RBP works out by lifting Lionel boxes

The Class A 1218’s whistle is hauntingly realistic. It can take you back to a time long ago. It just runs chills down your spine every time you hear that ghostly steam whistle.

When I was a boy in the 60's this hobby was already waning. We weren't interested in this old stuff, we wanted rocketships and racecars. But 60 years later, i'm amazed to see this still going and still loved. Maybe 70 is a good age for a new hobby.....

“Because clean trains, and well lubricated trains, are happy trains” Famous words by RBP

The 1217’s whistle wins the battle. You can’t go wrong with how Lionel actually got the sound very close to the real 1218.

I think the class A is the only whistle I've heard that can actually rival the Big Boy. Big Boy has my heart as I'm from Utah, and the Big Boy was built to pull the Wasatch mountains between Utah and Wyoming. But I think the Class A has a crazy haunting whistle. I gotta call a draw lol

Chris, your videos are always so much fun. You never fail to put a smile on my face. I still have to go with the Big Boy. Please keep these GREAT videos coming.

I think the Class A’s whistle fits the engine perfectly, but you just can’t beat that big boy whistle, it almost reaches into your soul!

What an awesome steam engine Chris. Thanks for running it, along with others, for us.😄

Both have great whistles, no doubt. But I like how deep 4014’s was, so I’m gonna have to give her my vote. Be sure to let us know who won!

Fun fact: I saw the real 1218 (along with 611) at the Virginia Museum of Transportation in Roanoke, VA. It’s a beautiful engine! If you ever get out to Roanoke, be sure to go there. I may be a G-Scaler, but Lionel makes some great high-quality O-Scale products including the 1218! As for the whistle battle, I still think Big Boy 4014 is the champion. In my opinion, 1218’s whistle, is a whistle that is like a mighty battle cry into the night. Big Boy’s whistle, is a whistle that says, “I AM THE KING OF STEAM!” If only Lionel would make these engines in G-Scale though……

The winner of the whistle battle? Very very close! But I really think the winner is a 4014! Now I’m not counting the 1218 out it has an absolutely fabulous whistle! If you want to see a great video of the 1218 on KZfaq, check out the haunting of the 1218 it truly has a haunting whistle imagine hearing that in the middle of the night!

UP 4014 has a very nice whistle but when I ran my Class A for the first time I was blown away by the sound and it's probably my favorite whistle. My vote for the whistle war goes to the Norfolk and Western #1218.

It must be awesome being surrounded with such a layout! I think you could lose yourself among all those wonderful trains!

1218 wins whistle battle hands down. That haunting hooter whistle just rings out like a bell telling you a beast is coming over the mountains of the blue ridge

Nothing would ever overtake the sound of a 12 inch Hooter with 300 pounds of steam dom going through it. The 1218’s whistle will never be beat.

Thanks for this great video visit and unboxing, Chris. The N&W Class A is really an impressive example of engineering, both the model and prototype. It makes an 'I am here' statement at every turn on the rails. When it comes to the whistle challenge, however, I still have to go with the UP Big Boy 4014. That deep, haunting sound is always breathtaking. The Class A is great, but for me, the Big Boy's is unique and special. Congratulations on completing the 2nd year of your wonderful, friendly and imaginative site. May you have many more!

Fun fact N&W 1218 is the soul serving 2-6-6-4. Of its type. Like the videos man

My first time seeing the 611 was back in 2019 when myself, my fiancé and a group of buddies met up for the first time at Strasburg. The second time was when I went to Strasburg alone in 2021.

5:00 That is so awesome! That must’ve sounded *even cooler* actually being there next to it!

Another great video. The upper line and reworked scenery make for some awesome views. I have a Mr Muffins custom run Pennsylvania. Love this engine. Looks great, sounds great and is a lot of fun to watch it rumble around the layout. The Big Boy whistle wins by hair. What would be an interesting test of the hardware - set the Class A to the Bog Boy whistle and compare the sound to the other engine.

Sweet , Too Sweet, love its whistle and sound effects. Way to go Lionel 😃👍

My uncle was huge into trains when I was a kid!!! He had a huge setup in his basement! This was like in the 90's! I always begged him to see his train set up! I never got into the hobby myself but man seeing your setup with much newer tech blew my mind!!! The sound FX with bluetooth control would blow my uncles mind away! Unfortunately due to illness he hasn't touched the hobby in decades! But man he would love this! Thanks for sharing!!! Made me a subscriber!!!

It may be advisable to have an engine cradle for servicing your trains.

Chris, love the vlog. The class A is awesome but I would give the whistle battle to the Big Boy, even though he is at a disadvantage of not having the new technology that is found in the class A. Having a chance to stand about 30 feet away from the Big Boy when it's whistle was blown, it was all too real for me. It was great to see the big guys running together, though.

I've ridden behind 611 when she first visited Strasburg in 2019 and it was the first time I got to see her in person and the first excursion steam legend to ride behind. Truly a wonderful experience!

That class a is one of my favorite articulated steam engines on the Norforlk and Western Railway! It is super awesome!

