Alright what are you Preordering from 2025 Vol 1 catalog?

99.9% sure I'm going to pre-order the PRR Alco FA units along with the super bass B unit - I have till the 17th ( Charles Ro ) to make up my mind - I do have a Vision Line Hudson already on pre-order

Lucky for me, nothing this time!!! 

I had planned on getting everything from Charles Ro like I've done before (their shipping pricing on large orders is incredible on top of a great dealer discount), but Steve and team got me with the custom runs like they seem to do a lot lately. Ordered the Amtrak Autoracks, the Louisville & Nashville FA set, the N&W TrainMaster, and the General Douglas MacArthur Legacy S2 Steam Locomotive from Mr. Muffin.

Also picked up the gold-plated CV to go with the previous anniversary locomotive, the Loco of the Year from Lionel direct, the full set of 20th Century Limited passenger cars, the Pennsy Tuscan S2....and the Butterbeer Smoke Fluid because that sounds amazing.

Another catalog, another bunch of boxes. Can't wait!

I too thought i got off scott-free from the Charlie Ro temptation but alas - Mr Muffin's custom run NH FA's in as-delivered scheme sucked my credit card right out of my pocket...

@Farmall-Joe posted:

I too thought i got off scott-free from the Charlie Ro temptation but alas - Mr Muffin's custom run NH FA's in as-delivered scheme sucked my credit card right out of my pocket...

Hard same. I've become a huge fan of the custom runs, especially from them.

Nothing.  But I'll buy something if the price is right.

@J.Dooley posted:

I had planned on getting everything from Charles Ro like I've done before (their shipping pricing on large orders is incredible on top of a great dealer discount), but Steve and team got me with the custom runs like they seem to do a lot lately. Ordered the Amtrak Autoracks, the Louisville & Nashville FA set, the N&W TrainMaster, and the General Douglas MacArthur Legacy S2 Steam Locomotive from Mr. Muffin.

Also picked up the gold-plated CV to go with the previous anniversary locomotive, the Loco of the Year from Lionel direct, the full set of 20th Century Limited passenger cars, the Pennsy Tuscan S2....and the Butterbeer Smoke Fluid because that sounds amazing.

Another catalog, another bunch of boxes. Can't wait!

The Douglas McArthur is going to look amazing! Can’t wait to see it. And yea Muffin’s customs have me thinking 🤔

I already placed my order for the TW custom Christmas Hudson. Need to decide which S2…prob leaning towards the 671. The Halloween and Christmas Commodore have my attention but one can only do so much!

The Halloween CV is my only top contender but have yet to commit. I thought the track cleaning cars were a new design but learned they're a re-issue. Depending on the prior reviews on their efficacy, I could very well see myself ordering 2-3 of those cars and include them in a 5-6 unit track cleaning consist.

I ordered the new Sleepersounds sleeper in Pullman green to add to my heavyweight Santa Fe Chief set pulled by my legacy 3751. I know the Pullman lettering is not prototypical for the Chief, but “my railroad, my rules” so I’ll treat is a through sleeper from an eastern road. I’d rather have it and not run it than pass on it now and decide I really want it later. The pre-order price makes it a fairly low-risk gamble.

Custom run from Mr Muffin; Diesel GP-35 Ann Arbor  and the Atlantic Steam Ann Arbor Locomotive

We just found out that my niece and nephew (the twins) were both accepted at U of M last week!!!!

Go Blue

One of the Hudsons…….5344

Peter

I just caved and added the TW Christmas Hudson to my previous list. 🙄😅

Mr Muffins NH Alco Green/Orange and PRR turbine

As of right now, just the Area 51 track cleaner, The Force is strong with the desire to grab a few of the Imperial faction Star Wars cars to give my Phantom locomotive something to pull (I do not like how the Phantom coaches look) but I'm currently still debating that bit, I've got quite a few things on pre-order already and these cars are the kind that will likely be on general retail for a bit once released so I'm not super worried.

Preordered the 2-4-2 Scout and the aluminum passenger cars. Also ordered the pennsy track cleaner.

Probably nothing, and certainly nothing big for me.  I have a large order from the 2024 Volume 2 catalog coming in later this year so I'm happy I'm not pre-ordering anything from this one.  I was tempted by the Hudsons but decided to wait until the VL Niagara is re-issued at some yet-to-be-determined point in the future.  Might order a Rio Grande auto rack -- that's it.

I was very tempted by that 2-4-2 Scout, but ended up only ordering an ES44 RF&P heritage engine.  I had committed to a plan to order that engine if and when Lionel made it in order to go with the already produced Cheesie version I own.

