MTH EST Era II Class 241A Steam Engine

My review of MTH's 3-Rail O-Scale EST France Era II Class 241A Steam Engine. My first review of one of MTH's new European steam engines. Enjoy! More stuff at www.ericstrains.com

[@alexarteaga-caseyjunior5098]

The number on that engine reminds me of 241-010 which was the locomotive used in the movie "Murder on the Orient Express" (2017).

[@Rammstein45]

I love the European steam locomotives, and this one is absolutely beautiful!

[@ICanSellYou]

Eric, You should be a car salesman! Everything you review I want..LOL!!! Great job...love your enthusiasm...

[@TobyPasman]

The whistle on this engine sounds magical.

[@randytaylor1258]

Gorgeous loco with great commentary. I can see Sam and Rick standing on the platform in the rain waiting in vain for Ilsa to arrive for escape. Bravo, Eric.

[@Squid1562]

the whistle inspirese me to make a ghost train story The lost Engine

[@shnimmuc]

Absolutely amazing engine---MTH has done such a wonderful job and you did a great review. I am going to look for one. Truly wonderful. The scale size does not seem apparent. Thanks!

[@tysparks598]

I finally got one of these for myself, because I loved your feature so much and it looked like such a beautiful engine--the one I got was grey/light blue... thanks so much for your video, I wouldn't have this lovely engine (or any of my other 4 european MTH engines) if not for your videos (Thanks Eric)

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

The beauty and detail of this engine is AWESOME!!! Great review Eric, I can tell you had fun with this one!

[@homislebron2474]

Really Like i hope to see More of this Locomotive running on the Layout LOOKS AMAZING Nice Review...

[@BNSFGuy4723]

People complain about the whistle, but people need to understand that in Europe, we don't have many railroad crossings. There's no need for a loud whistle as there's nothing to warn to get out of the way. Whistles are mainly for signaling and the high pitched whistle gets the job done. That's also why you don't see headlights on European locos. Again, there are no crossings. No need to see what's ahead but the signals which are lit. You always have the right away. Interesting food for thought ^^ Personally, I prefer North American locos but I can still admire a European one as well.

[@nathanielcruz6675]

The Class 241 is a 4-8-2 Mountain type express passenger steam locomotive that ran on the Société Nationale des Chemins der fer Français, (French National Railways) from 1948 to 1973. Introduced as large scale electrification of the SNCF was already underway, they were the last new class of passenger steam locomotives in France.

[@henryszubielski8601]

What a beautiful locomotive. Very nice choice Eric!

[@bradstrains]

You did a great review on this engine Eric. Looks really nice. Thanks for sharing!

[@jamesonmurray8073]

The whistles echo sounds amazing

[@dobber213]

Thank you for sharing and explaining the locomotive. Fantastic train.

[@SwindellSteamWorks]

The speed you had it going from 23:10 to 23:26 was awesome. The chuffing is fantastic.

[@byates59]

AWESOME review Eric!!! Looks like MTH did an awesome job on the 241A, and I totally agree that this engine has the most detail I've ever seen! Love the whistle too! Thanks again for the review bro! Have a great one!

[@alameachan]

The older steam engines had bells, but they weren't used that often, compared to their usage in the US area. They were mostly used during switching operations or on the yards.

[@alameachan]

I love your stance on breaking the rules on your model railroad. I am running US, japanese, and german rolling stock on my layout and intend to branch out to whatever I find aesthetically pleasing! "Real" model railroaders in Germany don't approve of that. They also don't approve of me mixing the eras and pulling intermodals with 50s diesel engines. So thank you very much for clarifying your position on those rules.

[@aocruiser]

Great review Eric! I totally agree with you, the detail is amazing!! I like all the great sounds and the drive gear!! Keep the great videos coming!!

[@BrunoMTHtrain]

Great review. This locomotive is much more detailed than my 231E Pacific. I hope to have one. Thank you for the video. Bruno from France.

