2015 Lionel pre orders, what are you ordering?

Lionchief+ locos (NH Rectifier, NYC RS3, BN NW2).

BN SD40. Hopefully the Canadian dollar improves by the time it gets delivered! 

I am still on the fence about the BNSF ES44AC, but placed my order yesterday at my LHS for these:

1 - Culvert Loader

1 - Culvert Unloader

2 - Culvert Gondolas - (Oops, this should have been 2 gondolas)

1 - Log Loader

1 - Gantry Crane

Wanted the Legacy crane car and tender, but the tab was already high enough on the above items so I stopped ordering. Maybe next time. 

Ordering zip.....Trying a bit of self restraint........at least until the next catalog comes out.  

-Pete

I placed an order the other day for the NYC Empire State Express Set, headed by the J3a Hudson.  Also ordered the Passenger Car 2-Pack add-on and the Station Sounds diner.  Will be my first Hudson engine.  The set just looked too beautiful to pass up in my opinion.

I am poor after the VL BB and the NON VL Centipedes

I may never pre-order anything again from Lionel after my dissapointment with the Centipede on year warranty. The secondary market has been the best bang for the buck....if there is such a thing as bang for the buck in this addictive hobby

I finally pulled the trigger and order a NS ES44AC from Nassau Hobby Center, yesterday.  The new pivoting pilot is what sealed the deal for me.  Purchased this engine to run with a NS Reading heritage engine (which I have yet to buy!)

Nassau had an excellent pre-order price of $520 for this engine.  

Jim

Jim

LionChief Plus Virginian Rectifier. Already have one of the LC+ NW-2s on order from the 2014 catalog (they are due this summer I believe). Some assorted rolling stock. I was also interested in some of the Christmas items. Need to revisit those.

Southern PS-4 flat w/ load. 

I ordered the Empire State Express set. Hopefully I will be able to complete the set later on, but my funds can't afford more than the set itself when the set is said to ship. As a hardcore NYC fan, and for one being really happy to see the beautiful ESE Hudson back with whistle steam, I had to have it, and it really is the star of this catalog.

I ordered the 30,000 gal tank car set (UTLX) and the NS bath tub hoppers.

Good Day,

Ordered a pair of the Santa Fe ES44AC's and the Iowa Interstate Heritage ES44AC.

Regards,

Swafford

I have never placed a pre-order for anything in my entire life. The best buys come on overstock, overruns, used, closeouts and surplus. You pay more when you pre-order; far less when you buy later. Since the stuff is not that important to me, I buy a year or two later at the lowest price possible.

I have found everything that I've ever wanted so far. The method seems to be working as I have a lot more money in my pocket than most.

The PRR B6sb.

The j3a Hudson. Does anyone know where these were streamlined. I know the Vanderbilt was done here in the West Albany yards.

Fred

I think I am gonna pass this time.. I don't think I will run any of the stuff I ordered to justify the cost. While I am a huge nyc fan .I rather have the cars vs the engine .. I have enough es44acs to last me a lifetime. I also think the diecast ones are better ..

Dennis,

Good luck with this approach in today manufacturing environment.  Except for a few outliers. there is a lot of stock that you would be lucky to even find one or two years after distribution, let alone at a discount. 

This is especially true of engines that have new features or new paint schemes.  (As an example, I have been looking for a Lionel NS Reading heritage engine.  Once in a blue moon I have seen them up on eBay, but usually around the original MSRP). 

You can pre-order a lot of engines at 15 - 20% MSRP, like what I've done with the NS ES44AC.

I have found quite a few terrific buys of new (or nearly new) engines and rolling stock on the second-hand market.  On the other hand, if there is something I want to enjoy now rather than later and its something I really want to have (like the 3rd rail ToT), a pre-order is the best way to get it at a good price.

I won't even go into trying to get warranty work done on these older engines.

Jim

I ordered two gantry cranes from Nassau Hobby,most of the offerings are from East of the Mississippi.

Mikey

OK, looked again. Nuthin...

Gilly

I mulled over ordering a FEC ES44, but ultimately decided to pass as I thought the price is too high for my budget.

