Lionel SP Salad Bowl Express Set Status

Look closely at the catalog. Read the description. The 57' Mechanical Refrigerators shown in the set have OPENING DOORS. Those are made in China. 

The LionScale made in the USA 57' Mechanical Refrigerators have molded in doors. 

Andrew

falconservice posted:

Look closely at the catalog. Read the description. The 57' Mechanical Refrigerators shown in the set have OPENING DOORS. Those are made in China. 

The LionScale made in the USA 57' Mechanical Refrigerators have molded in doors. 

Andrew

You mis read the info. All reefers are LionScale. That is clearly printed on page 28 of the catalog.

The photo shows Refrigerator Cars with gaps around the opening doors. 

The text lists OPENING doors as a feature of the cars in the Salad Bowl Express train set. 

The LionScale Refrigerator cars are old Weaver cars with molded in door.

Do I have to show you photos of the catalog?

Andrew

Compare the cars in the set and the larger cars shown on the page. 

The cars in the set have large door tracks for opening Side Doors which is a feature of the ones made in China. 

The former Weaver Models cars have a thin door track since the doors do not operate. 

Can somebody from Lionel tell us which cars are actually going to be in the set. 

Andrew

falconservice posted:

Compare the cars in the set and the larger cars shown on the page. 

The cars in the set have large door tracks for opening Side Doors which is a feature of the ones made in China. 

The former Weaver Models cars have a thin door track since the doors do not operate. 

Can somebody from Lionel tell us which cars are actually going to be in the set. 

Andrew

Not trying to start a argument here. If you look on page 64 where the LionScale reefers are listed again they mention opening engine compartment doors, no mention of the plug doors. I believe the info on page 28 is in error. Again on page 28 in large print at the top it says: "All reefers on the page are LionScale" 

The person who wrote the text list opening SIDE doors. 

They used images of the MADE IN CHINA refrigerator cars behind the SP SD40. Those are ones with opening side doors. The problems is the catalog is unclear. 

Andrew

Would like to have someone from Lionel review this and answer some of the questions asked.

ehkempf posted:

Would like to have someone from Lionel review this and answer some of the questions asked.

Then you need to send your questions to Lionel; not post them here for a bunch of hobbyists.

Send email to talktous@lionel.com

Stu

Have sent question to Lionel, they will not formally answer. People in the hobby seem to be a better source.

I hate to stir this up again, but has anyone got any updates on the Salad Bowl Express set. I sent a email to Lionel back in Jan., and still have not gotten a reply. I saw on Train Worlds web site that they expected the set on 6/28/2018. what is the problem with the reefers as the SD40's are already here.

Ed

Talking to a dealer the other day, they have no idea when Lionel is shipping. He told me you can still order the set. I cant see spending 800.00 on another SD40 Set with 4 cars. I love the SP and have their other SD40 sets, but I wish Lionel would do another Auto Rack train or a Intermodal Set with a different engine.

Just saw this thread now.

The hold up with the set is the Reefer that has the EOT. We're waiting on the EOT parts to put on that car. Will probably be a couple of months.

Dave Olson posted:

Just saw this thread now.

The hold up with the set is the Reefer that has the EOT. We're waiting on the EOT parts to put on that car. Will probably be a couple of months.

Thank you for the reply. These were announced in the 2017 Sig catalog. Here we are over a year later and you are saying that you still do not have the EOT parts. I have a manufacturing/engineering background (Carrier Corp.), what kind of planning allows for that to happen. If only the EOT is the holdup, then why not release the separate/individual refer cars. 

Dave,

Please reply to the last post.

@Dave Olson 

Trainlover9943 posted:

@Dave Olson 

Thanks, for the link to Dave's email address. I have sent him a personal email asking the same question as above. I am beginning to think that items from the 2017 Sig. catalog are cursed. I have bought three SD40’s from the 2017 Sig catalog, an Santa FE, an UP and the matching SP SD40R to the one in the Salad Bowl Express set. All three of the SD40’s came with at least one of the couplers just lying in the box with exposed wires. From what I have seen posted on the Web and from talking to Mike from Gargraves this seems to be a common occurrence. What has happened to Lionel quality control? I hope that they have heard from their customer base and will begin to do something about the problem.

Are the PC&F 57' Mechanical Refrigerator cars in the set the LionScale models with molded in doors, or the made in China models with the moveable doors? 

Andrew

falconservice posted:

Are the PC&F 57' Mechanical Refrigerator cars in the set the LionScale models with molded in doors, or the made in China models with the moveable doors? 

Andrew

They are all LionScale, made in USA. Non moveable doors.

For those of you who went to York, was there any news on a ship date?

Is Lionel still going to make the non-Lionscale 57' reefers with opening plug doors? They are among my favorite rolling stock.

Any update on the status of this train.

Did Lionel & Atlas join forces on this one?

Jushavnfun posted:

Any update on the status of this train.

