What do you think of "Mega-Tracks"?

Overpriced junk. Swing and a miss.

-Greg 

If I was 7 yo and this was 1969, I would be moderately interested in Megatracks until I realized that there is no racing in the set, no trains to speak of, no skill involved(like slot car racing), and all my friends with Johnny Lightning sets and Hot Wheels SuperCharger sets have much better toys.

Set it up in 2 hours, run it for 4 minutes, and there it sits.

If I was 7 yo and this being 2016, I would be less than interested in Megatracks... still no racing in the set, still no trains to speak of, no skill involved beyond setting up different track arrangements. There is just nothing to keep anyone's attention much beyond putting it together.  It doesn't resemble anything familiar or cherished by kids these days, and it can't be used as a model for operational exercises.

Set it up in 2 hours, run it for 4 minutes, and there it sits.

Lionel has NASCAR, they should concentrate on perfecting the old PowerPassers concept in 1/64 or 1/48(or both) track racing using some form(s) of the myriads of remote technologies available and the improvements in tooling, drivetrain, power transmission, and decoration capabilities available. They would have a ready market as a cross section of those they serve now and well beyond... age groups too. With Hornby/Scalextric having a tough go of it, there may be room for Lionel.

I think that pretty much anyone that is a member of the OGR forum is NOT the target market for this product.  As a stand alone product, it seems as good as any other similar toy.  Nothing here for folks interested in trains, but a neat toy for children.  I can see it being expanded with multiple "tracks" for side by side racing and such, and the flexible setup could be fun, especially with added "track" strung about.  Reminds me of the flexible hot wheels track from back in the 80's where you had a motorized "launcher" that used big wheels to lunch a hot wheels car down whatever track you came up with.  I can speak from experience that those tracks were a lot of fun and my buddies and I spent hours playing with them.  

Then again, folks said the same thing about LionChief, and it managed a very strong following with folks into serious O-gauge trains.  Suppose time will tell if this is anything more than a gimmicky toy.  

JGL

c

We're not the target audience.  My opinion is practically worthless on it.

Look for these at the Dollar Store in Januuary. 

 Reminds me of the flexible hot wheels track from back in the 80's where you had a motorized "launcher" that used big wheels to lunch a hot wheels car down whatever track you came up with.

Hot Wheels started in 1968 (I looked it up), My younger brother had a set. Nothing motorized, but it was a lot of fun.
Hot Wheels as still being made. IMHO, you get a lot of play value for what you spend with them. Cars are only around a dollar each, and the prices of the track aren't bad either.

Plus you can use the cars without the track.

IMHO, the $100 price tag of their set puts the Mega-Tracks in a whole different world.

Good luck!

MartyE posted:

We're not the target audience.  My opinion is practically worthless on it.

Agree with what Marty said .... 

C W Burfle posted:

  Nothing motorized,

This is the Hot Wheels SuperCharger I was referring to.

I had a lot of fun too with Hot Wheels Sizzlers. Still would if I still had them.

My older son had something like the Hot Wheels Super Charger set that Rob linked. I think the motor unit was a bit different. Probably worked the same way. The car was squeezed through two rotating rollers made of spongy material.

My younger son had the Hot Wheels Volcano Blowout set. It had a similar motor unit.

Both sets are put away for the future. Hope the sponges don't dry out.

I don't think anything of "Mega Tracks."

Pete

Grampstrains posted:

Like some others, I agree with Marty.  The best way to look at this is to think like a ten year old.    This may be a hit or it may end up

Like "Revolvers".

Honestly reminds me more of that Helios 21 balloon. I'm a college student and I think it's not a good way to get young people into the hobby. Make quality trains for a decent price point, and maybe try and get some displays out there. I think LC and LC plus were a step in the right direction. Also why they stay in China with their rtr stuff is beyond me. Especially with the price point on those lion scale cars. 

I spend no time at all thinking about Megatracks.  AAMOF, I just wasted some time here commenting on this thread, I need to clear my mind of this junk.

Lionel MegaTracks is going to be a big flop. If they want to recreate their failures during the late 50s to the early 70s, then MegaTracks is a good start. I, myself, would scrap MegaTracks and would make it illegal for the company to ever make it again. Lionel is about toy/model trains ok? It's not about flimsy roller coaster sets. Before I bad mouth this MegaTracks anymore, Lionel's last offseason item were the revolvers from 1989. Is MegaTracks their offseason item for 2016?  

Btw timeline of Lionel's offseason:

1912 - First Slot Car Set

1930 - Electric Operating Range for Girls

1935 - Motorboats

1936 - Flying Airplane

1953 - Linex 3D Camera

1954 - Airex Fishing Gear

1989 - Revolvers

1990 onwards? 

Btw here are those cool Revolvers: 

Here's the commercial. I don't think much of it. But why should I? It's clear the target audience isn't the model railroad enthusiast.

https://youtu.be/81gxC0uZVTk

Allot of companies are struggling to keep their heads above water. Money has to come from somewhere to keep everyone receiving a paycheck when sales are down with the main product. My hats off to Lionel for thinking outside the box, but yet using the same principal, in order to keep the company alive. The fact that this product runs so wild, up and down and all around, "ON A TRACK ", packs allot of excitement into a kid's day without an X-BOX. I'm sure this product will plant the seed in a child for anything that runs on a track, and the Lionel name. What a great action packed way of drawing children into this hobby, that a child could operate, without sparks flying. Hopefully this will help keep Lionel in the "GREEN".

