2014 Vision Big Boy from Lionel on Youtube

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!! I love it!!!

You heard it correctly.

 

Is that depleting coal feature really...that cool?  I would have, at least, thought it would disappear all the way down into the tender.

Smoke effects are amazing. The blow-down effect looks much improved. The coal load is neat... but it doesnt deliver the same POW that the swinging bell does. Yes I know the Big Boy doesnt have a swinging bell, and im not suggesting they add it to this engine.

 

With that said, someone needs to take charge of the marketing department at Lionel. Posting a video to youtube that can only be viewed at 480P with comments disabled? Not to mention, if that was a sales pitch to sell engines the presentation did them no favors. Put someone in charge of this stuff that knows what their doing.

I'm glad Mike did this video.  It was needed to get how cool this engine really was out there for all to see.

I find the idea of made to order locos very interesting. Their marketing forecasts for the present year must have been much too optimistic.

One of the problems with made to order is there have been instances where they don't deliver product as described, leaving some buyers wanting to see product before buying.

made to order might lead some to wonder where the value in ordering from the LHS is as the shop Would not have locos to purchase, but just be an ordering portal?

will the next step be direct ordering from the mfr. such as is the case with some O gauge items?

Having said that the big boy seems very desirable.  Fred 

oh my...what a whistle!

Well it's a beautiful model, great sound but I am worried that the coal load won't hold up long.  If that is a diaphragm of some sort and the coal is glued to it, it will flake off quickly, I just couldn't tell if that is the case or if it molded?  Any thoughts guys?

Pretty darn impressive.

It almost looks like the coal load is a diaphragm and not glued on.

 

I think the coal load is a neat feature, but not what sells me on the engine. The sound is.

Have you looked insides a Lionel tender lately? There is a bunch of stuff crammed in there already and now adding the mechanism to control the coal. Just isn't any space to draw it all the way down

 

at that price it is better called depleting money

No simulated coal auger between the tender and engine so the coal just spills out of the tender covering the third rail.

Very interesting. 

 

1) The blow down effect is actually cool, but NOT correct for a Union Pacific steam locomotive that was equipped with the Wilson Blowdown Sludge Remover system.

 

2) Although hard to tell in the video, I sure hope Lionel understands that Union Pacific steam locomotives are NOT lettered & numbered in "white", but should be "bright aluminum".

 

3) This video shows a good close up of the depleting coal load, and it does indeed appear to be pretty realistic. Very impressive!

 

 

Hopefully, it will be the "modernized" front, as all the 4000 class locomotives appear today in parks, museums, and of course the soon to be rebuilt #4014. 

>>Did anyone else hear Mike's comment on this video that ALL 2014 locomotives will be built-to-order???  Not just the Vision Line Big Boy!!!    Listen closely around 9:02 thru 9:14 on the video.  I'm pretty sure I heard correctly.

UNess Lionel realizes they delivered MUCH too many locomotives this year, and they want to avoid blow-outs on 2014 catalog product next year.<<

 

LOL, I heard that...Knowing Lionel is in it for the green, my guess is a marketing ploy that fools only the novice.  

There's nothing stopping Lionel from another run if strong demand exceeds availability. The #1225 Berkshire is probably a good example.

Joe

If these engines will be built to order does that mean there will be no repair parts available?

Being that the 2014 catalog isn't out yet, we don't know what other new locomotives will be offered, outside of the Big Boy.

 

As I recall, nobody is taking pre-orders yet.  Making lists, checking them twice, yes.  Actual pre-orders, no.  No one has made a commitment to purchase, yet.  Once the MSRP is announced, those lists may grow or shrink and the actual pre-orders will commence.

 

Rusty

This just makes me want it more.  The coal thing is nifty, but I would of rather seen other smoke effects.  And the coal load doesn't go down very far.  I know space and the limits of the material prevent it sinking more, but it almost seems like it isn't far enough to make it really noticeable or worth it.  Regardless, I still want.  Here's hoping it's closer to the $2200 end of the scale.

