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Hey Bryant, can you expand on this?

When Lionel brought out the Lagacy PE Berkshire about 3 years ago.  They released a Passenger set and in the following years, add-on cars.  The Words "POLAR EXPRESS" are written below the windows.  In the new catalog, the cars are similar, but the words "POLAR EXPRESS" are above the windows.  The cars listed in the catalogue will mmatch the propr released with the wording in the correct spot. 

I jumped right in, but realized it when I looked at my existing cars.  Easy to miss.

Bryant, ahh, got it. I have the original set from 2014 (black roof).  The lettering is above the windows on them, so I’d didn’t pick up on it. Sounds like they are consistent with (i.e., match) the black roof cars, but not the newer white roof cars.

Of course, we’ve still gotta wait for the as-built paint colors to determine if they actually match any or the previous sets.....

Looking closer ate the printing on PE cars, they were wrong.  Canxcelled that, but could not resist the red Pacemaker and boxcar set with caboose.  If the colors come out close to the catalog, it should be a very deep looking set.

So you're not talking about the "Acela Polar" but the add on sleeper cars to the scale steam locomotive, correct?  I noticed that too but I wouldn't have pre-ordered those anyways.

Last edited by MartyE

Right! That’s why we call them “non prototypical paint schemes “.

To me, there is something vaguely condescending about using the term “fantasy “ when. Referring to these trains. It’s almost as if the speaker is looking down on them for not being prototypical and looking down at the people who buy them. I’m sure that’s not the case but it can come across that way.

You are correct.  Rusty has long held the opinion that it if it wasn't "real" it shouldn't be made for others to buy & enjoy.  He doesn't seem to understand that, in many instances, by offering these alternate paint schemes & even fun stuff like Disney, Star Trek or Scooby Doo rolling stock, etc., often allows Lionel to meet its minimum production requirements with its manufacturers. 

@MartyE posted:

So you're not talking about the "Acela Polar" but the add on sleeper cars to the scale steam locomotive, correct?  I noticed that too but I wouldn't have pre-ordered those anyways.

That is correct.  Not the Acelas.  I am relieved.  My fear was that they were going to add to the set with add-ons every year.  I am pretty much done after I receive the Hobo and they change out the RPO shell.  FWIW, the movie did not have all those cars.  I think maybe 5 total.

Last edited by Bryant Dunivan 111417
@RadioRon posted:

You are correct.  Rusty has long held the opinion that it if it wasn't "real" it shouldn't be made for others to buy & enjoy.  He doesn't seem to understand that, in many instances, by offering these alternate paint schemes & even fun stuff like Disney, Star Trek or Scooby Doo rolling stock, etc., often allows Lionel to meet its minimum production requirements with its manufacturers.

So true... I’m not interested in Frozen, Disney, or the Polar Express. But if Lionel makes money off these trains and stays afloat than by all means catalog them.

@RadioRon posted:

You are correct.  Rusty has long held the opinion that it if it wasn't "real" it shouldn't be made for others to buy & enjoy.  He doesn't seem to understand that, in many instances, by offering these alternate paint schemes & even fun stuff like Disney, Star Trek or Scooby Doo rolling stock, etc., often allows Lionel to meet its minimum production requirements with its manufacturers.

"So true... I’m not interested in Frozen, Disney, or the Polar Express. But if Lionel makes money off these trains and stays afloat than by all means catalog them."



Sometimes I get the uncomfortable feeling that there is a group of unelected politicians on this Forum who seem to know "what's best" for the rest of us as politicians are wont to do.

I humbly suggest they give it a rest and let us make up our own minds. 

@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.

Spot on, Marty.   Its always about the MSRP.   Granted, the actual prices thru the major Lionel dealers are not all that much less, the fact is that they are less!

@RadioRon posted:

Spot on, Marty.   Its always about the MSRP.   Granted, the actual prices thru the major Lionel dealers are not all that much less, the fact is that they are less!