[@mamanbear1]

Eric - Great review! They are gorgeous engines and were complicated to run on the real railroads. Get a set of the Orient Express cars and you will really be impressed. Thanks again.

[@austrobb]

WOW!!!!!! the detail is incredible! great review!

[@neelix139]

Greetings Eric well here I am sitting in the lounge chair in my house in Rosebud which is a suburb of Melbourne in the state of Victoria in the country of Australia I am a Gscale sperson but I always had my eye on European if I had the room and the money and I’m not renting I’d love to get into European Ogauger now watching your review on this loco was superb because I learnt a lot and the loco its self is absolutely out of this world for detail it’s a good runner it’s a good colour Green anyway once again Eric thank you for the brilliant review on this European French loco yours Jeff Melbourne Australia

[@austrobb]

Love all the sounds but the whistle is the best I love the high pitched sound!

[@Zman_1123]

This whole concept amazes me in how MTH trains can cook up something like this🥹

[@SuperCustodian]

Great loco. Impressive and powerful. Thanks for sharing with us.

[@WilliamCreator57]

I like the coughing sound effect on this engine.

[@efitter7]

Thank you for the explanation! I would love to see MTH update their remote.

[@Brightlinerailfanner23]

Nice work man 🎉

[@GG1man]

Very impressive. I must compliment you on your reviews. They are well narrated and filmed. You mentioned copious amounts of smoke. I did see a reasonable amount at very slow speed. However at a faster pace I noticed hardly any at all.

[@WWTBAMWinner]

I got at least...a small bit of the French. All I really was able to get was, "...please, and look...", "...in two minutes," and, "Hello miss."

[@gadg3tmusic]

he also said "la pression est bonne" meaning "the pressure is good"

[@Shipwright1918]

Just a little fun fact for you, if you're interested in how the Europeans do things on their railways. The whistle signal to start in either direction is one blast, either long or short at the engineer/driver's discretion.The whistle is also sounded, just once, when entering and exiting tunnels, going over bridges, and at crossings. They just don't use too many calls on the whistle over there, which is a shame, for those high pitched tooters do sound rather good when you quill them.

[@brandonchriston6084]

I love all of your videos

[@RufusT9]

There's something gloriously French about this beautiful engine. Makes me want to watch the film 'La Bête Humaine' again. More European locos please! Why the 17 hates for something as wonderful as this!

[@johnhagan7742]

Fun fact 1: The cabs of American steam engines had seats that the crew could sit in, the cabs of European steam engines didn't have seats. So, yes, the crew standing in prototypical. Fun Fact 2: On American steam engines, the engineer was on the right side of the locomotive's cab. But on European steam engines, the engineer was on the left side of the cab.

[@TobyPasman]

This video would be considered an early 18th birthday present for me because this video was uploaded two days before my 18th birthday. My birthday is on July 9th.

[@weirdones101]

Great video! Awesome engine!

[@Ericstrains]

The amount of smoke visible in the video depends on several variables. First, sometimes the smoke just doesn't show up very well on video due to lighting or background. Secondly, sometimes after I've been filming the engine for a while the smoke fluid level has dropped and the amount of smoke has decreased a bit by the time i get a good take. Lastly, sometimes I have the smoke level set on low instead of high and I don't realize it until after the video is finished.

[@mitchcornacchia968]

Beautiful engine

[@escape150]

Very Beautiful Steam Engine.....Really odd how the French had the headlight mounted off to the side....very very nice!!!!

[@JackBrunelle]

I agree with you, this is an amazing engine! Great Review as well :)

[@SignalLightProductions]

I love that engine! I want one! It would be a neat steam excursion with the passenger cars. I'm no expert, but I think they just used an American bell.

[@PatrickWeiss]

fantastic review of an awesome engine...MTH please keep issuing more and more Europeans engines..we don't need another Hudson :)

[@atsf3415dbr]

That's an awesome engine!

[@Steamerthesteamtrain]

Many Americans who know of the Chain & Buffer system first saw it on Thomas & Friends.

