Lionel Signature Catalog 2020 Online now! Whadaya like?

Being a Strasburg fan, I'll definitely be ordering that Strasburg station and while it seems overpriced at $99 being a generic Lionel station and not authentic to the actual Strasburg station thst had a different roof and split foundation, I'll settle for it since it is the only station available anywhere in a Strasburg scheme. As for the Strasburg J tower, I'll waIt to see it in person to determine whether it's a significant improvement over the MTH one I currently have. (If it was automated with the signalman descending the steps I'd definitely get it )

I will get that set of Strasburg billboards but as to the new Strasburg Lionchief set I'm undecided. While it has the same incorrect 0-8-0 engine and not being a Lionchief plus 2.0 engine with speed control, I was thinking of converting my conventional set to TMCC but now I'm in a conumdrum wondering if breaking up my conventional set to sell off piecemeal and yse the money from the sales to buy the new set would be a better financial option than doing the TMCC conversion I've long planned to do I also notice the new set doesn't include the Cherry Hill station that Lionel will now sell seperately for $20.

Finally, I will definitely purchase the Lionchief Plus 2.0 Polar Express Berkshire.

Btw, I see the skiing hobo observation car is NOW available to everyone without joining the LCCA. 

That's it for me and glad the catalog isn't a budget buster for me 

Grampstrains posted:

TheDude23112 posted:

Dave Warburton posted:

Anyone else having trouble loading the catalog? I get the first few pages, then a few tiny bits of pages and then nothing at all. Been trying for a half hour. On my ipad. 

It won't download....

I think there are too many trying to download at once.  I'll wait until later today.

That’s my guess, too. Try later. I tried my wife’s PC (Chrome) and no go there, either. 

Thanks to everyone for their advice!

Several people have posted about "downloading" the catalog.  Are you actually trying to download it or just view it?

Past catalogs have included an option to download the catalog as a PDF file.  But, for some reason this catalog does not offer a download option.  The 2020 AF catalog has a download option, but the 2020 Big Book does not.

ogaugeguy posted:

...................... As for the Strasburg J tower, I'll waIt to see it in person to determine whether it's a significant improvement over the MTH one I currently have. (If it was automated with the signalman descending the steps I'd definitely get it ).........

Lionel has seemingly forgotten how to make 445  switch towers, except for the variety that is burning.  The most recent 6-12917 version was last done in 1996. 

-Dave

josef posted:

The 0-6-0T. But surprise they added artist drawn smoke  when it won't have smoke. Wonder how many will think it's also a smoker?

It's in the 2019 Volume 2 Catalog, and it states it has fan driven smoke.  If it comes without smoke, it won't be coming home with me.  Hard to believe the additional roadnames in the current catalog would suddenly omit a pretty important feature to probably a majority of folks.

Briefly got as far as the page with the 85th anniversary Gateman and the 356.  then get stuck at this now every time I try to reload.

PDF or HTML, please! (yes, I'm fine with a list and I'll click forward and back - better than this 3DIssue garbage).  This flippy page gimmick isn't worth the problems.

edit: It's getting better  now I can see blank white pages in 3DIssue.  Woo hoo!

-Dave

    The PPLX coalporters (rotary gondolas) originally listed in 2016, V2 are on page 80, along with a bunch of other road names.  Surprisingly, they are listed at the same prices from 2016 - 4 pack for $279 and 2 pack for $139. Still a bit steep. If I remember right, sometime last year there was a post about production issues in Eastern Europe regarding this run of cars. 

    On page 78, there are 3 packs of 2 bay hoppers listed for $279. While I'd love to have the Ontario & Western set, these hoppers aren't worth $93.33 each. Unfortunately, O&W freight cars are far and few between. 

    The SD40-2s are offered in 054 again......not everyone has the room for that radius.

This is interesting, it is listed in Pat's Trains 2020 Lionel Signature Edition web pages.  Really detracts from the "exclusivity" of the similar item offered by the LCCA railroad club.  The catalogued version does show "Polar Express" above the windows which I believe is different than the LCCA car as illustrated in this thread.

GregM posted:

This is interesting, it is listed in Pat's Trains 2020 Lionel Signature Edition web pages.  Really detracts from the "exclusivity" of the similar item offered by the LCCA railroad club.  The catalogued version does show "Polar Express" above the windows which I believe is different than the LCCA car as illustrated in this thread.

Item Number 2027800   -  THE POLAR EXPRESS Skiing Hobo Observation Car - Black Roof

Link Here

I can agree to an extent, but it's good that they actually made it as a second version to match the older sets without snow (for all the people with the older sets who did not "start over" by buying a snowy roof  set).

