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Since last year was my 1st full year back in the Hobby I'm not familiar with how Lionel works their product roll outs from year to year.  My 1st impression is there's a lot of repeats from last year (Santa Fe Super Chief, US Steam, Union Flyer Pacific, Blue Comet etc....).  Also, I was VERY EXCITED when I heard they were doing a NASA themed set but after looking at it I'm honestly a little disappointed especially with how many great NASA Engines and cars MTH produced over the years.  

One big miss for me (as I have a young son who loves all things Thomas) is they didn't bring back the moving eyes on the Thomas and related engines.  My boy and all his friends who have seen the one with the moving eyes are instantly fascinated and in love with how the eyes move back and forth as the engine rolls forward.  I guess it was too costly for Lionel to reproduce and the old set w the moving eyes will just continue to rise in value over time.

Lastly I was VERY surprised to see how expensive some of these engines and sets have become...YIKES...I guess the idea is to lure people in/back via Lionchief and once they are hooked, get em to spend $2,500 and upwards on a high end engine/set.

You can complain about pricing but who's actually paying MSRP and if they are, why?  I'm not saying prices didn't go up but we get the same complaint on just about every catalog and everyone quotes the MSRP.  Find your favorite Forum Sponsor and I bet they have some better pre-order prices or even below MSRP pricing.

Last edited by MartyE
@MartyE posted:

You can complain about pricing but who's actually paying MSRP and if your are, why?  I'm not saying prices didn't go up but we get the same complaint on just about every catalog and everyone quotes the MSRP.  Find your favorite Forum Sponsor and I bet they have some better pre-order prices or even below MSRP pricing.

In most cases, I totally agree with that.  But I thought joker34's take was legit.

@MartyE posted:

You can complain about pricing but who's actually paying MSRP and if they are, why?  I'm not saying prices didn't go up but we get the same complaint on just about every catalog and everyone quotes the MSRP.  Find your favorite Forum Sponsor and I bet they have some better pre-order prices or even below MSRP pricing.

I understand what you are saying about not paying MSRP. Same theory applies with the preorder prices. I just didnt bother to quote the preorder prices. Im a Lionel guy, but im really only complaining about the passenger car prices. For the price Lionel wants for them there should be 5 cars not 4. 

Very little to interest me.  I am happy to see the house kits:  I hope to see such offerings boost the creative aspect of this hobby.

I see nothing else I plan to seriously consider.  Part of it is pricing.  $200 boxcars?  I don't care if they squeak and squeal--I don't want them squeaking and squealing.  It's rapacious.  Worse yet is $65 for a modern era 6464 that says "Merry Christmas" and has NO other features.

I might have looked harder at the Christmas Lights Set if it weren't infested with LEDs.  Give me real lights.

I think they are missing a trick by not selling the Halloween sets with orange Fast Track.  The combination seems natural to me for some reason . . . .

"I P Drips Plumbing"?  Really?  That's pretty crass.  I realize that kind of base humor is all the rage these days, but I would have like to see Lionel remain above it.



All in all, except for a possible house kit or two, I will spend my money on Deluxe Marx and classic era (the real stuff, no the imitations) Standard Gauge this year.  I get much more for the money spent--and it's substantially less money!

"I'm getting sadder and sadder that there will be no more MTH catalogs."

Well, I'm sad that I'm getting closer and closer to the inevitable end of life, but I don't let it affect my ability to enjoy a new toy train catalog.  Everything passes. 

MTH made mostly equipment that appeals to the scale oriented three railer.  Seems to me there's plenty of that in this catalog (not my cup of tea, however).  I know not everyone can afford this stuff, so that's frustrating I'm sure, but there it is.  No need to rain on other people's parade because you prefer MTH, on the other hand.

Really disappointed in the Legacy offerings.  Another behemoth (2-10-10-2) that few can afford or even run on a small or even a mid-sized layout.  Almost no mid to small freight steam engines, like perhaps a 2-8-0 or 2-6-0?   And what happened to the Legacy Mikado's?  (I was hoping for a UP Mikado with some other number than 2537.)  Also missing in Legacy are the F-3's, F-7's, FA's.  Sad. 

