Jack Lynch (Bachmann and Williams by Bachmann) started the manufacturers’ presentations at 2:00 pm. WbB is bringing out a scale GE 44-tonner which will be available initially in the following road names and numbers: Pennsylvania Railroad #9338, Santa Fe 463 with “zebra” safety stripes, Southern Railway #1957, and Rio Grande #42 with safety stripes on the ends. The model will have die-cast frame and trucks, dual motors with flywheel, LED lighting, and an engineer cab figure. [My personal opinion: the pilot model they showed looked really nice to me and I suspect many people will buy this for use as is or to modify – I believe two-railers will find this model a good starting point for conversions. I also can foresee three-railers buying this for further modifications: different or additional road names and numbers, adding a command control system (although the dual motors may put space availability at a premium), and wiring the motors in series for enhanced slow-speed operation.] For modelers of the modern era, they are also coming out with a front-runner intermodal car with trailer in UP, Conrail, CSX, and Santa Fe. In the E-Z Streets line they are bringing out right and left hand 21” diameter remote control turnouts that can also be operated manually. An E-Z Streets “starter set” is also available that includes a green sedan, oval of track, power supply with speed controller, and Plasticville USA Turnpike Interchange toll gate building kit. Jack also showed Bachmann items in HO, N, and large (G) scale: Many circus items, new Chuggington trains for the youngsters in HO, and Bachmann’s new “sound value” GG1s. Personal opinion: the GG1 models are very nice and they are the first mass-produced GG1 models I remember seeing where the pantographs have the reach of the prototypes as would be seen with Army-Navy game trains under the very high wires of Greenwich Yard in South Philadelphia. Finally, Jack showed the carded production items in their new three-rail O scale Bachmann E-Z Track System. He did say items would be added to this E-Z track line without specifying what they would be; if I had to guess I would say they will probably include track switches or turnouts and a crossing or two – pure conjecture on my part.
Next up at 2:30 was Paul Fisher representing Weaver. Their Alco RS-11 diesels are making a return run in Pennsylvania, Delaware & Hudson, Canadian National, Southern Pacific, Central Vermont, and New Haven. Available in both 2- and 3-rail, the 3-rail models will have Electric Railroad Co. command control and sound systems. Paul mentioned that since Weaver does their own painting and decorating here in their factory in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, they are in a position to offer additional road names if warranted. So if you want an RS-11 in a different road name, Weaver is willing to listen. The Pullman-Bradley passenger cars are also returning in New Haven green, New Haven Black Knight (McGinniss), Boston & Maine, and Lehigh Valley John Wilkes scheme. Similar to the ACE passenger train station canopy that Weaver imported a number of years ago, they will be offering tinplate-style expandable locomotive sheds in both single and double track versions from Darstaed. The basic sheds are 350 mm or 13.75” long while the expanded versions are 700 mm or 27.5” long. All versions have double doors on both ends, printed acrylic windows, interior detailing and lighting, and come fully assembled. Paul also showed new woodside reefers (four beer/ale cars, one spring water car, and one dairy car) and the Milwaukee Road boxcars with roof hatches that served Milwaukee breweries.
Mike Wolf presented for MTH beginning a bit before 3:00 with the pad application for controlling trains through DCS. He said it was a lot of fun and encouraged people to try it out at the MTH booth. MTH will be bringing out some new New York City R17 subway cars. In a venture similar to Lionel Corporation Tinplate, MTH will also bring to market Märklin’s Leipzig Station in the August timeframe. MTH will also be producing more Ives and Dorfan reproductions, the National Limited, and monorails including one with Lionel logos in the Lionel Tinplate line. Mike showed some of their new S gauge freight cars and said track will be delivered in three weeks (the former S-Helper track line). Finally, he mentioned that MTH will have an all-new website in about a month that will include parts with exploded views.
At four, the Lionel team began its presentation with J. Don Reese giving a Tennessee Valley Chattanooga Express LionChief train set to the TCA Museum. New Lionel president and CEO Howard Hitchcock was introduced and made remarks. He noted that very few people get to take the reins of a company that been in business for over 114 years. He mentioned that Jerry Calabrese had guided the company through some very turbulent years. He talked about “driving the passion forward” continuing its momentum while moving it in new directions. He said Lionel is going to focus on the basics: they will focus on a few key stories at a given time rather than trying to be everything to everybody all the time. He said that Lionel is a world class company and it needs to have world class quality and attributes such as how it interacts with customers. He said the New York office had been closed, Ohio will be closed; for the most part the organization will be consolidating in North Carolina – the core expertise of the company will all be gathered together in one location. He made the point that the new power and track catalog was not just a selling tool but also an educational tool, explaining how to expand beyond the starter set and move deeper into the hobby. He said we would find the Lionel booth would be simpler but also more hands-on as they have found this is the key to engaging youth who are the customers of tomorrow. J Don Reese and Matt Ashba then went into the product presentation starting with Lion Chief Plus (LC+) locomotives. J. Don noted that this product line fills the void between conventional beginner sets and the high-end Legacy offerings. It is aimed at improving the well-being of the entire hobby over the long term. LC+ diesel locomotives will all have multiple voice messages (sound sets), electro-couplers at both ends, dual motors, directional lighting, and cab lights that dim when the loco starts to move. Steam locomotives will have single motors, flickering fire boxes, and an easy connection between the locomotive and tender (speakers in the tender). He said that the locomotives are rugged pullers. Matt Ashba showed a new technology Lionel is using: 3D-printing to build their pilot models – he showed the new scale-sized heavy Mikado as a model built using 3D printing (more like 3D prototyping). He said this makes it much easier to catch problems before full-scale production begins. Although the 3D printed prototype is in plastic, the production locomotive will be die-cast metal. MSRP for the heavy Mikado is expected to be $1299 and it will be available in seven road names plus as a “pilot” (unpainted except for protective clear coat and undecorated) model. He also showed the massive die-cast scale SP Cab-Forward that will have both horn and whistle and both are quillable. In additional to prototype paint schemes, it will also be offered in a “fantasy” Daylight paint scheme. Minimum curve diameter will be 072. J. Don then talked about the Lionel PRR Coal Train with the M1 locomotive, GLa hopper cars, and N5b cabin car (caboose). He noted that manufacture of the GLa hoppers began in the 1904-1911 time period and the cars continued to run through the 1960s. He said Lionel is working hard to be as true to prototype as possible for the GLa’s. They will have plastic bodies and metal die-cast frames. Matt Ashba said that the PRR N5b cabin car is Lionel’s first true scale caboose. The Berwind hopper cars are also prototypically correct since they used PRR GLa’s. Turning to modern freight cars, Matt showed a 3D-printed model of an 86-foot 8-door boxcar as a peak at a model that will be offered in 2015. A similar 4-door boxcar is being offered this year. Due to their special close-coupling mechanisms, they can negotiate curve diameters as small as 054. Matt then moved to the American Flyer line and showed one of the modern ES44AC locomotives. Then he talked about the hi-rail vs. scale wheelsets issue and said that, contrary to what the catalog says, the 2014 product line will ship with hi-rail wheelsets. Finally he mentioned new licenses and showed an O scale LC “Frosty the Snowman” set headed up by an 0-8-0 steam locomotive that will be in the Christmas catalog.
luckily there are some good custom painters around!