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks, buddy!

[@regularberg8481]

I love eric

[@oldrallygit]

Where did the bell come from?? Locomotives in Europe DONT have a bell fitted, to sound in yards etc, like US engines! The Ace trains coupling is the standard British 'Course Scale', coupling used by o gauge tinplate type trains since the early 1900's, by Bassett Lowke, Hornby, Exley, Milbro, Leeds, Marklin, etc,etc, This coupling was used, as you can push a train of coaches ,wagons etc, as the two couplings stay in line through tight tinplate curves. if you try pushing a train with scale type couplings, through tinplate tight curves and with course scale wheels, the buffers will pass each other and lock!

[@efitter7]

Eric, could you please explain to me how the quillable whistle works with the MTH remote. I know that on the legacy remote you have that sprig loaded sliding whistle activator, but like you said, you used the white whistle/horn button on the DCS remote. Thanks, Ethan

[@brendannelson525]

Eric are you thinking about getting the orient express to go with both of your European steam engines

[@682charlie]

Nice engine!

[@seargentvader8874]

It reminds me of the engine from Murder on the Orient Express

[@JanMolin]

at least one of the class 251as still runs in France. It is in the post WW2 SNCF all black livery

[@sargentrowell81]

Actually, the the head light configuation for all european steam locomotives different from our head light system. for example, if the locomotive was pulling an express train, the yard fitter would place two head lamps on the buffer beam. One on the left side and one on the right. that way the signalman could tell what line to put the train on.

[@Ericstrains]

The MTH quillable remote is not as well deisgned as Lionel's, because it was implemented long after the DCS remote came on the market. The whistle is quilled using the click wheel on the DCS remote. Each click notches the whistle up or down. It's not as easy or smooth as Lionel's, but with some practice you can get pretty goot at it. My guess is that when MTH comes out with a new remote (who knows when that will be) it'll have a better mechanism for the quilling whistle.

[@brandonmunoz9352]

Another note to add is the warning signals for European engines for forward and backwards is just one toot

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks!

[@nobnobvideo]

Dear Eric: it's not E-S-T but Est, means 'east railway' There should be a second headlight in front. French dialog at 19:50: 'how's the pressure?', 'the pressure is good'

[@Triplex5014]

Great review of the locomotive! Just love it! Looks very nice and runs nice, but why is there a bell on a European locomotive? We never had bells, not on steamers, not on diesels today. The only American thing that my railway has is - EMD, the best locomotive builder!

[@MrBnsftrain]

21:50 most European locomotives don't have a bell. I like this model, especially all of its small moving parts!

[@SteamKing2160]

Why not a bell? Does it have to do with noise problems?

[@LePenguin]

Different regulations, infact when Flying Scotsman toured the USA, it was fitted with a cowcatcher, headlight, and a bell

[@That_One_Guy_In_A_Band]

German steam locomotives have a bell.

[@starfox9072]

those are extra pipes just in case the ones on the train break so you can replace them

[@TheFirefightingRailfan]

What was that engine in the background at 23:08 in the video?

[@Ericstrains]

On an MTH steam engine that has the quilling whistle feature, you quill it using the DCS remote.

[@Ericstrains]

I did mention the fire box glow, at 14:01.

[@Ericstrains]

I think I may have already reviewed the ES44's from MTH, so probably not. I will probably order some of the NS heritage diesels, though I may pass on the MTH engines and go with Lionel's heritage engines instead...when they make them.

[@rockyfanatic6846]

Can you run this engine on a freight train

[@ianjperry6772]

I love how haunting the European whistles are.

[@carllivingston169]

Can you do a review on the Rock Island ES44AC Heritage units. Also, are you planning on buying the MTH Norfolk Southern heritage loco's. I haven't seen the model but I went to the heritage festival in NC on the 4th and the heritage units are beautiful.

[@MichaelB450]

You are not too bad at the quibble Whistle function.