Just saw this on the NP O-Gaugers Facebook page - hilarious:

May be an image of text that says 'BERNIE GOT HIS, Stop in and pick up your own copy of the new 2021 LIONEL Catalog EOEC HENNING'S TRAINS Serving The Model Û. 1939 28 SOUTH LINE STREET- LANSDALE,P MONEL'

This is NOT meant to be a political post.  There are a slew of Bernie memes going viral and this just adds to the collection.

As to what I'm getting - not much this year.  I'll be getting the Angela Trotta Thomas Christmas shop but that's about it.  Would like to see a PRR Camelback in the next catalogue.

-Greg

Last edited by Greg Houser

I was hoping there would be something of interest for me since this will be the first Lionel catalog out, without the pending MTH catalog...sadly there was not.  The Acela is something I always wanted, but I do not have that kind of money in my train fund, plus to be honest I'd like to know if it works better than the original set before I ordered it.  Really going to miss MTH.  Hopefully 2021 Vol II will have something for me...or maybe this is the universe telling me I have enough trains

I did like the new catalog and I found a few things I would like to have.....but I'm not likely to part with $2.5k for my dream steamer.  I do like the John Bull's but the price for conventional keeps me at bay.  I just finished an automated back & forth for 3 rail using DC.  Although not new, I'm thinking maybe I could integrated the trolley announcement track for fun.  I'd have to work Ross track integration and the AC/DC issue but none of that seems insurmountable.    Like other folks, I see an opportunity for the MTH price point.  Maybe invertors will see it too.

It reads on the side description  in the first paragraph for the 2-10-10-2's that there will also be Safety Valve Steam as a new feature, but below in listed features it doesn't say this. Can anyone verify this? I am torn between the 2-10-10-2 all black or the Mohawk either New Haven or NYC Lines. Being I have a Mohawk from the last run(still one of my favorites to run despite lack of modern features), I am leaning 2-10-10-2, but it'd help to have that safety valve steam clarified.

And yes the passenger car set pricing is getting a bit out of hand.

Outside of the Amtrak Acela Set and the D&RGW Generator passenger car, it is a pretty uninspiring catalog for my interests.  The Acela is out of my budget this year, while I'd be repainting the generator car to Phase I Amtrak so it would be easier to make my own.

I do like the customizable houses.  They would be a nice addition to a suburban style layout.

No disrespect to Lionel, but all the fantasy schemes on the Acela seem like a bit of overkill. 

@GOLDRAIL posted:

It reads on the side description  in the first paragraph for the 2-10-10-2's that there will also be Safety Valve Steam as a new feature, but below in listed features it doesn't say this. Can anyone verify this? I am torn between the 2-10-10-2 all black or the Mohawk either New Haven or NYC Lines. Being I have a Mohawk from the last run(still one of my favorites to run despite lack of modern features), I am leaning 2-10-10-2, but it'd help to have that safety valve steam clarified.

And yes the passenger car set pricing is getting a bit out of hand.

I think Lionel's logic was since they listed it in the description twice they don't have to list it a third time under the features section. Also, I would say the price also shows that the 3000's will have the safety valve feature since the original 3000 did not have the feature and was priced at $2,250. Whereas, these offerings are priced at $2,500. Honestly, I am only basing my thought on past offerings and "Lionel logic."

Two things really stand out to me about the couplers on all the cars. Passenger cars have sprung trucks(with the exception of the Acela/high speed trains), O-Scale freight has Diecast trucks with these descriptions, "with rotating bearing caps" or "Diecast and operating couplers" or "Diecast trucks". Some also say, "Operating couplers with hidden tabs". The only freight cars that have sprung trucks that I saw were in the O-Gauge part of the catalog. That is confusing. Of course too, the catalog are has the "thumb-tack" couplers pictured, but as always, "catalog may differ from finished product." Don't think I will be buying any rolling stock this go around(plus nothing appealing to me for those).

The second thing is way back on the Mohawk page. It says, "a custom weathered version, and two "fantasy" paint schemes". Well, I know the fantasy schemes, the gray and Pacemaker(red), which the Pacemaker also looks weathered. It used to be they stated what was weathered or fantasy(though, I think it is plain to see what is fantasy). Anyone have any idea if any of the black Mohawks are weathered? I zoomed in and they don't look like they are, but what the heck do I know?

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