Have a chance to pick up a Lionel #18719 Thomas the Tank Engine pretty cheap and was wondering if this version was as good as the newer one or did it have any design flaws. The guy I’m buying it from doesn’t know if it has whistle, smoke, reverse, etc. Anybody out there have one?
BTW - I don’t think any of the Thomas engines smoke. Mine does reverse, but the eyes do not whobble like the newer ones. I don’t think mine has a whistle either…
Thanks Lionroar, didn’t think it would be as nice as the newer ones, usually you would remember if a train had all the bells and whistles if it had them.
Not quite a whistle. More like a weird horn. I may try to see if it has a potentiometer to adjust. In my humble opinion, the older one is better because I like the moving eyes. As Brent noted, neither smokes.
My son has Thomas, James, and Percy! Thomas is the oldest and at the present time is not working. He had a reverse, whistle (strange kind of horn), and his eyes moved. I have tried to find out what the problem is, but he simply will not move. The James and the Percy have been problem free and they have more pep and were smoother in operation than Thomas. I will be getting down to Caboose Hobbies in Denver soon and will take Thomas with me to their service department. I would pass on the old Thomas and get a new one. They are not very expensive and I feel the newer engines have been improved.