Sorry, I thought he was referring to the 2013 Fall Catalog but now I see that the BB is not in it. However I did see that some of the items on pages 10-15 including the Neil Young products are marked as new but must have been in production.

 

Still, by making any engine special order they will not be able to take advantage of economies of scale. Production costs have to be based on number of units produced. The fewer units the higher the cost. Simple economics.

It's Lionel's decision to make.  Whether it becomes a valid marketing strategy, only time and the market will tell. 

 

Somehow, I don't think they're going to lose money on the deal.  I'm pretty sure they've got production costs figured out to cover a minimum production run.

 

And of course, if that minimum isn't reached, the model gets cancelled.  Much as it happens now.

Rusty

That is true, however weren't all BB's upgraded with enclosed cabs when the pilots were modernized? 

To be prototypically correct, can it have both open cab and modernized pilot?
Joe

 

 

Non of the UP 4000 class locomotives ever had "open cabs", as ALL the 4000s where built with the UP's own design of all-weather "closeable" cab, i.e. the back wall could be folded open for warm weather operations. When the back wall was closed up for winter operation, there was also a large, tall steam heating coil mounted against the wall between the Engineer's and Fireman's doors. 

 

Lionel did a pretty good job of modeling the "closed-up" back of the cab on their UP FEF-3 #844 models.

God i dont want to spend 2500 on a train.. What a nice piece though

Well, I would consider this, if I didn't have children who need me.

 

I know it was only on for a few seconds but that bell didn't sound correct, it sounded like a swinging bell rather than a air hammer bell to me?

I will have to disagree, Charles ro took my pre-order just like when I pre-order from a catalog.  and just like any of my other pre-orders I can cancel up until the time of shipping, with no charge.

 

Mighty impressive!!

How is this decision to "make to order" that much different than their current policy. Dealers take pre-orders, maybe add a couple more if they think there will be the demand and then based on the volume the manufacturer either makes the product or cancels it.

 

Not to read too much into this but I get the impression from what MR said that if you place an order they will make the product. He did not indicate anything related to the number of orders or whether the volume would justify producing the product.

 

Also, the BB will be made in seven different road numbers. What if they only get a single order for one of the road numbers. Will they still make it.

As I heard it on the video, MR said that once pre-orders are closed, Lionel will make the BB to the number received, no more, no less.  If they get, say 1000 pre-orders, that's what they'll make.  Not 1100, not 1010, not 1001, not 999 locomotives.

 

The cab number isn't a major expense compared to the rest of the locomotive.  Lettering is the last step in decoration.  It's a matter of changing out the printing pad or whatever process they use.  If they get just one order for one number, it should be relatively easy to produce.

 

Rusty

Is it me, or shouldn't the whistle steam be coming out of the whistle at a higher velocity than is shown on the video?  If so, will this be fixed in production?

 

Thanks.

I agree. Lettering is not issue. The Big Boy will be produce even if just five people order it. The tooling is from the Legacy Big Boy so no major capital expense for tooling. Electronics?  Rearranging circuit board and location for 3rd speaker not a major issue. Smoke effects got me hooked especially the blow downs.

I've watched many hours of Big Boy/ Challenger movies & videos and have never seen one smoke like that..with each stack dumping out separate plumes depending on which set of cylinders is exhausting. 

 

Lionel forgot to add the coal bunker extensions/ sideboards that go around the top of the tender.

This is the demo-prototype, so I'm sure the production model will have the railroad and number appropriate CrewTalk/TowerCom like the rest of the Vision Line locomotives.

Very impressive locomotive.  The coal load depleting looks far better than I imagined, the whistle is very impressive, and the dual smoking stacks are cool.  Awesome!

The whistle sounds incredible. That alone has tremendous appeal and play value. I have to say though I am glad I don't model the UP, otherwise I'd be scrambling to figure out how to pay for this item. Big Boy = Big Bucks for Lionel.

I would like to have one but who knows what it will cost? I already have a MTH dealer program big boy and being these are made to order what about parts for them?