2011 Wegmans Lionel set (Special Cars)

I have that set myself. It is very nice. I will be running it at the Dec Open House tomorrow at the New Jersey Hi-Railers. Let know how it does.

NJHR Member John T.

Does it have groceries in it?

It's loaded with expensive precooked meals and cheap wine.

Farmer Bill,
At least you can get the cheap wine. I live in Wegmans Country and here in New York there's no wine in grocery stores yet.
Paul S

I happen to be a Wegmans Employee, and 1.) there are no groceries in the cars. However, each car represents important products from the company. A Super Pasta Boxcar, a Super Yogurt Tanker, and an Organic Farms Caboose. And 2.) Wegmans sells top-quality wine in the state of New Jersey in our stores.

quote:

Originally posted by John T.:
I happen to be a Wegmans Employee, and 1.) there are no groceries in the cars. However, each car represents important products from the company. A Super Pasta Boxcar, a Super Yogurt Tanker, and an Organic Farms Caboose. And 2.) Wegmans sells top-quality wine in the state of New Jersey in our stores.

But why did they have to put “Wegmans” in big letters along both sides of the boiler on the locomotive?

quote:

But why did they have to put “Wegmans” in big letters along both sides of the boiler on the locomotive?

I'm guessing that since they contracted with Lionel for X number of sets, probably prepaid, they could put whatever they want on it. I think the set is way cool and will be getting one on Tuesday from the Wegman's of semi beautiful Largo, MD.

Come up with enough $$ and you, too, can have your name on a Lionel set.

Hmmm, maybe a trip to NJ or MD is in order since in VA they promote $10 lunch and $6 wine but no train sets.

quote:

Originally posted by wfttrains:

quote:

Originally posted by John T.:
I happen to be a Wegmans Employee, and 1.) there are no groceries in the cars. However, each car represents important products from the company. A Super Pasta Boxcar, a Super Yogurt Tanker, and an Organic Farms Caboose. And 2.) Wegmans sells top-quality wine in the state of New Jersey in our stores.

But why did they have to put “Wegmans” in big letters along both sides of the boiler on the locomotive?

I was wondering that myself. But, I guess two people would know the answer to that: Danny Wegman and Jerry Calabrese.

Well, Guys.

I am back from a day at the Hi-Railers, and the Lionel Wegmans Train Set was a hit! The train ran great, and kids loved to run it. It may be a light weight engine with cars to match, however it is a great runner and pretty powerful as one member said. Smokes nice as long as you keep the reservior filled at all times. Got a nice air whistle. I give it a thumbs up. It's a good starter set for anyone.

Ben even suggested I should make a kitchen car to match it. LOL.

Given that Wegmans is a Rochester, NY, based operation, I was a little surprised that the set is pulled by a PRR loco rather than NYC. Although the PRR (and Erie, for that matter) served Rochester, the NYC was the big elephant in that part of the world.

I'll be looking to pick up some of the cars when Ro or someone starts offering set breakups.

Poppyl

quote:

Originally posted by poppyl:
Given that Wegmans is a Rochester, NY, based operation, I was a little surprised that the set is pulled by a PRR loco rather than NYC. Although the PRR (and Erie, for that matter) served Rochester, the NYC was the big elephant in that part of the world.

I'll be looking to pick up some of the cars when Ro or someone starts offering set breakups.

Poppyl

I doubt Danny Wegman is a train guy. The main Wegmans distribution center borders the current Rochester Southern Railroad. Those tracks were originally built by the Buffalo, Rochester, and Pittsburgh RR. In 1932 they were purchased by the Baltimore and Ohio. Any of those three would have been more appropriate than either PRR or NYC.

Pete

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:

I doubt Danny Wegman is a train guy...

With his holdings on Canandaigua Lake, the set should have carried the Canandaigua Southern(John Armstrong "O" Scale) herald!

Are the side rods on the Wegman 0-8-0 the "upgraded type" or the older, simpler style?

--Joe

quote:

Originally posted by poppyl:
Given that Wegmans is a Rochester, NY, based operation, I was a little surprised that the set is pulled by a PRR loco rather than NYC. Although the PRR (and Erie, for that matter) served Rochester, the NYC was the big elephant in that part of the world.

Poppyl

Who knows. They may consider that next year.

quote:

Originally posted by Norton:

I doubt Danny Wegman is a train guy.
Pete

He and the family are enthiusiasts of trains and toy trains. In fact, they have a G Gauge train in every store just above the candy department.

I was at the Wegman's near my home and the service department guy did not know if trains would be part of the post Christmas sales event. A month ago there were 16 sets and today there were 14.

They had a set sitting out of the box. Very nice. A weathered caboose is a plus.I thought the transformer was a 30 watt Power Max but it is a 40 watt Power Max Plus.

If it's half off after Christmas, that would make it 90 bucks. Then I sell the track and transformer on the bay for 70 or so, I could have a truly cool set for 20-30 dollars.

quote:

Originally posted by Rail Reading:
Are the side rods on the Wegman 0-8-0 the "upgraded type" or the older, simpler style?

--Joe

Joe: The side rods are the basic type like on the cataloged Pennsy 0-8-0 rather than the upgraded drive rod assembly included on all of the other 2011 cataloged versions of the 0-8-0.

HTH,

Bill

I am a bit surprised they didn't decide to go with a G scale set instead, considering some of their stores have operating G scale trains. Of course, I have to remember, the costs associated with a quality G scale set would be a lot more than an O gauge set.

