Continuing Saga of Lionel's poor new truck design

With all the discussions, I am really surprised and disappointed that not one word from Lionel. Even if they are working on a fix, I would have expected something from Lionel.

Are we beating a dead horse? It is falling on deaf ears at Lionel? Does anyone at Lionel really care about their reputation and their customer base that has been loyal to them for over a hundred years?

For me, I am thankful I bought only one car. Had to filed the coupler so it will work with my other cars. But at some point, I guess I will have to buy new trucks. Just hate paying $100 or more on a car that is worth less than half of that.

So much bad PR for Lionel. I hope they address the issue one way or the other.

RAY

Ray of sunshine:

     You are right! And with Lionel being the dominant O Gauge supplier for the near future at least, they need to be called out when  there is an issue with their products. In their almost-monopoly position now, we need to let them know  when things are going good, as well as when products just aren't living up to expectations.

John

@Lionelski posted:

PRRSteam.

Got a couple pics of just that section of track without the cars on it?

Is that the only place these cars derail like that?

How many cars are behind those derailing?

Here is the switch without cars (excuse my split tie) just a standard 054/072 Ross switch. This is a RH, I also have a LH which these cars are just as bad on. Below is also a video of cars going the other way. This happens every time.

Those two switches are where I have most of the issues but have had other derailments. Several times in an area of my layout that has an 0-62 curve transition into 3 switches. It jumps the track after  the curve coming into the switches.

Whats in these videos is 17 new Lionel milk cars and an atlas caboose. The first video the cars were being basked through the switch by an engine.

That is just plain crazy.

Trains made 50, 60, 70 and even 80 years ago didn't, and still don't, have problems like that.

Thanks for all the work getting this information out.

I broke down and ordered a set of the older tooling 6-14251 rotating end cap trucks. They’ll look better on a patched Chessie caboose anyway! I hope Lionel rectifies the situation with their new truck tooling and goes back to the much better older tooling. If it’s a cost thing, I’m sure we could bear the few dollar increase in cost to go back to the old tooling.

Mat

Lionel’s new car couplers work fine with MTH, Weaver, Atlas and others. Don’t own any Lionel Scale so I’m not sure about that thumbtack design.

BOTTOM LINE - The new cars don’t couple to Lionel’s original PS series era cars.

Question is, what’s Lionel going to do about it? They already lost sales with this issue once before.

Old to new - no good

New style coupler

New to old, no good.

New to old

New to old

New to old

New to old

I have mixed feelings on this topic. 4 of the 6 milk cars do line up when strung together but tend to be off when coupled to an older Mill car (2016 and earlier). I have purchased a bunch of trucks before Weaver went out of business and have purchased a bunch of MTH trucks on EBay, Amazon and Marketplace. I am going to see how these line up. Hopefully they will but if not then the new cars will be at the end of the train I run as when they are behind the engine cars 1-4, they tend to derail.

still trying to figure out what’s best. Hopefully just a truck swap until Lionel produces a fix.

For now, don't connect old and new Lionel cars together in a train. Mix the new lionel with atlas,weaver and mth.

@mattrains posted:

If it’s a cost thing, I’m sure we could bear the few dollar increase in cost to go back to the old tooling.

Mat

I’m sorry but I can’t except this! Lionel has been going down the cost cutting path for a number of years now and I firmly believe it is founded in showing the board, or whatever entity their present CEO reports to, increased profits. I’ve been a fairly loyal customer for the past 35 years and I’ve reached the breaking point. Two catalogs and counting with no orders!

Message to @mattrains

MAT,

With the new design of the DEFECTIVE (Vietnam) coupler/trucks on these cars, why didn't the quality control engineer verify the accuracy and compatibility of the couplers? Why should I have to pay for his or her screwup?

If I buy a new car from Ford, only to find out that the tires are undersized, should I pay for new tires to fix their defect?

You guys are missing the point. It IS Lionel's responsibility to deliver QUALITY products for a reasonable price that makes a profit for them. WE should not accept inferior quality and then have to fork out additional dollars to fix THEIR lack of quality control. And if the issue is really with their supplier, then it is Lionel's issue, NOT OURS.

When Atlas screwed up the California Zephyr cars several years ago, they corrected it at THEIR costs. Then sent replacement window inserts to those that purchased the the cars at NO COST to us.

