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Sent in my F40 because it fried the number board with the flywheel rubbing the wires. It was practically new, maybe and hour of run time on it. For reasons I don’t understand, it looks like your guys pried the switch hatch off with a screwdriver, leaving an awesome looking gash in the roof down to the plastic. The opposite side of the hatch is also torn up.  (Why did you even mess with the hatch? The whole shell needed to come off anyways?)

Also found a hose busted off loose in the box that was nicely attached to the pilot when I sent it out. Naturally it’s been snapped off flush so it can’t be reattached.

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This is NOT the first time your guys have smashed something up when I’ve sent it in. I guess I’ll be calling Monday for a new locomotive that looks more like the one I sent to you.  I’m not gonna send it back so someone can brush paint the roof.

Its bad enough the stuff doesn’t work when you buy it, but this is above and beyond careless. 

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Last edited by Rich Melvin
Original Post

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Because the F40 issues were extremely well publicized.  Dave’s instructions to the forum were to send them back for “repair”. So when someone does what they ask, and you get it back in worse condition then you sent it, why would you not share it?

Fully intend to get a hold of them Monday or Tuesday if they observe the holiday. It’s saturday night, only available avenue is to complain on the forum.  

 

Last edited by Boilermaker1

Although I have had no problems with Lionel's repair doing the repair, I have noticed slight paint scratches or other minor damage on shells and attached items when I get the engine back. I usually just rub it out or fine sand it down and touch-up or glue it back on.

Given the short turn-around, I guess they have too many repairs and too few repair techs to take proper care or glove-handle when handling the engines. They dont seem to treat your engines like they are their engines.

So I guess there is a trade-off when you want a repair by Lionel. That sounds bad, but I accept a complex electronic repair for a few handling blemishes.

86TA355SR posted:

Not sure why you would post this in a public place, might have been better to deal with this in private/directly with Lionel...

 

understand your frustration, I had a 2-8-0 that was a mess. 

His post is valid and in the right "public venue".  Glad he posted it.  We need to know what the "risk is" in sending a warrant item to Lionel techs for repair - even beyond what the transporting entity  might do to it coming and going!

My SD40's didn't work properly out of the box and after two trips to Lionel they still won't "lash-up" smoothly. Also, they came back to me with chipped paint, broken handrails, and other detail parts missing each time.

When I brought this to their attention, they blamed me for not packaging it properly, which is not true.

I'm not happy about it and I don't mind saying so publicly.

AlanRail posted:

Given the short turn-around, I guess they have too many repairs and too few repair techs to take proper care or glove-handle when handling the engines.

Can't tell if you're being facetious or not. Honestly I'd rather it take longer if I received my repaired train in the same shape I sent it in, rather than a fast turnaround time that causes me to sand/paint/glue when it returned to me.

Better a little which is well done, than a great deal imperfectly. - Plato

Last edited by Deuce

The two times I have sent an item to Lionel for warranty repair, it was repaired very quickly and returned in the same condition it was sent, so I guess I've been lucky.

I suppose it does make sense to take some quick pictures from all sides of an item being sent back for warranty repair (to Lionel or any other vendor), so if there is some issue or damage once the item is returned... you'll have the "before" pictures to prove something was damaged, etc.

Troubling but I would want to hear Lionel’s explanation before getting out the wood and the nails.  Some of the damage complained of here is so blatant (remember that fellow with the MTH turbo train with parts floating around in the box - the accusation was that MTH broke it and sent it back that way) that Lionel staff would have to be idiots to send t back that way because it is going to get caught, the customer will be seriously ****ed, and in the era of social media everyone will hear about it.  Not smart.  Because I generally don’t assume idiocy from other seemingly rational adults, I would like to hear all the facts.

I cannot see the damage that well other than to see it is a scratch but I would, in all these cases that are very blatant, suspect shipping damage.

Lionel also does seem to have an issue with its manufacturing contractors that it needs to correct.  Too many horror stories here for there to be nothing here.  I wish them well in getting it right as they are an important part of the hobby. 

Last edited by Ray Lombardo

We can't discount less-than-great shipping practices when returning stuff to LIONEL.

I hope you guys aren't just shipping these things back to Lionel in their "shipper" sleeve...that's pushing your luck for sure.

Gotta double box - and make sure it's a system they can re-use easily when returning your train.

You'd think they would note apparent shipping damage on inspection - like "hatch appears to have popped off in shipping with possible paint damage." - just to CYA.

I just want to say that BOILERMAKER is right in bringing the issue here.I thought that was one of the things the forum was all about.Sharing good and bad experiences and trading information with the purpose of making the hobby better for all of us.Yea were all human sometimes it feels better to breath the bad air out.It will work out...he will get his Locomotive fixed right.

Nick

Last edited by rockstars1989
Ray Lombardo posted:

Lionel also does seem to have an issue with its manufacturing contractors that it needs to correct.  Too many horror stories here for there to be nothing here.  

Ya think?  You can add the SD-40s NW-2s, the shays and most signifigant the Moguls....which have yet to have a solution. ( The only safe one seems to be the Light Mikado)

With hundreds of boxes of defective Lionel items in the warranty dept, I bet its difficult to keep track of whose is whose and whats wrong with which one. Although each item seems to has its regularly scheduled defect.

Dave seeems to be trying his best too.  I'm guessing he doesn't get to pick the subcontractor, and with the bean counters going with the lowest bidder this is what we get.

Something  I found especially telling about "Lionels biggest competitor". When they did a tour of the manufacturing facility that was posted by Trainworld, ITS THE SAME PEOPLE DOING THE MANUFACTURING THAT HAVE DONE IT FOR MANY YEARS.

Maybe this is why "Lionels biggest competitor" seems to have far fewer posts about out of the box failures??

Last edited by OGR CEO-PUBLISHER

I think Lionel in general, and Dave in particular, will be glad when the F40PH saga is over.   That was not one of Lionel's most shining moments. 

As for the hatch, I can tell you why they worked on it, though I suspect they could have been more careful.  It was sticking so bad that you couldn't get it off because of the paint thickness.  I had fixed mine before I sent it in for the other fixes, and it wasn't further damaged.

I'm still a little suspicious of the F40PH as mine occasionally does something odd out of the blue, but I did verify the wiring is routed away from the flywheel and I fixed the number board lighting on both this one and the cabbage unit so they matched in intensity.

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