Even so, I like to make my preorders direct from Lionel.  It’s not much more than what you get from the dealer and I find you get it quicker since it comes directly from Lionel. MSRP doesn’t really bother me too much.

@RadioRon posted:

You are correct.  Rusty has long held the opinion that it if it wasn't "real" it shouldn't be made for others to buy & enjoy.

Sorry if my thoughts and opinions upset you.  I've had my share of non-prototypical or fantasy stuff in my lifetime.  Adaptation to something similar is fine, like MTH substituting an E8 for their Train of Tomorrow because they didn't make an E7 or the Lionel Santa Fe Northern's of 2019 in various roads.  But slapping a warbonnet on a 2-10-10-2 or a Chessie System on a decidedly Southern Pacific GS4 doesn't cut the mustard with me.  It's one thing to make a compromise, another thing to go off into left field.

I just think it's getting out of hand now.  I'm wondering how long before we start seeing Generals in Santa Fe warbonnet or Amtrak...

  He doesn't seem to understand that, in many instances, by offering these alternate paint schemes & even fun stuff like Disney, Star Trek or Scooby Doo rolling stock, etc., often allows Lionel to meet its minimum production requirements with its manufacturers.

Don't try to psychoanalyze me,  I understand that.  I've mentioned that same logic in several of my posts.

Rusty

You can order directly from Lionel's store on their website.  Of course, you will pay full retail.  The advantage is that you get your items earlier than anyone else directly from Lionel.  So that's the trade off.  I have placed my orders directly with Lionel and have been very satisfied with the service.

Gee, I dunno.   If you ordering any big ticket stuff, you are forking over unnecessary money to, possibly, receive a product a week or two sooner than you would from say, Trainworld or Charles Ro?

@BillYo414 posted:

I caught that portion of the video and it sounds like it was the bottom left locomotive that is weathered. We'll see what you find out.

I'm still on the fence about ordering one. I mean I could easily pick up a side hustle this summer to get the money together but something keeps telling me to hold off. Maybe I'll wait to see what's in the second catalog.

Got a definitive answer tonight in an email from Mr.Muffin's Trains. It's the one on top of page 17, 2131540 #2775, see attached photo.

Screenshot_20210126-212855

This actually brings a bit of a smile to my face because that one I didn't like so much. Still not sure what I am going to order, but figured I'd get this information out there for everyone else that may not be on Steve's emailing list.

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Images (1)
  • Screenshot_20210126-212855

In an earlier post, I stated there were only two Penny prototypical items in the catalog (both gondolas), and neither fit my late 40s era.  I thought why not find a car for interchange service, especially a Southern Railway car since the SR will have an interchange track on my layout.  Turns out there were no items for the late 40s, other than a couple of the very expensive Vision Boxcars with did not interest me.  And as far as SR, the only Southern item I saw was the LC 2.0+ RS-3.  Not sure if it is scale, but it did not fit my era anyway (delivered in 50s).

Even if I wanted to buy something in this catalog, there was nothing in it that fit my era other than those couple of expensive Vision Boxcars.  My wife supports my train hobby, and even got me an Atlas X-29 boxcar I was looking for for Christmas.  But she was happy with this catalog (no purchases).  She thinks I have more items now than we can run and she is right.

However, if I was into fantasy schemes, there were several very nice items that would have been hard to pass up.

Got a definitive answer tonight in an email from Mr.Muffin's Trains. It's the one on top of page 17, 2131540 #2775, see attached photo.

This actually brings a bit of a smile to my face because that one I didn't like so much. Still not sure what I am going to order, but figured I'd get this information out there for everyone else that may not be on Steve's emailing list.

Interesting. In the catalog and on the website, #2790 is a lighter/duller black than the rest of the engines, including #2775. I interpreted that as being the weathered one. I will have to confirm myself.

