Flyer Chief Polar Express sets and add on cars shipping this week!

Interesting!

I ordered an i- stock o gauge item from Charles Ro yesterday and to save me extra shipping costs frt it, the online order person at Ro said they'd set it aside and ship it packed with my PE FylerChief set which they said was due mid Oct. according to their computer. I thought all major dealers received preordered items from Lionel in the same time frame???How can there be a difference of one month between major dealers?

I think Ro gets their stuff direct from the Circle L Ranch, where as mere mortal LHS's have to go trough a distributor.

 

Rusty

I see October shipping for the PE elsewhere.  If you deal with Nassau why not give them a call to confirm?

Already placed order with Ro a year ago!

Btw, when is the issue of S Gaugian with your PE review scheduled to be available for non-subscribers at bookstores such as B&N?

Ogaugeguy - The review will be in the November/December issue.  

Lionel's shipping schedule shows September for what it's worth.

Just got a call from train world letting me know the polar express and 2 additional cars were shipping today.

Charles Ro no longer shows the set under flyer at all, and when you select the  separate AF PE flyer on Ro's website it says "item not available". Possible sell out????

 

Ben

Just ordered the American Flyer Polar Express Set from Trainworld along with the two add on cars!  Hoping they don't sell out.

When you get your Polar Express Sets, here is a fun thing to do.  

 

Print our a photo of your kids or grandkids on your computer and size it so it will fit in the rear window of the observation car.  You can remove the floor of the Flyonel Heavyweights by removing a few screws (be careful to keep track of where the screws go, there are 3 different screws used on my NYC heavyweights) You can slip the printed photo in behind the "glass" leading to the end platform and secure it with strips of "magic tape" or Woodland Scenics "Scenic Accents" adhesive  and your cherished children/grandchildren will "be on" the train.  (My grandkids are delighted to "be on" my NYC Heavyweights) 

 

Don't print the photo on Photo paper, use regular paper, so the light will shine through the photo and illuminate the kids.  Play with the contrast on the printer until the kids look just right with the light illuminating them from behind before you secure the picture. 

 

LittleTommy

I have my order with Ro, no word yet...

 

Ben

Charles Ro has notified buyers they are shipping now.

I just called Charles Ro to see if they were shipping my two extra cars, the baggage and abandoned toy car.  They are being shipped too. 

I just heard from my LHS and they will have a PE set and two cars Friday Sept. 11, 2015.

I also called my distributor and he told me the same, Friday but I won't have mine until Next week sometime because he has to ship it to me after he receives it. Results Lionel is shipping the Polar Express and additional cars to the distributers this week Sept 2015.

Just received an email today from Trainworld confirming my Polar Express set and two add-on cars shipped today!  

I also just my UPS tracking #'s for the set and extra cars from trainworld. Scheduled delivery 9/11.

Got the fed ex notice from Ro, set should be to me on Thursday.

Ben

Looking forward to seeing some photos when you guys receive your Polar Express sets!

Got my notice from FedX set and cars should be delivered Saturday. Will be here to run Christmas displays.

Ray

Fedex email says they delivered it this morning. Do you think I can get away with telling my wife this is her 30th wedding anniversary gift?

Just received my American Flyer Polar Express Set along with the two add-on cars!

Stay tuned for an unboxing video.

PErfect Mark!

Just received my American Flyer Polar Express Set from Nassau Hobby, along with the two add-on cars!

 

Thanks Charlie and Chris for your excellent customer service!!

 

Phil

Here is my unboxing of the American Flyer Polar Express Train set.  I also unbox two add-on coaches.  Enjoy!

LOL!!

 

When I first saw your embedded video, I thought, puh-LEASE, an "unboxing" video??

 

However, boredom won out, so I clicked the link, fully expecting a train dork to drone on about his latest purchase.

 

Instead, I was greeted with a fast paced video, excellently appropriate music... neat special effects... and the train sequences were great!

 

Much to my surprise, your presentation was very entertaining!  Good job!

 

As for the AF PE as seen in the video:

 

VERY nice for the market it is aimed at. Looks like it can run slow and smooth. The cars look good, too. Of course, S scale's "perfect sized" was immediately apparent as you handled the models.

 

Hmmm. I might have to get one of those for the Christmas Tree???

 

 

Thanks!

Great video work, trainboy!  Thank you for letting us in on the joy of opening your new Polar Express set!  (I noticed you had a bottle of smoke fluid in one shot, but really did not see any smoke output from the engine.  Doe it smoke well?)  