Thanks for another great run session, Chris. I really enjoyed it. My vote for the best whistle still goes to the 4014. I guess I'm biased, because the Big Boy has always been my favorite. But your new engine sure is sweet! Its whistle is also mesmerizing. It's like asking which classic car is prettier - a Duesenberg or a Packard? Arguments can be made for both. I looked for your "Mini Me" somewhere on your impressive and didn't see him. Where was he hiding? Keep the great content coming and congratulations on your second anniversary.

What an awesome engine! I usually prefer the British locos but I’ve been watching your videos lately and I just love how l magnificent and commanding these beasts look. Great review Chris!

Super nice steam engine! The whistle is incredible. If that was my Locomotive, I’d turn the lights off and play, “My endless love”.

Big boy! Just can’t get enough of that whistle!

Vous avez un sublime réseau, je n'ose imaginer le nombre d'heures passées pour le réaliser, et pour les locos et matériel remorqué, juste wahouuu !!

My vote goes to 1218.

That class A... holy molly... the haunting whistle of the mountains... that's all I heard with that beautiful engine!

I’m speechless. That was beautiful.

i must say i love the bridge. when i was at York i could of got me one but it wouldn't fit in my car. now if i got one i would have to change my layout soon to be running strong

Many years ago, I was on a fan trip with Ross Roland's 614 in New Jersey. On this particular trip,O. Winston Link was on board. Someone managed to put on a whistle from the A in honor of Mr. Link. Amazing!

Hi Chris, I have just made a very big gondola for my layout and it is very light weight and it is a very high capacity gondola that is as tall as the biggest engine in my fleet. I made it from a growth hormone box and then thickened the walls to increase strength. The gondola was built after my plastic gondola broke on me. I was carrying the plastic gondola in my pocket and it was hanging out and when my Gamma saw it, she didn't say anything about it and she went to the post office and shipped the packages and while I was walking, it fell out of my pocket and crashed on the sidewalk and it was messed up and I was upset about it at first. But then I realized that I didn't actually loose anything, I could just make a new one. I now have the best gondola I have ever had in my life. Cory Mears

Happy Birthday RBP trains. What an amazing engine to celebrate with.

Best model train whistle's I have ever heard.

I love the big boys whistle it demands passage, so it just has a deep tone to it and that three chime is the best whistle I ever had heard

Being from Norfolk it was cool to see the old N&W coal cars. My father grew up next to Lamberts Point coal piers and his uncle worked as a scale house operator at the terminal.

Congrats on the layout. Every time I am captivated.

Class A whistle for the win! Great video and congrats on your two year anniversary!🎉

I love your trains! Thank you for sharing it with us.

First time viewer here- I think the Big Boy won by a decimal or two- I’m the proud owner of a 1955 train set my dad got me when I was 5 years old! Great channel!

Both whistles are fantastic. 1218 is more haunting while the big Boy sounds more majestic. When I was a child and into my teens, I lived in east Tennessee and heard the N&W 611, Southern 4501 and the N&W 1218 because they all came through my city. I remember around 1987-88 the N&W 1218 came through and I got real close to it as it sat there all steamed up, it was massive. In 1993 the UP Challenger 3985 came through as part of the Santa Claus train by CSX, it even had a magnetic strip saying "Clinchfield" which was placed over top of Union Pacific on the tender, this is a great memory as well so even Union Pacific added to my eastern US steam memories even though it is a western locomotive.

Very nice Chris, I also like the fact that you have the N&W 611 as well, that was always my favorite 😊😊

The 611 has always been my favorite N & W locomotive 🚂

Great addition to your collection. Very cool to see all the N&W steam doing its thing out on the layout!!!

Lol love how the 1218 looks waxed and buffed .. it’s so super shiny 😂🎉

Fantastic what beautiful steam locomotives you have driving around Chris, You asked who had the cleanest steam whistle and that is the Big Boy what a sound . Just like hearing the steam whistle blowing in the mountains with the reverberation of the echo, How I would like your job want to see with my own eyes, But yes the distance is great Belgium/America, An hour or 10/12 flying, I don`t know where you are East-Mid-west of the country, But i fully enjoy seeing this driving Chris, MVGR Henk Belgium Border❤🙂😉

Class A whistle Chris! I got my Broadway limited N scale Y6B this week also understand the excitement

Your enthusiasm is contagious! Love this hobby!

1218 as a hunting whistle, it sounds amazing

That force coupler has got to be the coolest thing lol

Absolutely spellbinding!! totally awesome layout, killer locomotive collection, love both the 1218 & the big boys haunting whistles🤘🤘

#1218 is my vote for the whistle battle! She's my favorite steamer of all time! I had the privilege of riding behind here with my dad on a excursion run in the early 90's ans it was wonderful!! Great memories I will never forget!! Great video and content thank you for sharing!!

That Class A whistle is haunting - but the “Big Boy’s” whistle has to be the deepest and most dominant I’ve ever heard. Nice review 👍

If only ho engines had that kinda soundscape, it would be so cool to hear that level of detailed sound in that small of a space!!

🚂That is one beautiful, loud and great sounding locomotive! Your running session and scenery close ups are excellent too. Happy Birthday RBP Trains!

