I have been testing the Peter Witt car with a variety of transformers, including postwar Lionel postwar 1033 and LW, MTH Z750 and Z1000, K-Line Hobby Transformer, and Lionel CW80.  The tests were conducted on Lionel FasTrack and K-Line by Lionel SuperStreets (D21" curves only).

As far as the CW80 is concerned, it may largely depend on the vintage of your CW80.  Early CW80s were very problematic when it came to operating trains of different makes.  The newer ones perform more reliably.  Of the transformers I mentioned above, the Peter Witt cars I have operated best (speed control, reversing, and bell functions) with the MTH transformers and the newer CW80.

My full review of the Peter Witt will appear in the Dec. issue of our magazine (OGR).

Allan Miller

Quote from: phillyreading on July 14, 2010, 02:20:45 PM
Roger,

Most modern day engines, except MTH, do not have a battery installed for any reason. The only Lionel engines to use a battery were in the post WW2 era, from 1946 to 1969, and that was for the horn.

Not quite true.  I bought a new Lionel Mikado recently and it uses a battery mounted in the tender (not supplied with the locomotive).  I imagine there are plenty of other examples, as well.

Truth be known, I'm not a big fan of batteries in locomotives for any reason.

Allan

My hope is that Bachmann will continue and even expand  the SuperStreets line, which, at this point in time, is probably the most significant remaining K-Line asset.  There are certainly other K-Line products that would mesh well with the Williams line--Plymouth and Porter switchers, boxcabs, etc.--but SuperStreets would probably be the best and safest bet from the get-go.

However, folks need to temper their angst and just give the folks at Bachmann and Kader time to see how everything shakes out, and to determine what might work best for them.

By the way:  The new Peter Witt Streetcar is a winner!  A nice runner and a darn good looker.

Allan Miller

On30 is pretty much the standard reference these days.  MR is just trying to be consistent (with their other designations) and, to an extent, resistant.  But they are pretty much alone in that regard, since the vast majority of the modeling world goes with On30 (and properly so, in my opinion).

Awfully hard to say what radius (or diameter) they will be able to handle since they haven't been released yet and there's no test like a hands-on test to make that determination.

My guess is they will NOT negotiate the D16 curves but MAY handle the D21s.  Still, that's nothing more than a guess, but I'll find out for sure once the trolleys get here.

Allan Miller

Yes, it's true!  The new Williams by Bachmann sets (Santa Fe and Pennsy passenger sets headed by Alco diesels) are expected to be available in time for Christmas.

The sets are equipped with Atlas roadbed track and Atlas 80-watt transformer.  An 80-watt transformer is more than adequate for handling any starter set, and then some.  The Atlas transformer is, by the way, a very decent one.

A more detailed announcement, and a Williams by Bachmann ad for these sets, is in our December issue of "O Gauge Railroading" magazine, available now.

"Bachmann's purchase of Williams was one of the best business decisions ever made."

It definitely was a good move on their part, no question about that!  They bought a nice line and they are working to make it even nicer.

Keep in mind that the On30 trains are 1:48 (O scale) scale-size models (and modeled after very small prototype trains, at that), and many or most ceramic village buildings and accessories range all over the place in terms of scale.  In fact, most are not built to any particular scale at all.

I have used my On30 trains with Dept. 56 "Snow Village" buildings in the past, and wasn't the least bit bothered by the disparity in scales.  Truth is, one of the reasons Bachmann introduced On30 in the first place was their suitability for use with many ceramic village lines.  I have also used the Dept. 56 buildings with traditional-size O27 trains (somewhat smaller that true O scale trains, with equally good effect.

I'm not all that familiar with Lemax villages, but I assume they are somewhat comparable in size to the Dept. 56 "Snow Village" line.

Frankly, I wouldn't worry all that much about the size of the structures.  If things look okay in general terms, that certainly should be good enough for a holiday-type display.

October delivery would sure be nice, but I'll be happy with any date prior to Thanksgiving so I can add a trolley line to my Christmas display and give those babies some running time!   

Thanks, CandO!  I'm a big fan of trolleys and am trying to find some space to add a trolley line to my O current gauge pike.  The photo in the magazine only showed part of my collection, but that's only because I need another display case, or a significantly larger one, to house the rest of them.  And, of course, I'll also be getting several of those Peter Witt cars once they hit the streets.  The pre-production prototype that I saw at the TCA Eastern Division York Meet in April looked great.

I, too, would recommend 14 gauge stranded for the primary power hook-ups on a small- to modest-size layout.

Allan

I think we'll probably have to wait for the cars to come out before we can really estimate the minimum curves they may handle.  That's particularly the case with SuperStreets, which I like very much (and I am persistently urging them to offer a wider-radius curve).  I have SuperStreets curves in both the 16 and 21 inch varieties, and have found that it's a bit of a crap shoot determining which of the various O gauge trolley will or will not negotiate those curves smoothly.  A Birney of one make may work fine while a similar Briney of another brand will hesitate on the curves.

As a big-time trolley fan and have Brills, Birneys, and PCCs from just about all the O gauge manufacturers that offer these products.  I'll also be getting several Peter Witt cars when they appear and am very much looking forward to them, as are many other trolley enthusiasts I know.

I saw and examined the Bachmann pre-production prototype of the model at the last TCA Eastern Div. York Meet, and I can assure all that if the production model matches that one,  it's well worth waiting for.

Allan

The "Golden Memories" series are Williams by Bachmann reproductions of some of the classics from Lionel's postwar period.  All (or nearly all) are slightly smaller than scale size, although some items are scale or very close to scale.

The "Traditional Line" items are scale-size in some instances and not scale size in others.  Depends on which items you are particularly interested in.

All locomotives are conventionally controlled, as issued.

All locomotives are configured for AC operation.

All items are 3-rail.

Although I suppose most, or all, Williams by Bachmann items can be operated with the Lionel CW-80, it is not a transformer I recommend for anything other than Lionel trains.  I have had too many problems with CW-80s (three of them in the past) to recommend operating other brands with this transformer.

Another suggestion:   Since Bowser has gone out of
the O gauge trolley business, maybe WBB should
look into acquiring the Bowser line.  Some very tough
cars there. 
------------------

Gee, I hope not!  The Bowser line has been long surpassed by others in terms of detail, operation, and even price.  Bachmann needs to keep looking forward; not back.

I really like the Porters, and I really like the gas mechanicals--fortunately, I have a good number of each already.  But I would dearly LOVE to see some models of Hawaiian plantation locomotives because I lived there for 18 wonderful years.