It smokes very well! Here is a video that better demonstrates it.  

Very good video presentation. 

 

Even though I have no interest in the Flyer Polar Express, it was fun to watch it being unwrapped and in action.

 

This set may be the "home run" Lionel's been looking for with Flyer.

 

Rusty

 

Thank you!  Right now, I'm trying to set up my American Flyer Layout.  Do "FlyerChief" trains work with Legacy control?  If so, are there any switches or things I need to change in order for it to run on Legacy? 

No, they are 2 completely different operating systems unfortunately.

If this is Off Topic , I will move it, but since this is the first "FlyerChief" locomotive, just how does the operating system work?

 

 Is there a simple explanation?  I have looked at everything on the Lionel Website, but I don't have a clear understanding of how the system works on the basic level, i.e. is the signal sent through the rails? if you rewire your layout to run MTH DCS, will that screw up the use of  Flyerchief/LionChief Plus?

 

Even worse,  I wonder if  the new LionChief Plus Universal remote will allow you to control conventional locomotive with LionChief Plus?  Is there a easy way to retrofit a conventional locomotive to run on LionChief Plus? 

 

Right now I have 3 different operating systems on my layout and I am not anxious to add a 4th. 

 

Little Tommy

My understanding of the "Chief" systems is they are transparent to whatever is supplying power to the rails and will work with Legacy, DCS or a constant 16-18(?) AC or DC voltage. 

 

The system transmits from the controller to the locomotive.  As I recall, someone once mentioned range is around 30 feet.

 

The "Chief" controller will not control a conventional locomotive and there are no kits available to upgrade conventional locomotives.

 

Rusty

Trainboy01 Thank you for producing a beautiful Video of unpacking and running the new American Flyer Chief Polar Express. Both my wife and I enjoyed it extremely and your video will reduce my anxiety until my own set arrives. Thank you so much your video enlightened me to what can be done if you know how.

 

Happy Railroading

Don

Well I got my P.E. today from Charles Ro.  Fast service!  HOWEVER....  The joy went down a few notches when I took the first item out of the foam packing (the observation car).  First thing I noticed was the platform not seated correctly in the body:

What gives?  Then, I looked at the other end, and found this:

 

It looks like the whole floor wasn't installed correctly in the body shell.  Here's a side view:

 

Now, do I send it back?  Or do I just do what I usually do with Lionel Flyer items, that is, repair it myself.  The floor isn't hard to position, and door end will snap back in place once the floor is correctly installed.  Heck, you have to remove the floor anyway to replace the light bulb.  It's just infuriating. 

 

Things like this are common place with things I get from Lionel.  My Commemorative Docksider had a poorly positioned pick-up plate and wouldn't run (I repaired it myself), a few cars have had their truck side frames fall off, and most wheel sets aren't gauged correctly (a few seconds with snap ring pliers fixed them).  The C&O Geep in the Defender set I have doesn't make ANY sounds, even though it's supposed to (I used the Lionel sound buttons too).  I suppose the circuit board is fried, but I'm not sending it back.  They'll probably say it's my fault and charge me for it.  The side frames were also loose and one fell off, but I epoxied it back on. 

 

Packing items up for return is a PITA, and most things are repaired quite easily.  But brand new items shouldn't need repair!  What happened to any sort of quality control at Lionel?  It looks like it's non existent.  If that's what moving to China means, it's not worth the "low prices".    But since this particular set was meant as an entry level set, I guess you get what you pay for.  I wonder if the C&O Berk I ordered will be OK...

 

By the way, I haven't even unpacked the rest of the set.  I suppose the electronics won't work and the locomotive will just sit there and smoke.... when it's not supposed to.  THEN, it's going back. 

 

Am I a bit ticked off?  Yes.  But I'll probably fix what I can, and get it running so my grandson can see it when he comes over in a few days. 

 

Jerry, while the observation end probably will snap back in, the vestibule is outright broken.  There's the jagged edge of fractured plastic and the crack by the door's window extending over the car end.

 

That deserves a trip back to Lionel. 

 

Rusty

trainboy01, just watched your video, congrats on an awesome job! Now I may have to get one for our Christmas tree, like some of the other members have said. Hope someone from Lionel notices what some imagination can produce.

 

Mike

Jerry,  Call Charles Ro customer service. They have great service,tell them the problem and they will handle it including shipping both ways. I was overwhelmed by the way they took care of my problem. They have earned my loyalty, great dealer service.

Ray