Holy smokes that’s awesome! I would probably sleep in that room a couple of nights because that engine is that cool , thanks for sharing everything with us

Class A is a beast but nothing can match the Big Boy whistle. It made me jump the first time I heard it in person.

Excellent locomotive model! Regarding the 1218 whistle: It takes me back to chasing the 1218 when it was operating as a excursion train in the Shenandoah Valley in the early 1990's. I must choose the 1218.

Beautiful layout,,pretty darn hypnotizing.

Fantastic video, Chris. Seeing all that N&W steam running is quite a sight. Congratulations on the Lionel custom.

Both Engines sound Fantastic. I had no idea that the Lionel brand was still cranking out new engines - I'm Definitely going to be checking out the Vision Line. Thanks for posting.

Big boy whistle for me! Loved this Video Chris. Lot of work went into this and it was so easy to watch every second

Everything about that engine is awesome. Thanks for sharing it. I always like your excitement and enthusiasm, it mirrors my own when it comes to trains.

Wow! That is really impressive, Chris! Excellent video as always!

Sweet new addition to your collection, Chris! This was another great video. 👍 Thanks for sharing.

Hi Chris, I have just made a second gondola for my ROCK ISLAND engine. It has a very colorful fuel tank on the bottom between the bogies. The bogies have 6 wheels each. The engine is very light on the top and very heavy on the bottom to keep her on the track. Her name is HANNAH. I absolutely love her name. I am a very big fan of that name. HANNAH is one of my absolute favorite names. I think it sounds so beautiful and I think it sounds strong. I think it sounds better than Lilly or Tracy or Rosie. Those names don't sound as strong. Sorry for going off topic. HANNAH has two HUGE gondolas with so much space for freight that she can haul almost enough to fill three normal gondolas. I like to pretend that she is so powerful that she can haul over 88,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 gondolas with 120 tons of gravel each and the same number of cars loaded with coal and the same number of cars loaded with sand and the same number of cars loaded with sludge all at once and not even struggle a tiny bit! She wouldn't even feel a single milligram of weight. She would feel nothing. Cory Mears

The Class A N&W sounds spooky as heck! Winner in my book.

You have a great channel...always puts a smile on my face. I go with the Big Boy..,, The 1218 is awesome but the Big Boy is incredibly amazing.. Thanks for your great work and videos.

Enjoyed all of the train action towards the end of the video! Glad to see Lionel used a gloss finish on the tender this time, unlike the big boy.

Hi Chris, I like both whistles as they are unique for both engines. The gloss black looks great on the N&W. I enjoyed watching them run on your layout. Fantastic job!

The CLASS A 1218...HANDS DOWN......the sound system is amazing

RBP Did It Again! Nice Way to Start my Saturday Morning -Thanks!

I think this battle is a draw as both engines reach you in different levels. The class a gives you that old haunting whistle type vibe which is quite unique as for the big boy it takes you to a time long ago and still tells you it's story to this day.

Beautiful model Chris!

I like that BRIDGE 🌉 for the trains 👍🏼

Happy Birthday RBP. Another amazing video.

Interesting that Lionel is using gloss black paint on some of their Vision Line Engines. It certainly looks good. In so far as comparing whistles I much prefer the Hancock 3 chime on the Big Boy yet the single note hooter and the A were made for each other and we couldn't imagine any other whistle on her. O. Winston Link immortalized that with his recordings of N&W steam. Do enjoy running your new A.

I still remember my grandad taking me to the station in Abingdon VA to watch the J rumble through. I likely remember more times than reality but this video really stirred those memories. Thanks.

The class A horn does sound amazing, but the big boy still sounded better to me.

Another great video, I wish you all the best with this engine, great looks, great sound. It gets no better than this. Can't wait to see the ES44AC. amazing color scheme you guys picked out. Btw best whistle, 1218

Awesome pick up and congratulations on your 2nd year! Keep up the great content Chris! Cheers

Big Boy sounds realistic. I grew up riding these trains since the early 50s. The other isn’t even close.

That is one sweet looking engine. Very nice addition. I like the new scenery update. Great video as always

Fantastic layout, well done and so realistic

I'd say the 611 has the best whistle sound of the real prototypes. I have heard both the 1218 & the 611 out on the rails here in Roanoke Va. Both can be heard across the valley when they would come in when doing excursions. If you are in Roanoke, drop by the Va Museum of Transportation and see them both. May 13th is National Train Lovers Day..

There are no words. That 1218 is a materpiece. It does everything except have the engineer head on back to the coal pile to.............well to do what they do when on the coal pile!

Big boy won the battle, but both sound amazing!

I love your layout Chris. Great job.

This is why I want my own 1218 n and w steam train because of how cool it is.❤ Aeros k.

Great review!!! Keep up the good work Chris! 👍😎👍

WE ALL LOVE YOUR ENTHUSIASM MATE, STAY YOUNG !!

That is beautiful , I look forward to seeing it runs in future videos.

Fantastic, Chris! Your RBP Katy ES44 looks fantastic!

Amazing collection Chris. Great video