Hopefully someday (maybe that's today, I can't see the catalog yet ) they will offer a "snow" version of the conductor announcement car.

-Dave

I'd be in for the Chessie auxiliary water tender but alas it appears to be wrong.  The length listed seems close but the picture matches the J3a Hudson tender and not the correct L3a Mohawk tender.  Sadly, they have had correct tooling (minus the coal bunker cover) since the early 1990s.  The J3a tender is way too short.  Hopefully it is correct.

Can't view it in Edge, Chrome or IE  White blank pages come up.

At $45 I'll pick up one of the rail boxes.

Possibly the British Hall set.

And on the fence on the annual Christmas car. I've collected them since early 90s, But this one is just downright ugly!

Jeez it has been exclusive for 2 years. I suspect the LCCA had an exclusive setup for  a limited time. 

Whats the deal with the price on the E8's?

For the price of 2 powered/ 2 sound locomotives I get 2 powered, 1 with sound. 

Really wish they would just add sound to each.

MartyE posted:

Jeez it has been exclusive for 2 years. I suspect the LCCA had an exclusive setup for  a limited time. 

Since when does "exclusive" have a time limit?  I don't have one of the LCCA cars, I am not even a member of LCCA, so I am not invested in this in anyway,  However, those who did purchase the car from LCCA for a premium price might have a different opinion regarding their "exclusive" purchase now.  LCCA advertised that the car would ONLY be available through LCCA which while technically still true because of the differences between the cars, I would believe I was misled had I been a LCCA member and bought one of the cars.  YMMV.

**ETA***  Wife was telling me to come eat lunch when I was proofreading my post.  I have corrected a spelling error and changed the ending of a sentence.  These changes won't show up in posts where this post was quoted before I made the changes.

A lot of things that are exclusive have a finite exclusive period. 

I will probably go for the Reading coaches because I have been hoping Jersey Central/Reading cars get made correctly. It is hard to stomach that price though.

There is a ton of stuff in this catalog that much is certain. I don't quite yet know what all I will be ordering, there are some things that caught my eye. The VL stuff looks fantastic but not for me this trip around. See what else I can look at when I get home. Hopefully it loads better than my phone.

I have no trouble viewing the catalog.  Too much kid stuff. Too much Christmas stuff. I'll stay with collecting prewar, & building my N gauge layout.

Whew, a LONG wait for the catalog, but not being a GS fan,.......   my wait will be even longer............

Hats off  to Lionel for keeping a lid on a pre-release of the Catalog this time.   

MARTYE and GREGM, I purchased this car from the LCCA when it was first available and had my membership extended as part of the purchase.

Also, I recall years ago purchasing a Polar Express animated billboard advertised at that time exclusively available from the LCCA A few years later, Lionel did catalog and make that PE animated billboard available to the public but with a different photo on the billboard. I'm not an expert in such things but I'm guessing that change legally allowed the earlier LCCA version to maintain it's "exclusive" status.

Going to pre-order the Southern Ry Buy War Bonds 0-8-0 to pull my Chattanooga Express cars. Also will eventually get the Southern Trainmasters and E8s but I no longer place high price pre-orders. 

Greg Houser posted:

josef posted:

The 0-6-0T. But surprise they added artist drawn smoke  when it won't have smoke. Wonder how many will think it's also a smoker?

Put your glasses on!   It has fan driven smoke.

I gotta get the lighted Fastrack for under the tree. 

Really like the Friendship Train and will be getting that.

The 0-6-0T engines - I see 2 of those in my future to MU/Lash-up.

The sound boxcars and cattle cars (though I really just want the sound car - perhaps someone will be selling individually after they are released).

I like a few of the Milk Cars, the Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation boxcars.

Need time to digest it all.

-Greg

Thanks. I did miss that. It will be interesting to see how a fan driven smoke unit, boards, and speaker will fit.

Why are the ES44AC $50 less that they were in the 2019 v1 catalog.  Non-powered are the same price in both catalogs.  I wonder what they are removing from this batch the has resulted in a decrease in price.

Surefire posted:

Whats the deal with the price on the E8's?

For the price of 2 powered/ 2 sound locomotives I get 2 powered, 1 with sound. 

Really wish they would just add sound to each.

Surefire,

       For years Lionel sold their AA units as one powered one non powered. I have the E8 PRR 5 Stripe version which was in this configuration. Never found that they could not pull anything I placed behind them. Oh by the way the list price was $999.99 just like these. Now Lionel is changing all their AA units as two powered units for the same $999.99. If both were powered and both had sound Lionel would raise the price to $1099.99. Just my guess. Still as they now come you are still ahead of how they were.

