Lionel Black River & Western set - disappointing

SW1 shipping

Yeah, this has been chatted about over here. I think your photos are the probably the best look at how bad things are on this set. Have a look at what they have been saying over there.

Return to lionel for a full refund. Any issues just open a dispute with your credit card company.

Exactly, return if they refuse call your credit card company. Enough of this!

Chris, as I noted on the other thread, if you really want the cars, I would swap the four-wheel trucks for six-wheel trucks to eliminate the over hang. I realize it’s not true to the prototype, but visually it’s the lesser of two evils (to me anyway).

As to the long list of other issues you raised, it’s frustrating this continues to be the case with so many releases. Packaging has become cheaper and cheaper and the associated damage has become more and more frequent.

As to the overhang, it’s hard for me to imagine someone knowingly designed that into the product. It has to be a mistake, right?  As I’ve said in other threads, inspecting in quality (as opposed to building it in) is no way to run a manufacturing business, but if you can’t build it in, you have an obligation to at least try to inspect it in to protect your customers from this kind of stuff. It’s hard to fathom that someone in North Carolina looked at the four-wheel cars and said “looks fine, let ‘em ship.”

Chris, I’m not sure if you’re asking or not, but unless you really, really have to have this set, pack them up and send them back. Mr. Muffins occasionally runs unlettered heavyweights (formerly MTH, now Atlas). Get a pack and letter them. It would be more work, for sure, but you’d probably be happier.

@Rider Sandman posted:

Chris, as I noted on the other thread, if you really want the cars, I would swap the four-wheel trucks for six-wheel trucks to eliminate the over hang. I realize it’s not true to the prototype, but visually it’s the lesser of two evils (to me anyway).

As to the long list of other issues you raised, it’s frustrating this continues to be the case with so many releases. Packaging has become cheaper and cheaper and the associated damage has become more and more frequent.

As to the overhang, it’s hard for me to imagine someone knowingly designed that into the product. It has to be a mistake, right?  As I’ve said in other threads, inspecting in quality (as opposed to building it in) is no way to run a manufacturing business, but if you can’t build it in, you have an obligation to at least try to inspect it in to protect your customers from this kind of stuff. It’s hard to fathom that someone in North Carolina looked at the four-wheel cars and said “looks fine, let ‘em ship.”

Chris, I’m not sure if you’re asking or not, but unless you really, really have to have this set, pack them up and send them back. Mr. Muffins occasionally runs unlettered heavyweights (formerly MTH, now Atlas). Get a pack and letter them. It would be more work, for sure, but you’d probably be happier.

I wanted a factory set vs having something painted… seems the painted option was the better of the two options.

I’m going to see if the Lionel “commuter” cars will interchange frames.

@Lehigh Valley Railroad posted:

I wanted a factory set vs having something painted… seems the painted option was the better of the two options.

I’m going to see if the Lionel “commuter” cars will interchange frames.

Lionel did the 18” NYC Pacemaker cars with 4 wheel trucks, and they don’t look silly, …..perhaps some upside down comparisons are in order??……I have the Pacemaker cars, …..if that helps your plight,…..

Pat