I know you can still find Hot Wheels cars and tracks in toy stores and toy sections of the larger department stores so there is apparently still a market and the Mega Tracks commercial made it look like a fun item.  The track seems to be much more flexible then Hot Wheels track thus many more possibilities. It appears the vehicle must run on a track which is a negative.  All that being said it's toy and like all toys before it its success or failure depends on the desires of children.  It would be great if it is a hit because another revenue stream for Lionel can't hurt their train business.

"what do you think of mega-tracks"......

not much....wondering why anyone would even bring up the subject...

pretty much what GRJ said.........

Jim Berger posted:

"what do you think of mega-tracks"......

not much....wondering why anyone would even bring up the subject...

pretty much what GRJ said.........

Why would anyone bring it up?  Because in a way it does affect our hobby.  It is produce (imported) by one of the manufacturers that produce (import) our trains.  While we may not be interested, as I said we are not the target audience, it could have some influence on our hobby even if someone sees the Lionel name on the product. 

Any toy vehicle that doesn't run on tracks is "anti railroad".

No tracks might be anti-railroad, but when I was a kid I had a ton of Hot Wheel and Matchbox cars. We seldom played with the Hot Wheel track though. Usually we played in the gravel driveway while Dad was at work. We made elaborate roads and towns in the dirt and drove the cars all over. Had to pick all the cars up and "erase" all the roads before Dad got home though. Then start fresh the next day with the Hot Wheels again or maybe upscale to Tonka and Marx trucks! We knew how how to have some fun back then  

I have a bunch of the Revolvers cars. It was an interesting idea that was poorly executed. The cars don't roll that well, and the spring that holds the moveable center part is weak. The center part often drops down and drags, making the cars roll even worse.
My kids called them "Flapjack cars".

I wish Lionel well with this effort, but I don't see the play value.

If this was the Lionel set-up at this spring York show, my 7 year old grandson seemed to have fun running it. But the car came off the track- seems like several times. I would not pay $100 but would buy it in the $50 range for him.

I don't think much of it.  Lionel would be better off pursuing something less odd, like slot cars (leverage the NASCAR relationship).

It isn't likely that many on this forum will care for Mega-tracks.  At least past comments don't support them.  That being said, Mega-tracks are not marketed for this group but for a new generation not so familiar with the Lionel name.  While the "Jury" may still be out on this, Mega-tracks was named a top new toy at this year's toy fair.  When was the last time Lionel had that honor?  Most of the bigger toy retailers have them and Howard is doing well selling them on the shopping channel.  If they are still around and expanding in a couple of years, we will have the answer.

I DON'T think of it

If they want to get into the model car business, why not make something that is compatible with their trains.  1:48 +/- slot cars would be my suggestion.  As someone pointed out, it takes time to set Mega-Tacks up.  You watch the cars for five minutes then go onto something else.  

With a slot car system, Lionel would be targeting an already loyal audience and perhaps attract others to the hobby.  All sorts of possibilities could be attained by making the road system interact with the rail system.  

What would be even better would be to create a system similar to the Faller Car System.  No slots, no road pieces to by.  Simply a wire buried under the roadway of your making.  The cars and trucks follow the wire magnetically, I believe.  It's the most realistic system on the market.  I know it's made in HO scale, but not sure about other scales.  

https://youtu.be/hWfKkmSP2Ao

https://youtu.be/tiO0-LwKg7Q

Paigetrain, if you like it then that's cool. I can see how it could appeal to some folks. If you get one let us know what it's like. A lot of guys here are only into trains in the strictest sense of the word. It will be interesting to see how they move forward with them. 

To be honest, I don't really know what to think of Mega Tracks. to be honest, I think it's quite dumb.

If I were a kid, I'd want 'em.

Saw one at York. I couldn't believe Lionel allowed their name to be put on this product. Each time I was around the Lionel display all the car did was go flying off the track. I'm surprised they haven't been sued by anyone for getting hit with this thing.

I saw it at the Concord Open House - first of all - it looks weird and seems to be "cheaply" made - the "cars
 seemed to move quickly around the conceived loops of "track" very fast - but  I don't see the attraction - can't really race? not for the train enthusiast - but I guess younger kids may like it - Bring back the old slot racing tracks - where you can build your own, rent, race and have a lot of fun - those were the days!

Exactly, Hot Wheels can beat the pants off MegaTracks. Matchbox however, is in a league of its own I think.

Lionel doesn't do the toy fair, or do they? Just saw the magatracks video. So they still do the toy fair. MORE JUNK

This is a toy...Lionel. and the vanished Gilbert, and the Giant Marx were all toy makers. Lionel survives as a toy maker, that is trying to make toys. Not all toys are train related. However, who got the remnants of that interacting K-line road/rail system? At the day-fly lifespan of most fad toys today, l'd think Lionel better make a buck while it can.

Am surprised that they are not using "Lionel" in its title to make use of some name value. It comes across as just another toy with minimal play value.  I didn't notice too much excitement or interest generated by the people at the Warehouse sale in November.  

Grampstrains posted:

What do you think of "Mega-Tracks"?

 I still don't think anything of it.

Until someone digs up this post again.

And, it seems, I care less every time it comes up. It looks like a bust.

Yea ADCX Rob I agree. I don't think Howard Hitchcock is doing the Ready-To-Run part of Lionel's product line justice or to any good use. LionChief Plus to me is mixed but Lionel Junction? Yeah, I see that as a failure. 

NYCGreg68 posted:

MartyE posted:

We're not the target audience.  My opinion is practically worthless on it.

Agree with what Marty said .... 

Me also.

John