@0-Gauge CJ posted:

Interesting. In the catalog and on the website, #2790 is a lighter/duller black than the rest of the engines, including #2775. I interpreted that as being the weathered one. I will have to confirm myself.

Yeah, I know. The first thing Ryan & Dave said on the catalog FB event was #2790, I emailed Mr. Muffin's to get an answer. Tonight when they released details on one of their custom runs for the Pacific's, that was at the bottom. I figured I'd pass it along. The only other way to get confirmation would be email Ryan directly or confirm at your local train store. It stinks that they didn't include "weathered" tags on which were, but I guess they were pressed on editing the catalog and just let it rip as was.

I enjoy primarily prototypical models, but there certainly is nothing wrong with some "what if's" now and then.  Mehano/IHC made an HO GG1 in a modified Milwaukee Road paint scheme, which is conceivable if a GG1 could have been made to run on the MR electrified lines.  The IHC box label generally calls it a GG1; but one variant label actually calls it a Little Joe!

Apparently, the New Haven EP-3 was loaned to the Pennsylvania for study, and the GG1 has been described as largely an EP-3 clone with a streamlined, Loewy carbody.  What with New Haven and the Pennsylvania teaming up to form the New York Connecting Railroad responsible for building ****'s Gate bridge, and also teaming up to run the through trains from Boston to points south of Manhattan such as Philly & Washington, DC, and as the New Haven had substantial catenary lines.  MTH did an East Wind set, with a GG1 on point -- a joint project between the Pennsylvania, New Haven, and a few other cooperating railroads, with service from Washington to Portland, Maine.  So it also seems entirely plausible that the New Haven might have acquired some GG1s at some point.  (Okay, I know they did not really acquire any in fact -- just not as farfetched as, say, the New York Central acquiring a huge engine from another railroad that was not only a bitter competitor, but would not have fit through their older, lower-clearance tunnels.)

There have also been GG1s made by a few different HO manufacturers in the McGinness scheme.

In a future O gauge catalog, it would be fun to see a GG1 in the Cranberry paint scheme, or the green top/orange bottom with pinstripes, for example.

So, to each his own -- whatever makes you happy!

David

Fantasy NH GG1 - Orange Stripe w Green Top

IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road GG-1 Electric Locomotive, C7 - Actual Photo1IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road GG-1 Electric Locomotive, C7 - Actual Photo3Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo25Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo24Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo23

IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road # E71 GG1 Electric Locomotive - Sample Box End Photo2

IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road # E71 GG1 Electric Locomotive - `Little Joe' Variant Box End

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Images (8)
  • IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road GG-1 Electric Locomotive, C7 - Actual Photo1
  • IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road GG-1 Electric Locomotive, C7 - Actual Photo3
  • Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo25
  • Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo24
  • Tyco 251-28 NH # 6611 GG1 McGinness Paint Scheme, LNIB - Sample Photo23
  • Fantasy NH GG1 - Orange Stripe w Green Top
  • IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road # E71 GG1 Electric Locomotive - Sample Box End Photo2
  • IHC M9670 Milwaukee Road # E71 GG1 Electric Locomotive - `Little Joe' Variant Box End

Well, after another run through the catalog and some questions to myself, decided to pass. I'm mostly PW oriented and also enjoy the Lion Chief Plus 2.0 offerings so none of the higher end stuff for me anyway.

Decided that down the road if there's something I end up really wanting and it's available,  I'll just grab it after release.

Will put my 2021 dollars towards adding some PW items on my list.

I went from not going to, to Red Pacemaker, Vision boxcar set, SF Valley Flyer 2-10-10-2 7 & 2 C&NW boxcars.  I am preparing for these by selling a couple of sets plus 1 of my Acela sets.  I decided to keep 1 and not go with the new one.  O like the doors on the Acela opening with remote command.  The good news, it will take the better part of the year before I have to cough up the dough.

Now, we can start with, when is Vol. 2 coming out?  Just kidding.  Now my mind goes to October York.  From my lips to g_ds ears.

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