New Lionel Boxcar series?

Dave,

Great Idea. I don't usually buy special boxcars with anything other than real railroad logo's, etc. But I would go for the National Park Boxcars. We spend about 3 weeks out of the year in several National Parks a year hiking around. This year it will Glacier NP & Olympic NP with the family. And Yellowstone/Tetons with my hiking buddies.

Joe

Blue Streak -- the cars could also be tied to the railroad that services (or serviced in the past) each of the parks depicted. Santa Fe for Grand Canyon, for instance, would be perfect.

 Back in the day, many railroads heavily promoted their passenger service to national parks on their routes.

A perect railroad tie-in.

Grampstrains, yes, "Made in America" would be a given for this series!

Guys, please weigh in on this topic. I'd really like to show Lionel there is support for the idea among our OGR on-line group.  

Imagine a consist sporting colorful "National Park" artwork running on your layout. Thanks!

Dave,

I guess there is no love for the National parks here. I would buy them in a second.

I have always tried to stay with my home roads but I have been in the National Parks almost every year for the last 20. I enjoy all the railroad history behind the parks. It was the railroads that basically built the parks and made something out of them in the early days. Going to Glacier NP so many times has basically gotten me into the Great Northern with there slogan "See America First" and now I a fleet of Great Northern items. The Northern Pacific & Union Pacific were big into Yellowstone. Union Pacific promoted the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Zion and Bryce. The Santa Fe marketed the South Rim. I think the Southern Pacific marketed Sequoia and Yosemite. Not sure who had the market cornered on Mt Rainier and the Pacific Northwest. 

I have no desire to buy president boxcars, especially modern presidents. Came close on a few of the railroad art work cars but didn't bite. Not really all that impressed with the 115th Lionel train (cool finish - logo not so cool). But these even though I am pretty much a scale guy I would get some as long as they were cool and had great graphics (Preferable historic graphics) like this

But that is just my opinion. There is a full series of these that covers almost every NP. If you guys have not ever made it to Glacier NP than you are missing out.

Keep up your campaign Dave.

Great idea, I'd be in for a set.  

Great idea:  also the made in America, and include the railroad the service the parts:  GN for Glacier, NP for Yellowstone, etc.

This is a terrific idea.  I would be up for a set.  Since there are hundreds of parks, they can't all make the cut, but the more famous ones will.  The possibilities for the art work are probably endless and some may be pubic domain.  I wouldn't expect Ansel Adams but you never know.

I started a thread on how the 75th Anniversary of the end of WWII is 5 years away.  I was blown away by how many positive responses there were to it.

Picture the American flag square in the middle of the boxcar door (as on the recent "Made in U.S.A." boxcars), surrounded by gorgeous view of the national park like Grand Canyon. I say, wow!  

Someone said that our national parks are America's "best idea." Whether or not that is true, they certainly ARE "one of America's best ideas" and worth celebrating.

Any more comments/suggestions on this proposed series? Now's the time to get your two cents in!    

I like it, count me in.

Brent

I would love a "collectable" series by Lionel, MTH, or Atlas.  Almost every National Parks had some great vintage poster/postcard as the Bryce Canyon one posted above.  Since there are 4 areas on a box car, you could have a RR name that served the park, a historic poster, a map, and an iconic scene.  According to Wikipedia, there are 59 US national parks. Want 50-70 of my hard earned dollars twice a year? A new NP car in each catalog?  You could begin the series with the oldest national park, working forward by inception date of the park.  This maybe carrying too far, but image traveling to a National Park, going into the souvenir shop, and picking up a O-scale box car made in the USA instead of some piece of plastic junk made you know where. 1 vote yes.

Just looking at this from Lionel's standpoint:  1) how many of these would actually sell?; & 2) as mentioned above, with the many, many parks existing, which ones would Lionel choose to feature?  I guess you could produce them based on popularity/attendance rates, possibly doing the "Top 10" parks.  I don't oppose the idea, but just being realistic, somehow doubt this would spark much public interest.

IF done on scale sized boxcars, I'd be in.

From a thread in the S Scale forum:

"When I interviewed them at York both said they received endless suggestions from train people on what they should produce."

Besides, by now, the 2016 catalogs are probably already pretty well developed, bills of materials and production schedules are being set.

Rusty

I like the idea. if Lionel can manage to sell Alien sets, NASCAR stuff etc they ought to be able to market a few boxcars to commemorate National Parks. 

I like the idea of putting old travel ads & posters on the cars. Maybe a series of oldtime reefers would work even better than boxcars?

Shhh!  This discussion is too close to my idea for Lionel's Design Your Own Boxcar Contest.

What, me worry?