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Those are 3rd rail prices. They make much prettier trains. Lionel has priced themselves right out of my market. Im just not interested in spending that kind of money for their products. I know I sound like a cheapskate and anybody who knows me knows I am not but holy smokes their products are just getting sooooo expensive I don't find them worth it.

Originally Posted by baltimoretrainworks:

Haven't really looked thru it yet but was very disappointed with the Design Your Own Boxcar winning design, rather plain and boring, no real imagination or thought put into it. Brian Morans was much more vibrant and looked old school Lionel.

Jerry

Agree. Most people will look at that winning car, with virtually nothing on it but those two "L"s, and have no idea what it means. It may be interesting as an abstract design, perhaps, but as a commemorative car it reveals nothing about what it is that's being celebrated.

Last edited by breezinup

There are some fine items in this catalog. The Double Door Boxcars are very cool.

 

One item I am interested in but missed the mark is the Gantry Crane. Since Lionel has the technology with the crane cars, why make this accessory Manually operated to raise and lower the boom operations?

 

I'll wait for a version that is completely Legacy or DCS controlled for all functions.

 

Otherwise I think this catalog has something for everyone.

 

Paul

While I wouldn't say that Lionel has priced themselves out of my market, I would say that unlike my spending habits in the past, because of the prices it would have to be a locomotive that I really really really want for me to preorder and spend that kind of money. Since there is no unstreamlined Legacy NYC J3a, my wallet is safe this time.

"I thought I read an alternative for the Powerhouse 180 was coming. I am a little disappointed to see nothing about it in the catalog. "

 

The Powerhouse had to be redesigned from scratch and is expected in 2016 according to Mike Reagan on Notch 6.  The previous manufacturer went out of business and took the designs with them, apparently.

 

I think the Universal Lion Chief remote that can command control 3 locos at <$40 street price is going to be a big hit.  The milk cars are reasonably priced for one thing.  Lion Chief locos are reasonably priced for command equivalent locos that include a remote.  Mike Reagan also stated the accessories have been redesigned for greater reliability and lower amperage.

Well after perusing the catalog I really didn't see anything that I really liked, actually I did but it's apparently not going to be for sale. I seriously doubt that many of those who "voted" for the winning design either will buy one at $85 or even have trains. It was a social media ballot and many times those are loaded simply with friends and coworkers who really don't care other than helping a friend win, which is a shame because it might taint the waters for another design your own contest in the future.

As a design for the 115 anniversary it lacks anything that says...

115TH ANNIVERSARY !!!

No prominent dates, no Lionel Trains other than the L and a small emblem on the door, lackluster graphics, boring same old, same old color scheme and the same look on both sides.

The second place one has many of the themes that make it special enough for an anniversary car and while at priced $85 a pop, for a one time car like this is not too outrageous. The third place winner while very patriotic really doesn't say anniversary either, it would make a great Independence Day car tho. I think it relied to much on the Go Team USA effect and missed the mark as an anniversary offering too.

 

win1

 

win2

 

I don't mean to sound harsh or too critical I think the ball got dropped on this one for an item that could have really been a stand out car. Lionel if you do revisit this idea please don't use social media, it's way too easy to stuff the ballot box, I know, I have been guilty of doing the same but for a much more noble endeavor and it lost out for pretty much the same reasons and our side came up short against an at best questionable opponent.

Well, that's my opinion on the subject, a little long but at least I didn't complain about a door placement or wrong style of headlight or a road name that never had one of those whatever it might be.

 

Jerry

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  • win1
  • win2

After the first pass through the catalog, very little in my chosen road name (BNSF). The couple of BNSF items they did have are too big for my layout (O-54 & O-63) so no trains this time around. Some of the smaller steamers were interesting, but above my pay grade.

 

However, I am very happy to have a second chance at some of the accessories from the last catalog. Couldn't afford all that was on the wish list last time around.   I will also be ordering the command control building with sound that goes with the gantry crane I ordered from the last catalog.

Overall a very good catalog especially for a Volume II. I already posted my picks on another thread about "what are you ordering" so I will not repeat myself.

 

Unlike others I do think Lionel will sell plenty of the Southern 630 Consolidations, with the whistle steam effect you will forget about the not correct tender or even attempt to modify it to look like the actual tender (remember we are modelers). By the way someone was hoping now that Atlas who has bought the Weaver modes that they would produce a more accurate 630. Well all I can say is in the last ten years Atlas made one scale steam engine......one....1.......uno....don't hold your breath.

 

JohnB

Last edited by JohnB

Honestly???

 

IT SUCKS! along with their new website!

 

What's one of the most popular Lionel items of all time? If not the most popular?

 

A Santa Fe Warbonnet!

 

Lionel who does your marketing research? EVERYTHING Santa Fe sells out...so where is it? Not 1 engine in the catalog that interests me the least bit...not even a re-run of the FEF! 

Last edited by Former Member

I love the FEF but the price is just ridiculous. I paid less for much nicer locomotives from other manufacturers. Whistle steam is just a novelty, I cant see it from more than 2 feet away. Laid off sick is right, where is the Santa Fe? Lionel has really lost its luster with me. With the Lion Chief starter sets being of the quality they are and them dropping the lowest price scout set their product line has lost its appeal

Robbie , that would be great if Lionel eventually used the ideas somewhere down the road. I do realize it wasn't an anniversary car per se but it just seems no one out there has any real imagination anymore or worse, they know what the public wants which is boring or cookie cutter and they market down to it. We see it here, not many are excited over the offerings, nothing seems to stand out. Might be because a lot of it is computer drawn and rings flat and unrealistic or that it's against a white or a poorly rendered background but it's rare that a catalog of anyone comes out and you'll say"I gotta get one of those" or "Man that's cool, have to figure out a way to get it.". Maybe we're just jaded and have so much to pick and choose from or have that something really needs to pop to get our attention.

 

Jerry

I like the Union Pacific FEF-3.  While FEF tenders were similar to those on Big Boys and Challengers, there are some subtle differences.  MTH appears to use the same tender for Big Boys, Challengers and FEF-3s while Lionel has a separate tender body for the FEF that is particularly suited to that locomotive.  MTH has used the same tender body design for their Pennsylvania Q2 and J1a locomotives even though the tenders on those locomotives were not identical.

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