Did Lionel & Atlas join forces on this one?

Why do you think Atlas is involved? The engine is Lionel the reefers are based on the Weaver tooling, now owned by Lionel and produced under the name Lion Scale.

The set is an interesting mix of a high end Legacy SD and Weaver reefers with non-movable doors.  The reefers seem to be the holdup. If the SD is available separately, putting together a “set” that includes higher end reefers may be a good call and it avoids future delay. 

Any updates as when this set will be available?

What about the Refrigerator cars with sound? 

Andrew

I don’t mean to beat a dead horse with a stick, but I will ask again. Does any one have any insider info as to when this set will be available, or has it been cancelled. I know that at least two of the 57’ reefer sets have been released. Sad that these are made in USA and they still are not available.

Sad that the lettuce is turning brown around the edges.

Ryan told me today that the hold up is the EOT on the end of the last reefer. All the rest of the set is in the states ready to ship. The trucks/EOT have been made and are shipping with the EOT tank cars this month from China. They then have to install them on the last Reefer and expect to ship the set in early November to us who are waiting.

Blue Streak posted:

Ryan told me today that the hold up is the EOT on the end of the last reefer. All the rest of the set is in the states ready to ship. The trucks/EOT have been made and are shipping with the EOT tank cars this month from China. They then have to install them on the last Reefer and expect to ship the set in early November to us who are waiting.

Well it is nearing mid November, any word on when this set will be available? This has to be one of the longest past due offerings.

Ed

Still nothing on this set?  Was there a dummy made for this as well?

I wonder how different the final version will be now. 

Will somebody at Lionel post photos and videos of the finished train set? 

Andrew

falconservice posted:

I wonder how different the final version will be now. 

Will somebody at Lionel post photos and videos of the finished train set? 

Andrew

Why do you think the final version will be different? To my knowledge the holdup was the end of train device. 

Grampstrains posted:

Dealers are shipping them out now.

Has anyone received their set yet?

dkdkrd posted:

EOT o-u-t?

Well, that's a relief.  And here I thought the Salad Set delay was a result of the national Romaine lettuce E. Coli debacle!

BTW, in every Lionel (and most others) catalog in very fine print....somewhere...is a caveat that allows for final production variations at odds with catalog descriptions, claims, photos, and artwork.  Need we enumerate past grievances??  Lawyers are happy.  Retail customers are not.  It's very American, though.....the caveats, that is.

Are you saying that they are shipping without the EOT? Was that info formally announced? That was suppose to be one of the special features of this set.

Anyone get theirs yet, or shipping confirmed?

Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

Anyone get theirs yet, or shipping confirmed?

I just received a call from Mike at Gargraves "The Train Doctor" He called to inform me that a FedEx truck showed this morning with my Salad Bowl Express Set. I talked to Mike and had him check over the reefer cars for a EOT device. Yes their is a EOT on the last reefer car as pictured in the catalog. So that rumor of no EOT device has been debunked. I will not be able to get to his place until after the holidays, but since my set is in, I have to believe that others as well will have theirs waiting for them to be picked up. Would appreciate it if others could/would post pictures, as I will have to wait a week or more to see mine.

Ed 

Got my set today. Just a engine and 4 loose reefers in a brown box - packaged by Nassau. No outer box. Disappointment to say the least - nothing special. 

Has the Romaine been declared safe?   

Blue Streak posted:

Got my set today. Just a engine and 4 loose reefers in a brown box - packaged by Nassau. No outer box. Disappointment to say the least - nothing special. 

What were you expecting? Is the set any less than what was advertised in the 2017 catalog, did it change in any way?

ehkempf posted:

Blue Streak posted:

Got my set today. Just a engine and 4 loose reefers in a brown box - packaged by Nassau. No outer box. Disappointment to say the least - nothing special. 

What were you expecting? Is the set any less than what was advertised in the 2017 catalog, did it change in any way?

Usually sets come in a master box like this subway set 

Remember this is a first for Lionel. The engine comes from China and the reefers are USA. So packaging may not have been well thought out.

Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box

would seem to be a "tossed salad express",sorry I couldn't help myself !!

"Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box"

I agree.  For over $800 that's totally LAME!

Fred

Blue Streak posted:

Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box

Wow! I guess that two years from the original announcement wasn’t enough time for Lionel to come up with special set packaging. You had better check the engine. The first set of SD40R’s were plagued with problems, and this engine was part of that original release.

Lionel did the same thing with the Heisler set. The engine got produced long before the cars. I just got the loco in its shipper and a brown box with the logging cars for my "set".

Farmer_Bill posted:

Has the Romaine been declared safe?   

You have to speak to Rich in Mountain Lakes, NJ to answer that question!

I’m assuming the engine is from China, boxed and shipped to the US which is where the LionScale Refer Cars are produced and where the set is finally combined into that “brown shipper” box.  There is something special about the Lionel set boxes full of color and graphics (pictures) of what’s inside that adds to the excitement.

