Do you recommend Williams engines? The pricing has always apppealed to me.
Depends what you’re looking for. If you want a basic, well-made, good looking engine without all the electronic frills, the answer is a big YES. Funny how Williams makes models of some Lionel style engines better than Lionel currently makes them, at least in a comparable price range. The Williams GP-9 body is a tad smaller than the Lionel GP-9 and the Williams version sits lower to the trucks, which I think looks much better. Their gears, couplers, trucks are all die cast. Motors are DC cans but with flywheels. The new paint jobs have gone to satin finish from the previous glossy. Their True Blast Horn is certainly not Railsounds, but a far cry better than the electronic blurp you get on many lower end Lionel engines. Also Williams locos are quiet, smooth runners. The Centercab switcher (though with only 1 motor) is nice for the money, as with the NW2. Their Alco FA is very nice, and maybe a little too detailed for the typical postwar type of trains.
In summation, you won’t go wrong with Williams (though I do wi***hey’d get the correct logo for the Norfolk Southern… Williams ‘squishes’ it for some reason).
Brianel
I highly recommend Williams Engines. Excellent value for the $$$. Smooth, quiet and strong performers. This is my experience with their diesels only. I have none of their steam engines but understand they are excellent, as well.
Yes. I’ve got a GP9 and a Berkshire. The Berkshire is better than Lionel’s.
For no frills runners it is hard to beat the Williams products. I have Williams GG-1 and an f-m trainmaster. These are both close copys to Lionel. They run fantastic and will both pull a ton of cars if you want. Only negative is that they start and stop somewhat abruptly. This is probably more due to my zw transformer than the product. They probably perform better with a modern transformer. My opinion is they are the best value for the money on the market. Check their website ffor the latest offerings of postwar classic reproductions.
I like them. I have 3 GP9’s and 2 GP30’s. THey always run, and its easy tola***hem up for long trains
I have two powered gp9’s and one dummy. All powered units converted to TMCC. Even though I don’t run them much anymore due to Steam taking over my pike. The geeps have been great runners.
Gary
Yes, like my S-2 turbine.
Thanks to gkrangers for the original post and all those who have replied thus far – you have really helped another newbie!
I own a set of the first run Williams Pennsylvania Madison Cars and a first run Lackwanna FM. Both of these items are well made and top quality.
My Williams FM was made with a high quality instrument grade precision US made Pittman DC can motor and a rectifier circuit. As a result the start stop fuction is smooth and flawless.
Later Williams production used Japanese made Mabuchi DC can Motors
( Mabuchi is a company that makes many small can motors that are sold to makers of hairdriers and toys.) I believe that Williams now uses an even lower cost /quality Chinese made can Motor . All seem to run OK but I would doubt that the service life of the later can motors would equal the lifespan performance of the venerable AC motors used in many Lionel engines. All things considered, I believe Williams makes good products for the price…
I have a F7aa and 2 SD45’s. I did have a problem on the sd45’s doing O31 switches, but a little tweeking on the switch made it smoother and now they don’t derail. I don’t think this was a problem with the engine. My F7’s went through the switches, but bounced around a lot doing it. I wish I had gotten a SD45 and a GP38 instead of 2 SD45’s though. They don’t look to good on O31 curves. Of course that is my opinion. On my outer loop which is O42, they look great. I am thinking of selling the SD45 in PRR to get a GP38 in reading or something.
Bill
As stated eatlier and often, Williams has found a niche in O gauge trains and does a great job of fulfilling those needs. Williams would be great to start out with since they are simple in operation and nearly bulletproof. The only caveat now is that they are raising their prices on some of their new products making them less competitive.
yes thumbs up for williams locos! i own several diesels mostly geeps! and they perform better than another competitors,am really like those gp38-2 they rum flawless!the same goes for the other williams geeps that i own! BNSF RULES!!!
Yes! I’ve got a Berkshire, F7, PA, Geep, GG1, and Rectifier. All are nice runners.
The only problem with Williams engines is that the PA has a blind reiven wheel, so it’s essentialy got one powered wheelset.
Reiven?
I love SF TrainMaster!
I have been reading those Williams advertisements, and thinking about getting their GP-38 A-B Units painted in Santa Fe war bonnet. They would look good pulling SF passenger cars. However, we like the Lionel TMCC feature, and don’t know how to install something that complicated. Has anyone had experience with a project like that? What would the approximate cost be? When I look inside my Lionel GP-9 it’s crammed full of electronic boards, so there isn’t room for a second motor. The Williams has dual can motors, plus some sort of whistle & bell.
Richard
I know this topic if for engines but I have something to add about Williams passenger cars. I was a post war Lionel fan up until a week ago. I was looking for nyc pass cars from Lionel. They were way too expensive. I went to a shop and then on e-bay and found nothing but disappointment. As I was reading through some of the posts about Williams I decided to give them a shot. I got a really nice luxury liner set for a good price. They are not too frilly as they have is a light inside to to show the passenger’s silhouette and they have a light in front and behind. They are really nicely crafted and look just like the post war Lionels. They are really nice. I am not trying to boast . I want to say that I recommend Williams. Next time I am going to buy a new piece I am going look at Williams stuff first.
Need some advice - I just got my second Williams loco, a GP9. It seems to be intermittant and “jerky”, especially after just coming off switches, RCS track, and uncoupling track sections. I cleaned my track, but that didn’t seem to help. It may be just a printing omission, but the Williams catalog page http://williamstrains.com/locos/GP9.htm says nothing about this particular diesel having flywheel equipped motors. Could that be it? Brianel, Elliott, and any others that are familiar with these Williams locos, would you just send it back or trouble shoot it? I noticed the roller spacing is 7.0 inches on the Geep and 6-1/8 on my Williams FA-1, which C R A W L S around my track and never misses a beat…but since it is jerky on the straights, I doubt if pickup spacing is the culprit.
Anyway, just looking to be pointed in the right direction(s). Thanks guys, I hope I can get this to run as smooth as the FA-1…
Jim Duda
Jim,
One thing that you can observe is the behavior of the track voltage when the hesitation occurs. Put a lighted car on the track and watch the brightness as the locomotive stumbles. If it dims, you have either an intermittent short circuit or a mechanical problem.
If it brightens, that indicates an intermittent open circuit. In that case, watch the locomotive’s headlight at the same time. If it also brightens, the pickup is okay and the open circuit is somewhere near the motor. If it dims, the problem is with the pickup or its wiring.