Are the Williams F3 Lionel knockoffs pretty close to the postwar models? I 've only seen pictures but am thinking about buying the Milwaukee Road and Illinois Central. Who has the best prices online?
For price comparison on Williams Trains:
Start with JusTrains and then check others on a search engine.
Andrew F.
Might close copies. The F-3 pilot is a bit different. The aluminum streamliners are pretty dead on. I recommend them and have several.
I do not have these but I saw them on display at York. Williams did a real nice job on them. I have several sets of Williams aluminum passenger cars which are also nice. If you like post war you will like these. Hard to beat Justrains or Ma and Pa junction for price. They are also on Ebay from time to time.
Dale Hz
Ma and Pa has sold me several F3s at a very good price
how much is a very good price
I think the price is around $250.00. The Williams locomotives are a good buy and have very good quality.
I have several Williams locomotives and will buy more providing that my budget will allow for it. The GP-9’s by Williams are strong running locomotives, the SD-45’s are nice too!
Lee Fritz
My price was just a little under that but I hate to say exactly because he may have cut me a deal due to the number of F3s and other sets I have bought recently. I have to agree they are really nice. A price of $250 for AAs seems to be what the good deal price is. List is about $350 I think.
Since we are talking comparison to Lionel here I suspect there is a difference in the motors and gear train, correct?
The motors are modern DC permanent magnet type with electronic E units. Gearing is all metal. The powered A unit has two motors and will easily pull a dummy A plus B plus 7 streamliners without breathing hard.
Pete
I have the NYC set and I love 'em. Call it heresy, but I have mine on a shelf hooked up to a Lionel set consist from the early 1950’s and except for the pilot (which I think is a lot nicer than the original), I’d call them cosmetic dead ringers, not to mention a great value. The painting and graphics are, in my eyes, faithful to the original but of much higher quality that reflects the state-of-the-art today. If you haven’t see the review of the Canadian Pacific set in the July 2004 issue of CTT, check it out and that should give you enough information to make up your mind. It did for me.
Joel
So, while they may look like my 2333 on the outside, they are not going to “growl” like she does. Fair enough?
Which would you pick? I recently picked a set of the Texas Specials. I really like the black/red Santa Fe’s but they are sold out everywhere!
I also like the looks but am on the fence with them because the gap between the pilot and the frame is very large. And I’m the farthest thing from a rivet counter you’ll find. It’s just so much bigger than the PW Lionel counterpart that I cant bring myself to overlook it.
Jim
How well do they run?
George
They run better than any postwar or MPC Lionel. My question is does anyone have the Santa Fe’s, in pictures that I have seen the red look a little dull as does the silver or are they a close match to the postwar shine?
As to the pilot question - I chose the Texas Specials because I’m not a big fan of the Williams pilot - I think the red on the pilot hides it as much as possible.
I think the Williams pilot is better. A little more detail than the PW Lionel’s.
All of my Williams locos are much glossier in person than they appear in photos.