Nearly 20 years after the initial review in Classic Toy Trains’ Feb. 2008 issue, the O-gauge Hogwarts Express remains a steady set for Lionel, along with the accompanying Harry Potter-branded products. But with a reboot of the franchise planned as a future streaming series on HBO Max, it’s time to return to Kings Cross’ Platform 9¾ to look at the latest incarnation from the manufacturer.
Out of the box
Out of the box, the 2024 release with LionChief and Bluetooth includes the following:
- 4-6-0 steam locomotive Hogwarts Castle No. 5972
- Three coaches, with one being a combination coach/baggage
- Eight FastTrack O-36 curves, one 10″ straight power lock-on section, one terminal section, and two 10″ straights
- DC wall-pack power supply
- LionChief remote control
I turned to the pages of the 2008 article, written by then-CTT Associate Editor Bob Keller. This is to get an understanding of how much has changed in the set between then and now. Cosmetically, there isn’t much, but not to say it in a negative light.
The locomotive and cars are semi-scale models of the prototypes used in the films. Hogwarts Castle No. 5972 was built in April 1937 for the Great Western Railway as a mix-traffic locomotive under the name Olton Hall. Owned by West Coast Railways, the 4-6-0 is currently on static display at “The Making of Harry Potter” exhibit as part of the Warner Bros. London studio tour. The cars are based on British Railway’s Mark 1 coaches.
From the die-cast metal locomotive to the plastic tender, the modeled Hogwarts Castle is a solid representation of both the Hall-class and film version. Keller said it best that “British steamers tend to be more cleanly laid out and less cluttered externally than their American counterparts,” which makes sense for this item’s simple look. There is still a good amount of separately-applied and molded detailing to be admired, plus having that sturdiness to them. I also agree with Keller and others that the maroon on the boiler, cab, tender tank, and [to an extent] the coach bodies is duller than it was on the prototype. But the combination with the additional red, black, and gold colors still makes the set an overall stunner to look at.
Not much has also changed for the looks of the coaches. Outside of the metal wheelsets and rubber diaphragms, the models are made from light-weight plastic with molded detailing from the trucks up. Frosted plastic windows conceal the empty interiors, save for the LED lighting inside. Your mileage may vary on whether Lionel should’ve made silhouettes of passengers in the window, considering they’ve done so with the Dementors Coach (not included in this set). If you wish to perform the task yourself, note that accessing the interior will involve depressing six window tabs to remove the roof from the body.
On the track
While not much has changed when it comes to the set’s cosmetics, mechanically, it’s a different spellbook.
The CW-80 80-watt transformer from 2008 is out, and in its place is a DC power supply and LionChief remote. You can still use a traditional AC transformer, but only to power the locomotive at a fixed 18 volts. Conventional operations are out of the equation, as the model solely relies on commands from the remote, a separate Universal Lionchief remote, or your smart device’s Bluetooth through the LionChief/Cab3 app.
When using the remotes or app, you’ll have the basic LionChief operations: Forward, reverse, whistle, bell, and announcement sounds. The rear ElectroCoupler isn’t featured on the locomotive. The app will also come with volume, smoke, speed limit and momentum settings, along with voice control and voice streaming and recording (VSR). Something I’ve noticed is that the app will only recognize the locomotive when the remote is turned off.
A few notches to the physical dial on the remote and digital throttle on the app will get the entire train rolling at the slowest speed without stuttering. But once you pick up the pace, it’s a smooth runner and smoker. The low-speed average was 10 scale mph, and 55 scale mph at the high-speed average. Drawbar pull was approximately 14 ounces. The locomotive responds well when running on the small oval loop, but it can be a different story when on a bigger layout with possible signal interference.
A noteworthy qualm from Keller back in 2008 was the sound effects, especially the air whistle leaving much to be desired. I believe Lionel has rectified this with its electronic RailSounds RC system. It’s basic, but you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck, especially with the whistle and announcement effects pulled straight from the first movie. While not prototypical to the Halls, there is a bell, though it’s still a nice feature for younger enthusiasts.
The coaches will take the 036-minimum curves and turnouts with grace, and the interior lights are flicker-free. But like from 2008, they’ll have plastic knuckle couplers, and just like Keller, I too find that an operational concern. Use caution when you plan to add more cars.
Final thoughts
Besides the electronics of going from conventional to LionChief/Bluetooth command, the O gauge Hogwarts Express remains a consistent product from Lionel. It also remains a consistent seller, especially now that it’s branching into the manufacturer’s Battery-O lineup. Non-magic muggles, young and old, will want to pick up this set and take a journey into the Wizarding World.
Lionel LionChief O gauge Hogwarts Express set (No. 683972)
Features: 4-6-0 steam locomotive, two passenger cars, one combination car, LionChief remote control, DC wall-pack power supply, 12 pieces of FasTrack, O-36 operation
MSRP: $479.99
Website: Lionel.com
