Locomotive for Polar Express Scale Freight

Lionel made a scale GP7 several years ago. I can't remember if it was 'Polar Railroad' or 'Polar Express'.

grp24 posted:

Lionel made a scale GP7 several years ago. I can't remember if it was 'Polar Railroad' or 'Polar Express'.

I've got one. It says "Polar Railroad". I have all of the Polar Railroad (with a few duplicates) and most of the Polar Express scale freight cars. I have one caboose each Polar Railroad / Polar Express.

There is one on eBay now. Do a search for "Polar Railroad" gp7

Thanks, guys. But, specifically looking for Polar Express. They have released tons of freight cars but nothing to pull them with beyond the recent BiPolar which was a weird choice but for its name. 

Well if you place your pre order in by Friday, you can order the Polar Express 0-6-0 switcher for starters.

Other than the Berkshire (two &1/2 runs), and the electric, there were no other Polar Express locomotives painted up by Lionel.

BTW the Polar RR K4 is really a passenger locomotive. While it can pull freight, you are limited to the amount of freight cars it can pull if you look at the 1:1 specs.  A 2-8-2 Heavy Mike (Lima's super power H10) would be a nice addition to the Polar Express Line to pull those freight cars. If the Polar Express freight continues to expand, Lionel may have to offer a (Lima) J1 2-10-4 to pull them all!

I believe the 0-6-0 is traditional size and not scale. So, that is not what I’m looking for in regard to the scale freight. Otherwise, I like all of your ideas - something needs to just show up in the catalog. I should have bought one of the undecorated heavy mikes and lettered it, but cant find one now. 

Rider Sandman posted:

I believe the 0-6-0 is traditional size and not scale. So, that is not what I’m looking for in regard to the scale freight. Otherwise, I like all of your ideas - something needs to just show up in the catalog. I should have bought one of the undecorated heavy mikes and lettered it, but cant find one now. 

Sorry but your belief is wrong. That 0-6-0 is full scale. It does mimic a Reading RR switching locomotive.

Unless we are talking about a different loco, the 0-6-0 from the elf train is cataloged as an O gauge (Lionchief) loco as opposed to an O scale engine. The scale engines are generally Legacy. As far as I know, the only scale PolEx engines released are the 1225 and BiPolar. Lots of traditional releases and lots of scale “Polar RR” releases, just not many scale PolEx releases. 

The o-6-0 Polare Express Switcher is catalog as a "Lionchief" loco because the Legacy electronics can't fit into such a small locomotive. When you talk "O Scale" it's about size and its the size and details that count..

The Switcher on the far right of the pic will be the SAME switching locomotive Painted for the Polar Express

The arial view of the Same loco [one on the bottom] that will be done for the Polar Express.

This Polar Railroad Switcher will be MORE to scale than the ex K-Line B6 painted as Polar Railroad.

Alright then, assuming you’re right, I’m still hoping for a Legacy scale engine in PolEx.  I don’t own any Lionchief stuff and not really interested in breaking up an elf train. I still like your idea about a PolEx heavy mike. 

The 2-8-4 Berk was not only handsome  - it was a strong puller and used in freight service by most railroads. Get the scale Berk and you can pull either the fright or the passenger cars in scale.

That's why you haven't seen another engine  - the scale freight are another option to keep the engine working - the passenger is only scheduled once a year

The scale Berk is awesome, indeed. I have the first one from 2014 and really like it. It’s always in passenger service.  I’m looking for a second option so they can run at the same time. 

Besides the PE Berks and Polar RR K-4s, Lionel has made some scale engines, some steam and some diesel in various Christmas holiday themes. MTH has released some Christmas engines as well, in the Railking Line which may or may not be scale. I recommend the Legacy USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2) released last year for freight duty. It speaks Christmas literally with custom sounds and of course its livery colors. Lionel also released the Santa's Shay - also Legacy, and a fantastic engine.

TrainWorld made these videos which I think are okay to post here:

YouTube video of USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gESYsMPreOQ&t=92s

YouTube video of Santa's Shay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l4WNUrdejU

Paul Kallus posted:

Besides the PE Berks and Polar RR K-4s, Lionel has made some scale engines, some steam and some diesel in various Christmas holiday themes. MTH has released some Christmas engines as well, in the Railking Line which may or may not be scale. I recommend the Legacy USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2) released last year for freight duty. It speaks Christmas literally with custom sounds and of course its livery colors. Lionel also released the Santa's Shay - also Legacy, and a fantastic engine.