When Athearn misrepresented the accuracy of the Genesis F3's (HO gauge) they shipped replacement shells at NO COST to those that purchased the engines and we did not have to return to incorrect shells.

Am I frustrated, you're **** right, and I bought only one car. As far as I am concerned, until Lionel fixes the issue, the rest of the Friendship and milk cars can remain on dealers shelves or at Lionel's warehouse.

RAY

I just looked up Lionel's Mission statement:

"Our mission is to develop, manufacture, market and service the best electric toy trains and accessories in the world within a competitive environment.

Lead the toy train industry with innovative engineering, flawless manufacturing and superior customer service. Employ the best people and inspire teamwork and strong communications in an atmosphere of teamwork, trust, openness and innovation. Expose children to the magic of Lionel trains and sprout interest in the toy train hobby. Work closely with our dealer network and share with them some of the decision making processes for future Lionel products.

Keep the magic of the Lionel tradition living for another 100 years."

Note the second paragraph: "Lead the toy train industry with innovative engineering,flawless manufacturing and superior customer service."

"Flawless manufacturing", remember those words when any of you call, talk, email or text Lionel about the issue concerning the new milk cars, Friendship cars, etc.

RAY

Send a message, and send them back.

Was running some of the well cars at a friends house and it seems the older sprung truck runs much quieter than the new trucks do. This new unsprung truck seems to transmit more sound/noise that the good older truck.

I know some of the folks on this thread are waiting for Lionel to replace the failed coupler with a new working design, but I'm thinking it will still be a non-articulated design and some of the derailing problems might still be present.

I want my two reefers to have working couplers and, more importantly, to run as well as the earlier reefers did, so I think I will just replace the Vietnamese trucks with earlier ones. But I need to know which trucks are a good replacement.

If anyone has replaced these and found the replacement trucks to work well, I'd like to hear which ones worked for you. I see some roller bearing trucks (P/N 6-14251) on eBay which look like they might work well, but I don't want to invest $25-$30 on something which might work.

Any ideas on a good replacement?

I have a friend who likes to run kadees.  I swapped my new trucks with him from an older set of Lionel milk car trucks.  The new trucks roll nice and coupler comes off easily for kadee conversion.  I got the old set of well built trucks.  Was a win win for us.

I hate to say this, but many of the posts here are either of the “isn’t happening to my stuff, so you must be wrong” or to Lionel “thank you sir, may I have another”.  Thanks for those posts that were honest and provide visual evidence.  I for one will complain to Lionel after just purchasing 2 PS1 boxcars (one with freightsounds) and a Cupolcam caboose, non of which will couple to any of my Lionel steam loco tenders, including a new Vision Line GS-4.  I am not a happy camper.  Joshua Lionel Cohen would be flipping out on the supply chain people and assuring his customers he would make it right.  It was he who said and I am paraphrasing “Lionel makes a quality product and sells it for a fair price”.

Mike

I ordered a "loading sounds" box car from the latest catalog. I thought that with an electrocoupler on one truck and pickup rollers on the other, I would get the trucks with couplers that work. It is a sad state of QC/QA when you have to hope that the new cars have the older trucks on them so they will work with existing equipment.

I will take the action to get Lionels's answer to this dilemma and relay back to the group.  In case I'm not met with "Yes sir, we have you covered with an easy replacement truck/coupler set, and no need to send the old ones back" (Unicorns and fireflies), I will try to get the number of a replacement part for PS-1s and Cupolacam cabooses and see if I can get them to provide it free of charge, including shipping.  Short of that, I will at least get a part number.  Thats right guys, I am going to stand of to the Mr man.  If all else fails, Ill just buy the company and do thinks my way,

     It's just pathetic that we have not heard back from Lionel with regard to this poorly designed/ poorly executed truck and coupler situation. THEY- LIONEL-  were the ones that brought knuckle couplers to the hobby some 75-76 years ago and now they can't even make one that works!

    Many of us are hesitant about buying ANY Lionel freight cars, knowing they may get stuck with these couplers that will not mate with existing cars.

    Hearing the horror stories here HAS to have an effect on people reluctant to buy current store stock and especially reluctant to order from the new catalog.

   John