Since I never got one the first time around, I'm going to spring for the Legacy S2 Turbine this time around.  That's the only thing I see  that I'm planning on picking up.

I ordered the custom MacArthur S2 from Mr Muffin. It’ll be my first brand spanky engine from a catalog.

Legacy S2 Turbine

Track cleaning car

Vision Hudson

Vision Autorack

I preordered the UP Gantry Crane and companion sound house, Batman anniversary boxcar, and a Star Wars light saber box car.  The Visionline Hudson tinplate set is very tempting but I decided to pass. 

One of everything Peanuts. Still considering some other items.

I receive catalogs from my friends at Eastside Train in Kirkland (on the right) and Charles Ro (on the left).  The colors are different.   The Ro version just arrived on Thursday, February 13, while Eastside came not long after the official release.

From Eastside, I ordered the Gold Commodore Vanderbilt, and the LionChief +2.0 Santa Fe F3 AA and F3B unit.

To run behind the Gold CV, I acquired four NY Central Heavyweight passenger cars from TRAINZ (see picture below for an example) and will be painting them gold. The cars were from 1998.  I am going to make my own decals and will rename the cars after my Italian granddads who both worked for the Northern Pacific.   

For the Santa Fe F3 set, I have multiple set of Lonel aluminum passenger cars, both vintage and from the 1990s.  So, for the set I select to run behind the new SF F3 set, I am going to upgrade the lighting using the LED lighting set that @gunrunnerjohn makes.  I have already received them and will have a nice project to keep me busy until the new trains arrive.  I may try to make my own LED light set. perhaps make a simpler version of John's design.

20100 Passenger Car LED Lighting Kit - HENNING'S TRAINS

From Charles Ro, I ordered the ZW transformer at the pre-order price, except it is in stock and will be arriving on Tuesday, which is my 70th birthday.

I still work fulltime, just started my 48th year at the same company.  I tell my work colleagues that "I have memos older than your parents".   For the longest time, all I could afford was the Catalog, so completely understand the challenges that the price increases have on purchasing power.  One thing I have always done was to pay off my credit cards every month and not pay interest charges.   That discipline helped me avoid un-necessary purchases.   

The AEC gondola and elevated tank.

The Santa Fe Legacy FA-2 A-A set and the Santa Fe sounds FB-2.

Atsf GP35 I think.

Ordered Mr muffins Amtrak auto racks thank you J.Dooley would have missed those.  Couple autoracks from the catalog too, the TrainWorld Christmas hudson, nightmare before Christmas chase gondola and aquarium car, peanuts Christmas trolley, Barbie battery O (came already) and butter beer smoke fluid.  

For me just the Conrail Autorack with sounds and the Conrail H52 hopper cars.

@Hennypenny posted:

The AEC gondola and elevated tank.

Same here, plus ICM railsounds boxcar ( do have one yet).

Mr. muffins custom run Ann Arbor GP35.

Eric’s Trains 50’ boxcar. Wanted the cool looking Appalachian & Western Hudson too, but thankfully I saved $1709.99 since it won’t run on my curves. 😅

Yes, that TW Christmas Hudson is a must have for me as well. I thought the Hudsons were from the last catalog, but maybe this one too.

The TW Christmas Hudson looks so great, if the paint scheme comes like the rendering its going to look amazing. I wasn’t even looking for a Christmas engine as I went all in on the PE last catalog, but I couldn’t resist the TW Hudson.

@Paul Kallus posted:

Yes, that TW Christmas Hudson is a must have for me as well. I thought the Hudsons were from the last catalog, but maybe this one too.

Paul,

Are you going for the Halloween Vanderbilt?

Sunrise

@Xavi_SF3600 posted:

The TW Christmas Hudson looks so great, if the paint scheme comes like the rendering its going to look amazing. I wasn’t even looking for a Christmas engine as I went all in on the PE last catalog, but I couldn’t resist the TW Hudson.

Lets hope they make rolling stock with the snow highlights as well...that's the only concern I had...a snow covered engine but no rolling stock with snow! I took the gamnle and ordered one as well.

Sunrise

#671 s2, Tuscan red s2, Lionel lines 15 inch passenger cars, vision Hudson pre war set, PRR legacy trainmaster #6700, new hope & ivyland boxcar, kiddie city flat car with trailers, kiddie city was my favorite toy store when I was a kid, and my addiction, all the railbox box cars.

LionChief Alco RS-3 New Haven.

@Sunrise Special posted:

Lets hope they make rolling stock with the snow highlights as well...that's the only concern I had...a snow covered engine but no rolling stock with snow! I took the gamnle and ordered one as well.

Sunrise

Yea hopefully they do the scale matching cars like Lionel did with the scale Sleigh Bell.