Information about Williams O Scale Locomotives

[CGLowry]

I may have missed this information on the Web Page and if I did I apologize, but I would like some basic information about the Williams O Scale Locos.
Are they Standard or Traditional O?
Will they work with a Lionel CW 80 Transformer?
Will they operate on Lionel's FasTrack, especially their switches?
I have gone through two Lionel locos and have come to the conclusion that they are basically junk.  If you want to display them they're fine, but if you actually want to use them they're useless.

[Joe Satnik]

Dear CGLowry,

All Williams or Williams by Bachmann trains run on 3 rail O-Gauge (31" outer diameter) Lionel style track. (1.125" between the inside of the outer rails.) 

Some smaller wheelbase Williams models will run on O-27 curves.

Old Lionel "Standard" gauge/scale is much larger and incompatible with Williams.  See MTH for Standard gauge reproductions.     

The minimum radius FasTrack is larger than 31" outer diameter, so if both of your loco's center-rail pickups are working, it should traverse any FasTrack turnout with ease.

Although Williams recommends larger wattage transformers, I'm sure 80 watts is plenty to operate a small train on small curves without flying off the track.  (You would need more power for a long string of lit passenger cars.)  The CW 80 has both the horn/whistle (+DC bias) and the bell (-DC bias) buttons. 

I'm dissapointed that the CW 80 has SCR fired voltage (speed) control instead of pure AC, but that is modern cost savings for the manufacturer.  I assume the electronics in the Williams locos were designed to handle it.

The electronics in the Williams locos rectify the track AC power to DC to run the DC motors.  Compared to the old Lionel AC motors which "growl", the Williams motors and drivetrain are nearly silent. 

We are very satisfied with our Willaims Chessie GP-38.

What year or era were your Lionel locos made?

Sincerely,

Joe Satnik             

[Brady]

CGLowry

To add to Joe's post:

I have run Williams with the CW-80, the only problem was starting a GG-1 with a very heavy train of postwar Lionel cars, but the CW-80's light flashed briefly and the train started.  One of the CW-80's buttons (the bell?) has a strange delay programmed in, but general operation was fine.

I've never tried Williams on Fastrack switches, I use tubular.  Fastrack curves are a minumum 0-36.

Williams currently has two lines -  the Golden Memories and The Traditional Line.  These are confusing as to what is "scale" for three rail and what isn't but here's a few examples:

F-3's, FM Trainmasters and GP-9's - generally scale in size but they're copies of the 1950's Lionel so details may be lacking (depending on your perspective). All look good pulling scale size cars of 1940's & 50's type.

NW-2 switcher - a copy of the postwar Lionel but probably in the scale size range

44 ton switcher - a copy of the Lionel, looks more like an 80 ton switcher..

Alco FA's - come in both Lionel copies (undersize for 0-27 operation) and a scale for three rail version

E-7s, PA's, Sharks, F-7's - basically scale for three rail

Steam - The hudson is probably in the scale size-range, but the others are postwar copies

U33's, Dash 9's, SD 90 - probably in the scale size range (these are large and heavy) but they have the postwar Lionel-type stamped hand rails.  GP-38 & SD-45 are probably the same case

Passenger cars - range from from the 027 shorties to the 72' cars

Freight cars - The AMT/KMT type boxcar they're using now is larger than traditional Lionel, I have a couple of vintage AMT/KMT boxcars and they're nice cars, Williams has added some underbody detail.  The Williams tank cars, hoppers, gondolas and caboose are Lionel copies but are of decent size to match the boxcars.  The couplers on the gondola I have  are set higher than ever other piece of rolling stock I have, but the caboose (and the 0-27 passenger cars) were fine. I bought some seperate-sale Williams freight car trucks and had to work them to lower the coupler height 

I run mostly Williams diesels these days, they're very good runners and you can't beat the prices.

[CGLowry]

Thanks to everyone for their information.