       By the way I never missed not having sound in my non powered engine I don’t think you will ever notice it.

JohnB

What I like for purchase is immaterial at this point in life .  What I like in terms of keeping the hobby alive is sets that will have street prices (such as from Nassau Hobbies, Charles Ro etc.) of under $225 and LionChief locos at under $200.  Standard O freight cars with street prices in the $35 range street price (reduced details). They clearly are hearing the desire for more modestly priced equipment.  There is really little to no competition at those price points, and this is from Lionel, the current and former high price provider to the hobby .  Still a chunk of dough, but likely more affordable to today's families than the prices of Lionel equipment in the 1950s were to most families.  Pleased to see it happening.  Have one of the under $200 LC locos and while it doesn't have speed control, it's reasonable value for the price these days.

Things might be getting better. Catalog loaded quickly for me and all pages viewable.

DaveSlie posted:

Mikado 4501 posted:

I'm very curious about the auxiliary water tenders. Are those derived from the J3a Hudson's? Are they prototypical? I would've thought that they would've used the tooling from the old L3a Mohawk tenders.

The CNJ Baron SD40 set is quite nice, though. Hopefully this run of the SD40's retains the nice look of the kinematic pilots that the 2015 run did.

They are not correct.  The tenders shown in the catalog are from the NYC Hudsons that were just released and are too short.  The correct tender should come from a NYC Mohawk.  A correct tender is in the works from another source.  

Thanks Dave. I thought as much. Hopefully, the tenders will bare resemblance to something more like reality. Lionel should still have the tooling for the L3a Mohawks they did in the 90’s, unless they got destroyed and might go with new tooling.

If the latter’s the case, hopefully a LEGACY NYC L3a Mohawk with whistle steam would be inevitable.

Hopefully, as well, the new trailing truck part will later be available on the parts website for those who bought the 2016 Chessie T-1 since it’s the only one of the T-1 schemes that was not brought back this year despite now having a matching set of passenger cars AND a matching water tender in this catalog...I dunno. 

I’m going for the “ Quillable Cow”! Can’t decide which road name.

It's a huge catalog with lots of items. I think I'll order one of the new "Beer Cars" and add the black roof Polar Express Hobo on Ski's observation car. 

Nothing

I'm in for at least the scale PE hobo car. 

Nothing.  The Vision Line stuff is way too expensive and the O gauge stuff is kind of dumb.  I haven't gotten anything "new" if a long time; I have gotten some real nice stuff  on the "used" market at an affordable price that I am not afraid to run.  I guess I'll just keep doing that.

This is one of the highlights IMO.  If this set doesn't sell well I have no answers.

Always wanted a brass hybrid but that GS Vision price is daunting! I will think about that one some more. I may get the following:

120th Super chief Santa Fe set

Scale Snowflake set

Amtrak E8 - that paint scheme is great

MartyE posted:

This is one of the highlights IMO.  If this set doesn't sell well I have no answers.

I agree with MartyE except I'm a child of the 50's and I have all that original stuff and it's still great.

I couldn't resist the Chateau Martin boxcar to store all my "MILK" products.  I just need to figure out how to work it in with my vineyard scene.  The color is going to make it standout.

Wow, I just finished going through the catalog and my brain has received too much stimulation just now.

All I gotta say to sum up my thoughts is on the scale rolling stock. Stated, hidden uncoupler tabs baby. Bye bye thumb tacks.

I think I will pickup the Strasburg RR set, I'm all diesel and I am ready for a steam engine for a change. 

But I will surely fancy that 120th Super Chief Santa Fe set in the catalog! Really tempting, but way out of my budget.

Paul Kallus posted:

Fortunately for the old wallet and credit card - which is still smoking from the last catalog - I already have the former release of the Reading T1 - a very nice model BTW with rounded underside boiler. The only item I can foresee pre-ordering is the Polar Express Hobo Car, and am glad Lionel is offering it in both the older and newer car liveries. The Snowflake 0-6-0 set and Elf work-train are interesting and will require careful review before committing to a pre-order.

Paul, I like the hobo car, too.  I have the original set from 2014 (black roof), and I think it’s great they still catalog stuff to go with it. But, I’m a little gun shy after the black roof RPO was such a color mismatch for the original set. Also, the cataloged black roof hobo car in this catalog has the lettering in the wrong place to match the rest of the set (the 2014 black roofs have the lettering above the windows). So, to work with the original set, the as-built car needs to match the catalog from a color perspective, but vary from a lettering standpoint. That’s a bit of a gamble on a $220 car.