6-31779 Lionel O Amtrak HHP-8 Passenger Set Lionel Review

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(More customer reviews)The Amtrak HHP-8 Amfleet Passenger Set's dual motor HHP-8 engine is the most powerful engine I've ever seen included in a Lionel Ready-To-Run train set, able to pull every single car I could fit onto the layout, albeit at a relatively slow speed once I got above 18 cars using the included CW-80 80-Watt Transformer. The reason for all this power becomes evident once you lift one of the three included foot and a half long super heavyweight Amfleet coaches. None of my other engines could even move all three of them, but the HHP-8 can haul them at a very high speed.
Note: Beware of tunnels and underpasses and all other overhead clearance issues with pantographs raised.
Note: Lionel makes a number of add-on cars for this set: an Amtrak ExpressTrak Baggage Car and an Amfleet Phase IVB 2-Pack of two additional, uniquely numbered coaches for putting together a longer, more realistic consist, plus an additional, uniquely numbered Amtrak HHP-8 Electric Locomotive #664 with the RailSounds sound system. However, the Amfleet Controlled End Car that is uniform with these Amfleet coaches doesn't belong if you are seeking accuracy because in real life it isn't used with HHP-8 engine consists.
Although this set comes with O-48 curves in order to better accommodate these very long coaches, none of the included or available add-on cars or engines require greater than O-36 curves, so you can easily add a Lionel FasTrack Siding Track Add-On Track Pack and either an Outer Passing Loop Add-On Track Pack or an Inner Passing Loop Add-On Track Pack, despite the O-36 curves and switches they contain. For either of the last two you will just need 12 inches of additional Lionel FasTrack to make up for the additional diameter of the O-48 curves, and the simplest way to accomplish that is with 1 5" Half Straight Track and 4 1 3/4" Straight Track pieces.
A truly exceptional O gauge set for the Amtrak enthusiast or any modern era model railroader!

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