Lionel Santa Fe 100th Anniversary Set - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly - Review

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you everyone for taking the time to watch my review video. At one point it was close to an hour, but I ended up cutting a lot of content to make it easier to watch. Please check out @Donald Keiser's KZbin channel for additional video footage of this great set. One additional thing I wanted to mention is that the really stars of this set are actually the passenger cars. They have a real premium feel and look to them and will look good behind almost any Santa Fe diesel or steamer.

[@ChrissTrainsandThings]

Great video Matt!

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thanks Chris!

[@Jokers_Trains]

Great video matt

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you much Zach!

[@ajmayowskijr]

Beautiful set

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you 🤗

[@DonaldKeiser1981]

Don Keiser here. First, you nailed my name correctly the first time. Good job. Sounds like “Kizer” with a long “i”. I enjoyed your review. I agree with all your comments, good and bad. I would have to do some research. I am not sure if Lionel had their new “can” motors ready in 2000 for these F3’s. Regardless, they are still iconic but certainly draw the power. Watch that AMP meter! I had a similar issue with my powered “B” too. Even after service, it would not play nice with the lead unit so that is why my video is an ABA, not the ABBA. I am a set collector, that is why I purchased mine. It does not see a lot of track time, maybe once or twice a year. It is not for the beginner or someone who has a smaller layout without sufficient power to handle it. I have Z4000’s too but this one I ran on my ZW-L. Thank you for adding me to your video and also the plug for my channel. Much appreciated. Enjoy the Warbonnet. A few ago I purchased the Lionel Legacy set of Santa Fe F3’s in ABBA. I used those locomotives to power the set and they run great.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you Don, and again I appreciate you letting my use your footage. I'm a Santa Fe collector so this pretty much checked all my boxes, but it does have its flaws. I don't think I mentioned this in my review, but the really stars of this set are the passenger cars for sure. I also have the F3's from a few years back as well, but #27 from Mr. Muffin's custom run. I will for certain pull these beautiful cars with those Legacy units.

[@Coreyt1976]

Great looking set.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you kindly!

[@Santafefrank]

Thanks very nice unit.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Glad you like it!

[@trainlover9943]

Great set!! You'll have to show off the sounds diner.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

I do have video of it, but it ended up on the cutting room floor due to the video already being over time. Maybe in a future video!

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Awesome video

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thanks!

[@jimmelchin1531]

You've become quite fancy with your films. I enjoy them. Very interesting facts on that set...however she's a beauty. Thanks for the updates.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Appreciate that, just trying to add some unique elements into my videos. Thanks for watching!

[@chiconian49]

Thanks for sharing this interesting set and giving us your opinions.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thanks for watching!

[@joeystrains.9316]

Excellent intro! Great review.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you kindly!

[@Steven_Williams]

Great run session! Love intro. Thanks for sharing! "Big ups from Chicago Train Dawg!"

[@wcmodelrailroad]

As always thanks for watching and commenting Steven!

[@curtishoman7867]

Kudos to a great review and an even better, as a matter of fact an absolutely fantastic opening to the review!

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Glad you liked it!

[@ozarkmidlandsouthernrailway]

Wow, Matt, I loved that intro to your video. Man, that was well done! Enjoyed the review and appreciate how you talked about the set's great features as well as some of the problems you saw with it. I agree despite the flaws, it is wonderful tribute to both Lionel and the Santa Fe. I too really like those passenger cars! And your video was just the right length. Well done! Bill B.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Much appreciated!

[@greyfoxtrains3244]

Wry creative opening for the video and very fitting. I like when videos are honest. There is no reason to dance around something just to make a broad group of people happy about a purchase. You did a nice job showing what was good and bad about this set and who would benefit best from owning it.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you Grey Fox , I do try and focus on positive elements, but I think this set deserved a more rational review.

[@StephenKoferl]

Great Video, awesome set and honest review. Thanks for sharing.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thanks for watching Steve!

[@nickltrains6952]

The box is awesome with the Santa Fe Wore Bonnet. Great looking Santa Fe train set.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thank you!

[@jaimehernandez2315]

I have it and love it!

[@jmguevarajordan]

That is a huge train set!!!!!

[@dizguy89]

What a great video and set!! Do you have any plans to upgrade the lights in the passengers cars to LEDs?

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Yes I do, would love to run these cars with my other Santa Fe engines. For me the passenger cars are the real stars of this set. Thanks for watching!

[@eddiewillers8379]

Hey so you would definitely need a ZW transformer or better to power a set like this.

[@veganjen5420]

Wow. What a beautiful set. My dad rode on the Santa Fe chief in 1960 from Chicago to California. I have the lionchief set. Where did you get this one and how much did it cost, if you don’t mind me asking?

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Hi Vegan Jen, this was purchased at Trainz.com and it was around 40% off the MSRP price.

[@veganjen5420]

@@wcmodelrailroad Thanks!

[@mslickstrains]

That has to be the best intro I’ve seen for a video also really cool how you edited yourself in the shot how’d you do that?

[@wcmodelrailroad]

Thanks MSlick. It's just a bit of green screen work

[@railchief74]

How can you not love that classic war bonnet paint scheme?

[@photozen8398]

Did you make a video about how you break in the engine, I just had a santafe Lionel chief 2 months ago and now it is making a grinding noise, if so would you please link to the video?

[@wcmodelrailroad]

I did not, but a Lionchief engine shouldn't need that much break-in. Not compared to an older Pull-mor motor. Do you a Santa Fe F unit? Have you tried lightly greasing the gears underneath and checking for any obstructions.

[@AJScola-cq2ec]

May be a power hog but I think it is a beautiful set.

[@wcmodelrailroad]

I think that's the best description for it!

[@rudolphward4375]

For an anniversary set, this is a joke. Its unattractive, lacks critical detail [like windshield wipers, little green lights on the sides ,double head light...etc.]. My legacy Santa Fe #19, is by far the best looking, with the best detail, even if the powered B unit never ran correctly in a latch-up. The best looking thing here was the box it came in.