[@TheBoysTopSecretisOrganization]

BTW the 241A65 had a Star Brass 5 Chime.

[@julesrobin25]

This engine was an 241 class a the most popular egine of this egine was the 241 a65 in france from the S.N.C.F. (National society of French railroads)

[@andrewboyd8073]

You should try to do a British model.

[@TheBoysTopSecretisOrganization]

If i had one of these, I will name it Leonard Skinner.

[@Ericstrains]

ha

[@slimjimandpepsi]

Hey is your legacy system 1.3? Mine was upgraded to 1.3 at the store

[@Licci.PrProj]

Are you planing on getting the duchess class?

[@Ericstrains]

Thanks.

[@TheBoysTopSecretisOrganization]

Whistle: SCREAM!!!!

[@KAZVorpal]

The whistle on this engine makes it sound like a narrow gauge steam engine. I bet if it were alive, it would be embarrassed by it.

[@weekendrailroader]

A lot of European whistles sounded like that. Check out the clip from the 1960's Burt Lancaster film "The Train" where the engine and crew barely escape from a Spitfire by highballing it into a tunnel. That clip has a good example of a whistle on a French engine.

[@KAZVorpal]

weekendrailroader My kid posted that comment from my account. He can identify pretty much any engine of the last century..."look Dad, a dash nine", but is quite concerned about their feelings.

[@RiflemanMoore]

weekendrailroader It's a particularly French thing, not European as a whole.

[@mmouse1886]

Brits like their Shrill Whistles too mind, a lot of German Locos have them

[@articulatedloco]

North America is the only place where bells are fitted, apparently by law. No other country requires them.

[@panniertankboy8751]

Are you thinking of getting the MTH Duchess Class?

[@Ericstrains]

I think the bell is there just because the MTH DCS remote has a bell button so they figured they'd put one there just for fun...so that the bell button actually does something instead of being useless.

[@linkjoe806]

what are the smoke deflectors for?

[@Shipwright1918]

Another thing, the gym-instructor style whistle in the crew talk is actually the conductor or "guard" giving you "the tip", or the OK to highball signal, and in real-life, he'd be waving his green flag too. I like UK and European railroading, but gimme a Yankee "All-Aboard!" and a proper highball whistle signal any day.

[@sandburgjake]

Hey Eric do you have any GP-9?

[@TheTrainman888]

very nice engine. love the detail. however I don't thing that european trains have bells.

[@cutecattheiii8216]

Where did you buy it?

[@christianbeaufet2091]

The steam engines of the french railway compagny EST was black not green.

[@Ericstrains]

I use Atlas 3-rail O-scale track. It's not cheap.

[@jean-pierrepodik9638]

Hello everybody. I have in my layout freight cars from MTH and EMD F3 A / B units Southern Pacific scheme. I am happy MTH producting a model steam locomotive French old time very nice, but my layout present the north west mountain of north american.Thanks to MTH because The product is very good .By By ( from north France)

[@Toaster844]

Now I’m not that much of a European train fan. But not gonna lie that is a pretty nice engine

[@Mr.RailYard-LJLRailYard]

What does the A mean 231A?

[@mtwdew45]

If I buy a 3 rail mth locomotive will they all be able to run conventional

[@keiyonmartin851]

Looks like the Orient Express

[@carllivingston169]

Once you get them could you do a mini seris, like the Train Blog and just do a reveiw of the paint schme of each and do like a run-by shot of it in say the hallway room.

[@rolandaligero3251]

the whistle is behind the safety valve

[@Ericstrains]

@TomedysTrains The difference in scale is not that obvious. I'm not worried about it.

[@americantrain]

how much does it cost and were can i get one

[@dartagnan2905]

Anthony Dimarzo Trainworld

[@rockyfanatic6846]

Hey Eric how are you doing today Get some French passenger cars and some German passenger cars too and review the Milwaukee road f7 engines Thank you much and happy Independence Day Your fan Rocky fanatic 68

[@TheIhredpower]

Chapoleon FTW!