I did order one of the new Flyer "FlyerChief" Berkshires in Pere Marquette livery as I have a friend who worked on the original restoration many years ago and also want to let Lionel know there is a market for newly tooled "S"products if it is done half-way decently at a competitive price. It also gives me the option of running two locos on my single Flyer mainline using my one CabII and the new FlyerChief controller.

Pre-ordered the exact same thing. Santa Fe ES44AC cab number 444.

I would have preferred an unstreamlined J3a, having requested one from Lionel the last few years they "kinda" came through.

The standard tender should negotiate my o-60 radius, I find the the less "fancy"/ more workhorse look/ arrangment  more appealing, not unlike a fully unstreamlined J3a. As a bonus, the "railroad finance manager" prefers it so...

 I wasn't thrilled with the ESE hudson offering initially, but this one has "grown" on me. I'm waiting to hear from Mr. Muffin regarding delivery in December.....yeah, right, maybe 2016.

A couple SD40's, a PENNSYLVANIA B6 Swutcher, and one other??? Still waiting on many Back Orders from 2014 Catalogs.  It's a never ending Addiction....Wow.

I ordered the Southern RR PA AAs, SR PS-4 Flatcar, NS and CSX Bathtub gondolas, UTLX 30000 gal tank cars, and the Linde Air Products PS-1 boxcar.

PRR B6, UP & CSX Bathtub Gondolas, Philly 30,000 Tank Cars, BNSF ES44AC, NYC ESE Set and all Add-on Cars for me.

6-82697. Lion Master Challenger, Rio Grande  

Hoping it shows in time for my Under-the-tree layout.  

I decided not to order anything from this catalog.  There were a few items that caught my eye, but I'm just not interested in them enough to pre-order.

Put my deposit on the following items:

US Air Force #46

USAF sound car

Missile carrying car

Sam Grant boxcar

enjoy your trains...

+ 1

Waiting for Vol II though....

They are beautiful engines. Had a now retired Santa Fe friend over last week, said he had been saving in case these were ever done, was in for 4 units until Lionel told him they would come Norfolk Southern style, which makes the headlight in the wrong spot. He decided to vote with his wallet.

You state "Good luck with this approach in today manufacturing environment." What's changed? Creating a product that creates a demand. A product that must be priced to meet a consumers quality expectations of the product, long or short term.

JD-trains makes some valid points. The one major point of agreement is Pre-order.

I wouldn't put five dollars down for a pre-order.  Although, the overall build of the Asian product is good. Some of the recurrent issues, as smoke unit reliability is a big issue. 

So, scare me with build to order? I will lose out on a product? If I don't order now. Although, the real intent of BTO may have been to supply engines to customers that may not have been produced in the past. Personally, it does instill a lose out

"I have to by it now " mentality.

Also, available inventory is not affected by the consumer alone. Dealers can purchase as many as they like for spare inventory. So, one never knows the true inventory in the open market place.

You must also consider technology changes. I just bought into the sensor track technology. I really want all of my engines to have this technology. Someone that waited for engine x- that doesn't care about that feature, is going to get a good deal on some of my engines void of this feature.

There are many virtues to waiting. My life will go on without the hobby.

 Dennis 

Wish I could - but I can't - everything too expensive.

Although, most of the product for PREORDER/BTO looks fantastic. I refuse to buy a product before seeing it in person. A review by a respected member in the Community is also a plus.

 Although, Prices are through the roof. If the quality and durability of the product is high. I don't find some price increases a issue. 

The other issue is Lionel marketing. It is good business sense to create demand at the scale end. It is re**rded to hollow out the middle.

I still considerer not unifying the command systems from high to low. As one stupid A$ decision.

I'll sitting it out...

These were tempting, I think my grandson would have liked them, but as in my post above, the budget comfort limit was reached and I had to draw the totals line before adding these. On the brighter side, my LHS ordered some so I may get to see them, but the owner was talking about keeping them for himself. He liked them too.

I won't be ordering this time. I really was wanting to but nothing stood out, in my price range, anyways. Maybe order something from Volume 2 later this year or Volume 1 next year. I did like the Pennsy switcher, but was disappointed it didn't have whistle steam, which is what I really want.