TrainWorld made these videos which I think are okay to post here:

YouTube video of USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gESYsMPreOQ&t=92s

YouTube video of Santa's Shay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l4WNUrdejU

 

 

 

Thanks, Paul. I was hoping you would chime in given your history with the PolEx scale stuff. Both the Mountain and the Shay are nice, but would require repaints to the PolEx livery. That may just be where I’m headed if something doesn’t catalog soon. Given I have a literally unused Pacific pilot sitting on the shelf, maybe it’s a good candidate. Anybody ever paint a pilot?

Rider Sandman posted:

Alright then, assuming you’re right, I’m still hoping for a Legacy scale engine in PolEx.  I don’t own any Lionchief stuff and not really interested in breaking up an elf train. I still like your idea about a PolEx heavy mike. 

I chose the "Heavy Mike" because I am keeping with the "Lima" theme of locomotive superpower.

For what it is worth, I'd also like to see Lionel make a Legacy PE steam engine...and/or a Polar RR livery model. I was hoping for a scale Challenger or Cab Forward in either of these roadnames...the latter is something I can easily see Santa using.

The Bipolar was a natural choice for a PE electric as it is somewhat eccentric-looking, unusual, and ostensibly something Saint Nicholas would use as it is a near silent runner - just the real thing - and thus ideal for delivering toys on Christmas Eve, to those areas with catenary, that is

Rider Sandman posted:

Paul Kallus posted:

Besides the PE Berks and Polar RR K-4s, Lionel has made some scale engines, some steam and some diesel in various Christmas holiday themes. MTH has released some Christmas engines as well, in the Railking Line which may or may not be scale. I recommend the Legacy USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2) released last year for freight duty. It speaks Christmas literally with custom sounds and of course its livery colors. Lionel also released the Santa's Shay - also Legacy, and a fantastic engine.

TrainWorld made these videos which I think are okay to post here:

YouTube video of USRA North Pole Central Mountain (4-8-2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gESYsMPreOQ&t=92s

YouTube video of Santa's Shay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l4WNUrdejU

 

 

 

Thanks, Paul. I was hoping you would chime in given your history with the PolEx scale stuff. Both the Mountain and the Shay are nice, but would require repaints to the PolEx livery. That may just be where I’m headed if something doesn’t catalog soon. Given I have a literally unused Pacific pilot sitting on the shelf, maybe it’s a good candidate. Anybody ever paint a pilot?

Really.With all the runs lionel has done with the polex.You have your gold scale polar express.Then you have the chrome polar express also scale.Then you have the legacy scale.Or head over to charles ro its a sure thing.They may have a few left over.Or try ebay a shot.

What "chrome plated" polar Express?

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

What "chrome plated" polar Express?

Maybe he is speaking of that Lionel 115th Anniversary Berk, which has nothing to do with the PE.

Does Lionel have to get an item preapproved before production or once they have the license it can go on whatever they wish?

Just run a Polar Express tender with a different steam engine? 

BobbyD posted:

Just run a Polar Express tender with a different steam engine? 

Sure, why not just buy one of the separate sale PE tenders and run it with whatever engine you want?

prrhorseshoecurve posted:

Rider Sandman posted:

I believe the 0-6-0 is traditional size and not scale. So, that is not what I’m looking for in regard to the scale freight. Otherwise, I like all of your ideas - something needs to just show up in the catalog. I should have bought one of the undecorated heavy mikes and lettered it, but cant find one now. 

Sorry but your belief is wrong. That 0-6-0 is full scale. It does mimic a Reading RR switching locomotive.

In 2015 Lionel cataloged a B6 Legacy Switcher in the Polar Railroad name. Could not find any Polar Express switchers except the new Lionel Chief Elf set that had a 0-6-0T engine. I always thought Polar Railroad was the name of the RR like Pennsylvania Rail Road and Polar Express was the name of it’s special train like Broadway Limited was a trains name not a railroad.

Lionel has issued other engine and freight cars using the Polar Express name, don’t know why they did not make them “Polar Railroad” but then we are talking about trains that were in a children’s book so I guess there are no prototypical rules that apply. I think that is the way it should be.

JohnB

My best guess John was that "Polar Railroad" was an interm scheme to [A] "test the waters" and see if people would buy scale freight cars closely decorated as polar express and [B]  until Lionel could get the ok from the P.E. licensing dept to run freight as well. I doubt we will see anymore Polar RR freight now that Lionel has the "Green light"  to make "Polar Express" freight.