BTW- Is the G scale equipment found in their stores provided by Aristo-Craft? If I remember correctly, the Wegmans near Easton, PA may of had a couple of Aristo-Craft FA's pulling the train.

Note the impending wreck with a giant truck.

--Joe

quote:

Originally posted by Rail Reading:


Note the impending wreck with a giant truck.

--Joe

LOL! NICE!

quote:

Originally posted by POTRZBE:
I was at the Wegman's near my home and the service department guy did not know if trains would be part of the post Christmas sales event. A month ago there were 16 sets and today there were 14.

They had a set sitting out of the box. Very nice. A weathered caboose is a plus.I thought the transformer was a 30 watt Power Max but it is a 40 watt Power Max Plus.

If it's half off after Christmas, that would make it 90 bucks. Then I sell the track and transformer on the bay for 70 or so, I could have a truly cool set for 20-30 dollars.

I was told last year by a department manager in one of the Wegmans stores that if any stores had leftover sets after Christmas they had to be sent back to Lionel, sounds like the same thing that Wal-Mart had to do when they had Lionel train sets. It's a nice looking set for the price of $179.00 in my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary P:


I was told last year by a department manager in one of the Wegmans stores that if any stores had leftover sets after Christmas they had to be sent back to Lionel, sounds like the same thing that Wal-Mart had to do when they had Lionel train sets. It's a nice looking set for the price of $179.00 in my opinion.

It IS a great set, Gary. Worth the $179. The graphics are very nice, too.

John T.

quote:

Originally posted by Gary P:
I was told last year by a department manager in one of the Wegmans stores that if any stores had leftover sets after Christmas they had to be sent back to Lionel, sounds like the same thing that Wal-Mart had to do when they had Lionel train sets. It's a nice looking set for the price of $179.00 in my opinion.

Gary: Last year’s set at Wegman’s was the regular cataloged Pennsylvania Flyer set which could be resold elsewhere. This year’s set is specially made for Wegman’s with their name on the locomotive and their logos all over the cars. I don’t think Lionel would want them back.

Also, I heard that there were only 1,500 sets made which is less than 20 per store so they may not have any left over.

I cannot imagine LIONEL would want them back. It says Wegman's and 2011 on the loco. Depends on how the contract for them was written. I'm going to hedge my bets and wait til the after Christmas sale.

The store in Manalapan had a bunch when introduced. Last Thursday night there was only a handful... I normally don't buy non command trains but this set is tempting ..VERY nice graphics..

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Originally posted by Joe G:
The store in Manalapan had a bunch when introduced. Last Thursday night there was only a handful... I normally don't buy non command trains but this set is tempting ..VERY nice graphics..

There are only 7 left.

quote:

Originally posted by wfttrains:...Also, I heard that there were only 1,500 sets made which is less than 20 per store so they may not have any left over.

The Canandaigua store had 30+ sets, as the display(operating) was restocked as they went out the door to keep 30 sets out. I have not been in in over a week, though.

quote:

Originally posted by poppyl:
Given that Wegmans is a Rochester, NY, based operation, I was a little surprised that the set is pulled by a PRR loco rather than NYC. Although the PRR (and Erie, for that matter) served Rochester, the NYC was the big elephant in that part of the world.

I'll be looking to pick up some of the cars when Ro or someone starts offering set breakups.

Poppyl

Erie, PRR, Lehigh Valley, & New York Central Railroads and many others at one time all ran through New York State, now it's Norfork Southern, CSX, Finger Lakes Railway, Amtrak,and others in NYS so they could use a different line every year on the trains. From what I heard it's a Wegmans exclusive special offering.

It sure is. It's the first official licensed Wegmans Train Set from Lionel. This set will be worth something some day.

Today, Sun. Dec. 18, the Geneva, NY Wegmans had 4 sets left and they now have moved the display up to the front of one of the end caps across from the registers. About time! They will probably sell the last 4 quickly now they're up at the front of the store instead of being hid near the back of the store. Still $179.00, good price on a starter layout to get a new ( or older big) kid started in O Gauge toy trains. Wegmans must have thought they could make money on licensing their company name to brand name products, they have their name for the first time on the Lionel O Gauge set, Pez candy dispenser Wegmans truck, and the Wegmans tractor trailer truck (kind of like the Hess truck size).

Is 2011 a special anniversary year for Wegmans that they are licensing so much, or is this just a way to get their new "Walgreens" like logo out there? I don't know much about the store's history.

The logo is very specifically NOT Walgreens like - there has already been litigation concerning this and Wegmans bowed, even though they had the logo first.

No special anniversary this year, either. They just expanded some on last year's Pennsy Flyer train set sales to have something more personalized. It's all part of seasonal promotion.

The Dickson City, Pa store near Scranton has 15 sets left for sale.

There are 7 sets left at the Wegman's in Largo, MD. 16 a month ago and 14 about ten days ago. I am still hoping for one at half price on December 26.

Sure wish they did mail order, but all indications are that they don't.
8-(
Steve

There are 7 sets left in the Manalapan, NJ store.

StevieG, did you contact Wegmans to find out about ordering a set? It seems to me they are in the business of selling things, so they should have some method for shipping a non-perishable item.
I checked the website, and you can send an E-mail to the corporate customer service office, or call 1 (800)Wegmans. Good luck. It is a nice set.

An individual on another forum checked with Wegmans. The reply from Wegmans was that they do not do mail order on these type of items. The reply also mentioned that one of the stores might be interested. The individual posting the question did not include that bit of information, i.e. which store it was, for what ever reason. It's not something I have to have, but you're right, it looks like a neat set.
Steve