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I also saw that it was not on the latest shipping schedule update but then there are hundreds of products in it and one missing doesn’t mean anything other than it might have been missed. If it had been cancelled, the bigger dealers like Ro and Nassau would know by now.

The car is not exactly a simple build what with scale length, six wheel trucks and a distinctive set of graphics. Only time will tell when it gets made and delivered. 

Well, my car came yesterday, and I have to say I have mixed feelings about it.

I am happy to have it, it looks great with the rest and completed my excursion train.  But right out of the box there was issues.

You could see these missing from the window in the box.  I did notice that the box rattled after I moved it do shaking it they did fall out.

So I should be able to glue them back on.  The tape the holds the two plastic clam shells together that hold the car was also missing but there was residue.  The tab that goes into the flap that holds the box shut was also torn on the orange box and the master carton had been opened and retaped.  So it feels like someone opened it, took the car out saw the missing parts and just put it back in the box and taped the master carton back up and put it back in the stack to be shipped out.  Not what I've come to expect from a major retailer.  But there is nothing that says it didn't happen before they got it.  The paint on the car was fine, and the missing parts where int eh box, and as it was a built to order I'm not going to worry about returns or swapping it.

The other issues I have are with how the car was made itself.  All of the other Lionel cars not just have a sheet metal floor, but also a piece of steel that acts as a stiffener for the floor.  Even the flag baggage car does.  But this car does not, so when I went to pick it up like I do all my cars, thumb on top and fingers across the bottom on the large rectangular 'tank' in the center of the car the floor bowed right up into the car.  So I turned it over and sure enough the center of the floor is free to move in or out of the car, so has a natural bow into the car, so the detailed parts are too far up as they follow the floor of the car.  The body comes off easily so I can glue some stops in there to hold the floor at the correct location.  Not something I really wanted to do.  Sure the other cars also don't really have anything to keep the floor in place, but with the extra stiffener plate it's a non-issue on them.

The last issue showed up as soon as I applied track power.

Yup, the doors are thinner and glow.  I guess I don't see this on the flag car as it has extra layers of paint of the flag on it.  In a well lit room and the train in motion only a really sharp eye will notice the glowing doors, but as soon as there is less then ideal lighting they are very obvious. So with the other cars being such a win, this was a dud.

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Could anyone else that has received this car see if theirs has the stiffener please?  It's easy to see, just open one of the end doors and if you see black there is none, if it's gray then there is a stiffener.  There is a gap between the end of the car and the plastic floor insert of the car where you can see the metal floor.

@sinclair posted:

Could anyone else that has received this car see if theirs has the stiffener please?  It's easy to see, just open one of the end doors and if you see black there is none, if it's gray then there is a stiffener.  There is a gap between the end of the car and the plastic floor insert of the car where you can see the metal floor.

Hope to get mine from Legacy Station here in the next day or two. Will report back.

Same here, no stiffener.  Also, had loose pieces from the trucks that had to be glued.  A bit disappointed about the floor being able to flop around.  I was looking forward to this car since we toured it when it was there at Ogden during the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinential Railroad completion last year.

@John Hon posted:

Same here, no stiffener.  Also, had loose pieces from the trucks that had to be glued.  A bit disappointed about the floor being able to flop around.  I was looking forward to this car since we toured it when it was there at Ogden during the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinential Railroad completion last year.

I also toured the car then.  My brother and his friends are N scale modelers that do lots of custom detailing of their stuff, so I was thinking with their help I could do the interior of the car like we saw it.  I didn't even own a single Lionel UP passenger car until they announced this car, so I bought cars to make up a train to go with this car.  Then it was a let down when it came out like this.  It is almost like they were made in a rush.

Mine arrived today. I did notice there was no tape holding the packaging together but the trucks were intact and no external blemishes. I pulled the shell off and everything appeared normal except for two missing screws holding the floor down. Not sure what everyone means by no stiffener plate. Mine had the normal steel frame plate the runs the full length of the car like most all the other cars save the Kenefick and Lone Star Business cars.

The baggage doors pass light since they are cast as part of the body and thinner at the point. Some black tape should fix that.

You don't get a lot for your money these days but this will be my last Lionel 21" car.

Peye

Just opened mine up. Definitely seams off. With the fact the floor moves I’m  waiting to make a full conclusion until I’m side by side with my other 21” cars. I did notice just sticking my tiger through one door that end of the floor is missing screws. Honestly it’s not perfect but at least looks good and doesn’t have the issues the first 4 car set had 🙄

I found the reason the floors are missing screws is because the outboard holes don't line up. I drilled and tapped the frame for screws and taped up the inside of the baggage doors. Cured the light problem. Now for my usual mods of moving the couplers inboard for closer coupling and replacing the diaphrams. Also adding stops to firm up the frame location in the middle. Stay tuned.

Pete

Easy fix for the missing "stiffener". I just glued a couple pieces of styrene to the sides of the car (inside of course). I used pieces about 1" long, 1/8" thick and maybe 3/8" wide. Dimensions are not critical, its just what I had handy. I located them .422" above the bottom edge at the center. That figure was derived by measuring the distance the mounting posts at the end of the car are above the end edges. (.132") Then adding the amount the center differs from the ends (.100") and finally adding the thickness of the floor (.190") as its the floor that rests on these stops.

Glue is drying on the new diaphrams. Film tomorrow.

Pete

Last edited by Norton
@Norton posted:

A few pics showing what some electrical tape around the doors can do and also after replacing the diaphrams and moving the couplers inboard .210".

imageimage

This last one is for Rich's benefit as he wondering what everyone is going to use to push those old clunky steam engines around with.

AA98A07C-4599-4527-9826-211B72167EDE





Pete

Pete seeing how nice that gap (lack there of) reminds me that need to go pull up your old thread that’s something I’d really need to do to mine

I had to take mine apart this weekend to fix my truck.  The other bearing cap on that side was also ready to fall off.  I cleaned out the holes and pressed the caps back on so it's all fixed now.  I did noticed that it does have the metal plate in it, but it's painted black instead of the galvanized steel all the other cars had.  I did notice that the floor was hot glued in as the screw didn't line up.  It looks like they used the floor from a shorter car instead of making one the right length of this car.  I will have to add strips to support the floor at some point.

Pete-  What screw and tap size did you use for the other end of the floor?  Drill and tapping was the solution I thought of when I looked at it, but I don't know the size to get.  And what do you do to replace the diaphragms, parts and process?  I don't plan on reducing coupler distance, but adding better looking details might happen.

Wowzers. I JUST ordered this car along with the excursion Two Pack car set and the Legacy First Run 4014 Big Boy, came here to announce my happiness with that decision.. but now.. meh, I'm a bit deflated and disappointed.

To pay Lionel top billing prices they sure should do a much, much better job in quality control / assurance.  This is rather maddening and sad.

That said here in this thread, there are fixes. I'll report back here how my items show up to compare notes with everyone.

==X==OReg====

Last edited by TheOReg

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