So you get the salad without the dressing?   

What is inside the boxes?

Does it look right? 

Andrew

Looks like the same packaging as the MTH Safety Train set I bought last year.  Contents were undamaged and ran great out of the box, which is what was important to me.  The train is either on display in our train room, or running on the track.  The box is stuffed away in storage somewhere.

Hey, I’ve seen my share of plain empty post war boxes sell for big money at auction. Who knows, today’s ugly box may be tomorrow’s fortune!

 I hope you enjoy your new set!

Would some post a picture of the reefer with the EOT device. Is the EOT attached to the truck, like the separate sale MTH one, or is it attached to the body of the reefer?

How about some pics of the entire set.  Thanks-

Yeah  LOL boxes look nice but trains would be better.

Husky Stack EOT

BobbyD posted:

Husky Stack EOT

Funny looking reefer

it looks just like the picture from BobbyD, except it is black.

ehkempf posted:

BobbyD posted:

Husky Stack EOT

Funny looking reefer

Yeah, didn't know what I took an image of.  Too bad Lionel hasn't posted an image. Have the Lionel 57' car with the light built in, if they do that on the Weaver car rather than this it's going back. 

ehkempf posted:

Would some post a picture of the reefer with the EOT device. Is the EOT attached to the truck, like the separate sale MTH one, or is it attached to the body of the reefer?

Blue Streak posted:

Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box

Technically, isn’t that the entire set?

As a kid, I remember getting train sets from Comb and Woolworths that we’re in plain brown boxes. No fancy store shelf marketing boxes. Just brown corrugated carton full of Bachman HO scale trains. They’re were like $15 or $20 each

Blue Streak posted:

Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box

The box above and the website photo don't seem like a match.

I am embarrassed for Lionel to sell that "set" with no "set box."  I can't think of a single Lionel set that did not come with within a retail box.  That includes 2 packs, 3 packs, ready to run, etc.  Can anybody else? 

Seems like the big L just sank to a new level.  I just don't know if it is a cost control initiative or complete oversight.    

Grampstrains posted:

Steims posted:

Blue Streak posted:

Since it is a set I was expecting the master box like Trainlover posted. Here is how it comes. Just thrown in a box

I am embarrassed for Lionel to sell that "set" with no "set box."  I can't think of a single Lionel set that did not come with within a retail box.  That includes 2 packs, 3 packs, ready to run, etc.  Can anybody else? 

Seems like the big L just sank to a new level.  I just don't know if it is a cost control initiative or complete oversight.    

Think again.  Lionel made up a lot of uncataloged sets in plain boxes in the sixties.  In 1995, I bought a Union Pacific set that was originally made for Sears that came in a plain white set box.  It had a lot of extras that the catalog set did not have.  My son didn't care about the box, he loved the train.

Can we stop with all the complaining about the boxes. How about posting some pictures of what came in the box, especially the reefer with the EOT. Enough is enough....

What's the problem if the set arrived safely and fully operational.

If you need "proof" that your plain brown box is the "set" box, presumably there is a shipping label with a date on it.

I never laugh at another person's misfortune, but I confess to a couple of quiet chuckles over this discussion of boxes.

I'll gladly trade my fancy Polar Express boxes for cars that aren't in pieces when they are taken out of the boxes for the first time! 

Can you please take photos of the refrigerator cars and upload them.

Andrew

Who took the finished version of the SP locos and refrigerator cars out of the boxes to record photos and videos?

Can you please post the photos and videos.

Andrew

Here's Mine, What a Beauty!!!

 I've only had two sets ever in "fancy" boxes.

Both are packed away; unseen, or they'd be in a landfill.

  Most were L logo printed brown boxes with the set number stamped on the end. I had a couple of totally plain boxes too. Special order sets were still being sent in individual shippers in the early 80s when I drifted from the hobby.  

In fact, a fancy store box made me automatically question if it was model or toy quality. It was the last thing I wanted to see back then. (Im much more toy tolerant as an adult. Go figure)

  The Sears white boxes I remeber well. They didn' go over well locally. Lionel shipped Sears a pallet of brown box printed with the logo, but one color printing and no stamp area, just to satisfy those who wouldn't buy without a "real" Lionel box. They even had to get a number stamp (they used a grocery store sized stamper, lol) As a kid I thought that was a silly waste of resources watching the "train guy" moving stuff between boxes. I don't feel much different today. I'd rather have a cardboard billboard sheet than a set box

Then again I'm an operator vs a collector, nothing stays in a box and returning them to a box just makes me sad 

SPSF posted:

Here's Mine, What a Beauty!!!

Thats not it, this is it.

My girl says to the conductor "We are on the Honeymoon Salad Express."

"Honeymoon Salad Express?" he wondered.

"Yes! Lettuce Alone!" 

This is what I could find on YouTube. 

Andrew

SD40’s that sound like SD60’s.  You had one job, Lionel...