The only problem (and it’s not really a problem) I’ve ever had with twin-motor Williams diesels is they tend to take off like rockets when you shoot the juice to them.
Easy fix though. Wire the motors in series and it tames them right down. Slow speed to high speed performance is improved tremendously.
If you want rugged reliability and don’t need and would rather not have all the sophisticated electronics Williams products were a lot of bang for the buck!
I had an MTH 2-6-0 Santa Fe steamer with PS2 that was sold as O27 compatible but the flanges screamed on the true 27" curvature. I suspect that using O27 in the advertising should have had a disclaimer and a suggestion that"O27 profile rail" was ok but wider radius curves should have been recommended.
I have a twin motored die cast WBB GG-1 and it’s the strongest pulling locomotive I’ve ever seen. It flies off the rail with the throttle on my KW barely cracked whereas my Lionel 2035 requires the throttle full open to move without stalling.
I see a Williams Alco FA-2 AA (20091) new in my price range. Any thoughts on this set?
Specs all look good just wondering if anyone has experience whin this.
Cheers,
Rick
Not with the Alco FA-2 set but with two of the Baldwin Shark sets. I’d say if you like the look of the Williams Alco set and it’s in your price range go for it!
Lionel made a two motor version of the O27 2243 Santa Fe F3. It was cataloged as “2383”.
Other twin-motored F3 Models that share this O27 architecture with the 2243 are the 2363, 2367, 2368, 2373, 2378, & 2379.
This O27 architecture was continued into the MPC - Fundimensions / LTI / LLC era with many models, some with tire traction and most with MagneTraction.
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It always bothers me that Lionel made “O27” versions of the F3, yet afaik they all have the same issue with fuel tanks being able to scrape on at least some versions of the O27 remote control switch.
It also bugs me that MPC initially stuck with the single motor setup. I have been thinking about trying to find an MPC Milwaukee Road F3 in place of the pricey postwar one (I have the B Unit, but not the A), but I’m a little put off by the fact that it only has one motor.
-El
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@El_Fixes_Things I hate that there are some nice diesels with just one motor. How hard would it be to make a budget bersion with simple sounds and dual can motors?
The post war Milwaulkee 2378 is exactly what I’m looking for but the price is way out of my range.
I don’t know, and I don’t think it would be quite what I want. I’d like something with dual AC motors. Maybe one day I’ll find my solution.
Something that could be done, is custom painting another model into a Milwaukee unit. I’m not sure if decals are available for the lettering, but nose decals are certainly on the market.
I’ve had my orphan B Unit for a few years now, I’ll continue to hang onto it until a resolution jumps out at me. I bought it at a largely upmarket antique store that, for some reason, had a bunch of trains they were selling for dirt cheap. I looked all over the store, but there wasn’t a trace of the A unit.
-El
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Here’s a source for Milwaukee Road decals:
And their Milwaukee Road assortment:
Full disclosure, I haven’t tried them yet but I’ve heard good things about them. Quite honestly I’m relieved to see somebody making decals!
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Well, this hobby has me making my own custom circuit boards. Might as well become a painter and lettering master too. 
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I have the Williams FA 027 for over 10 years now solid runner with no issues.
I rewired it in series to slow it down.
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I love my EMD FP7; it’s a great locomotive. It works well for switching (silly as switching with an FP7 may be).
Believe it or not it WAS done back in the old days but it was a pain. Cab units were essentially blind to the rear so pick-ups and set-outs couldn’t be done without someone on the ground relaying signals. It’s what lead to the development of more versitile hood units like EMD’s GP’s and Alco’s RS’s.
And all it would have taken was a Draper taper…
Of course, for sheer fun it was hard to beat the L&NE, that routinely did switching with A-B-B-A sets of FAs as a ‘road locomotive’…
I’ve seen a few pictures of that before, but it didn’t seem to be very common. Kind of like trying to back up with a big (Edit: I should have said tall, not big, in this case) trailer, by the sounds of it! 
As a truck driver of 37 years, I can tell you that a Big trailer is Much easier to back than a short trailer
You definitely need more room to maneuver a longer trailer, but shorter trailers react to steering input much faster than longer trailers when backing
The Biggest mistake that people make backing trailers, is not reacting soon enough to the trailer going the wrong direction, then over correcting, then doing the same thing, on the other side, when it starts going the wrong direction in the opposite way
A 4x8 utility trailer is much more challenging to back, than a 24’ travel trailer
For me, and the type of deliveries that I typically do, a 40’ trailer is the “Sweet Spot”. I am often delivering to businesses that don’t have loading docks, and are space restricted, and there simply isn’t room to maneuver a 53’ trailer, but a 40 has better backing manners than a 28
I have said for many years, one of the Best Values in Entertainment, is a Lawn Chair, a Full Cooler, and a Public Boat Ramp, on a Hot Day, Bonus Points for a Holiday Weekend
Doug
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Perhaps I should have said a trailer with a tall load.
N & W ran their Geeps long hood first because so many of their engineers were accustomed to the Y’s, A’s and J’s that management feared the crews wouldn’t run them short hood first. I guess they were accustomed to the idea of being 80 feet or more from the front end in case of a collision.
N&W engineers weren’t the only ones who felt that way. I’m sure most had heard of the PRR P5 electric boxcab’s collision with a truck at a grade crossing that killed the head-end crew. That 50 to 80 feet of boiler in front on a steam engine was a nice safety margin. Present-day engineers don’t think twice about being right up front but it took some doing for the old-timers to get used to it.