myself trying to learn, save money and avoid mistakes.
Which segues into my question, i.e. I recently purchased this model and what I do not understand is if the wire from the tender must be connected to the locomotive or not, for I am having the darndest time trying to connect the two, and simply coupling and uncoupling them without fear of snapping or braking something.
I would genuinely appreciate your assistance due to hating destroying this beautiful machine I have been waiting for months to receive., thank you in advanced.
Sincerely.. Fabian Luciano.
yes, wire from tender plugs into the locomotive. ensure the plugs are aligned before plugging in.