An open letter to Lionel

Great idea Dave, I'm in. 

I'm not sure the Hogwarts set can be considered successful.  According to my LHS, Lionel still has stock from the original and only run, and he knows of several other stores that haven't been able to get rid of the ones they have.

Be easier and more efficient to send this to Lionel. 

If this is an "open letter" then I would like to add an addendum (unrelated to your request) if in fact Lionel actually visits this forum for a general feel of what it's customer base desires:

 

Having returned to the hobby fairly recently, we missed a chance at the Vision Challenger. My twins and I are still in search of it, with the big draw over the MTH version being the smoke effects (if anyone knows where I can get a new one, you would be making my and my twins boys' Christmas! - please PM me or email at pbilelis@yahoo.com). The Vision Big Boy, which we've pre-ordered is similar, except that it technically has fewer smoke effects (Challenger has 4 optically separate effects). If the Big Boy is supposed to represent the state of the art for Lionel, then it would be very special if this locomotive were to encompass all (or most) of the Lionel advancements. Therefore, please consider adding steam chest smoke, dynamo and injector smoke effects too. If not all, then at least some. Perhaps the dynamo/injector given these effects work from one reservoir and the fact that they are automatic (like the smoke stacks) give a very realistic flavor.

Advertising the set wouldn't have hurt either. ("But think of the money they saved !")

I would buy a Lionel Legacy Hogwarts engine and tender.

I'm not sure the Hogwarts set can be considered successful.  According to my LHS, Lionel still has stock from the original and only run, and he knows of several other stores that haven't been able to get rid of the ones they have.

 

 

Not true, we sell well over 100 sets a year. While it is not a "Polar Express" or a "Thomas" iy is still a big seller!

Lionel's Hall-class sure has been popular lately (and that's a good thing!).

I don't think much of the Halloween and Christmas versions of the Hall class locos, they are as about as obnoxious as a pink GG1! I would be in for every reasonably correct Great Western and British Railways locos and/or sets!

I disagree milnyc.  I have the North Pole Central Christmas version & love it.  I bought the 2-pack passenger car set for it last year.... thinking that Lionel would offer another 2-pack this year (as they did with the Hallowween set) but was surprised NOT to see it in the 2013 Christmas catalog.  Come on LIonel, lets see the next two "Hogwarts" North Pole Central passenger cars!    Thanks. 

With the constantly changing staff at Lionel in the past 15 years, they might have lost track of everything they could produce for railroad names and schemes.

 

Andrew

Gotcha, Since AlanH is not allowed here anymore I figured I'd chime in for him

 

Wonder if I can retrofit one of those to the HP train

 

I agree with many of the comments on this thread.

 Lionel did a good job with the Hall Class.

 

They were ahead of the game. Having a screen correct model of the Hogwarts Express.

Hornby's OO gauge set with a actual Castle Class engine was correct to the books. Hornby have only just shown a pre production version of a Hall Class in this months

Model Rail magazine. The comments in that news story was that likely a Hogwarts

version would be produced.

 

Although Lionel's Hogwarts was available for the last movie. This may have been to early in the development of "New Lionel" i.e. with Jon Z and Mike R.

 

Thus the CW-80 in the set was still a non QC50-OK version. Someone should have realised the possible world wide market for this set. But for that to happen it needed a world wide power supply such as the LionChief sets now use. 

 I have said it before but this set in some of the premium stores here in the UK at the time of the last movie, Hamleys, Harrods etc. would have been a winner.

 

A Legacy GWR/BR version would be cool. 

I would like to see a GWR pannier tank 0-6-0 by Lionel to match as well. Lionel

could also use it for Duck in the Thomas the tank range. That range could do with some new motive power.

 

On the subject of British engines my 5 year old requests LNER A4 Pacific Mallard in blue. Because it is his favourite engine and blue his favourite colour.

 

Nick

 

 

Considering the 75th aniv. of MALARD's speed run, and the "Great Gathering" of the last 6 of the A4's at York (UK!), Lionel importing the A4 would make sense.  LNER, various named locos, and various BR liveries.......

 

And with LC, one could run on any layout, and at a price point lower thanMike's.

Dave - great suggestion.  My comments are:

 

First, from personal experience I now Lionel reads and pays attention to this forum.  I think this is the best place to post an open letter like this, because it garners additional comments like these that boost is credibility/impact.

 

I would certain buy a loco set like you describe, Dave.  In fact, why not a Vision offering?  Lionel could do a lot with this loco and a set of cars for it, in detail, and make it an absolute jewel.  I realize they would probably not want to do that, but I can dream.

I second the Pannier tanks (5700's?) and A4's.  For the latter, I would like to see a Lionmaster version for those of us who don't have wide-radius curves.  I know Lionel's Mk1 coaches are considered substandard to many people, but since the real ones could be found all over Britain, the A4 could be paired with a maroon or red & cream set of them (it's better than no British coaches at all!).

Aaron

A Vision version would be hard given the relatively small loco size would restrict ideas like steam whistle or operating steam chests. Trouble with the existing coaches, are they are not scale, and have no interiors. MTH do however make nice LMS sets. So, as an idea for Lionel to run with at very little expense, is just upgrade the loco.

I think there is a good chance LIONEL will do a LIONCHEIF version or LCPLUS version of the Harry Potter train... I also see the E-940 Iron Pig`s by MTH have been moved to Feb, but Mike Wolf had a sample Engine at York.. 

If Lionel does not do a Legacy version the Lionchief would be the next best.

I picked up a 2 pack of the passenger cars and wonder if yours have the flickering passenger lights on the cars? Mine do and I was surprised by it. I am using them behind the North Pole Central Legacy GP and the consist looks pretty good.

To whom it may concern,
I think the O-Gauge Hobby needs a Build it yourself line of Engines and rolling stock. I have included a picture of one Model for you to consider. As you can see this idea is not new, and was already done in HO
The addition of TMCC would be nice. 
Thanks Lionel and keep up the Great Work!



K.C.

Locomotive kits are a vanishing, if not vanished breed.   And a fully funtional O Gauge Big Boy in O would cost considerably more that that Revell HO kit did.

 

Even Athearn and Bowser quit selling locomotive kits in HO.

 

Rusty

 

Good Point MartyE!
Should Lionel consider my Idea they could cover that point with a Disclaimer.  When this Idea was originally conceived, there was no Internet.
Lionel could do a Professionally Produced(DVD & Stream) “How To Video” walking you through the build step by step, and they could utilize their web site for all Q&A’s.
Last but not least… the knowledge that would be available on this Forum from everyone that bought a kit.

And if all else fails maybe Mike Reagan would make himself available Nights and Weekends for support.

K.C.

Sir, those are fightin' words!

 

Jerry

 

 

ASK NOT WHAT LIONEL CAN DO FOR YOU, ASK WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR LIONEL..... $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

K-Line and Williams both offered some kits years ago.  K-Line had traditional freight cars and Williams had Madison passenger cars.  

 

Even they stopped offering them long before their respective businesses changed.

 

Kit building isn't quite dead, but it's been mostly the providence to specialty small manufacturers like Mullet River.

 

Rusty

I have bought two Harry Potter sets. I have ZERO interest in the movie franchise. I bought them because I wanted a British  outline loco and passenger set. I bought one so I could repaint it and use it to haul my small collection of British freight rolling stock. I'd be in for a repainted Potter loco but I run conventional so the less electronics the better.

 

While we are at it how about 3-4 British prototype freight cars?? A box van, open van, a tank and a brake van. I know MTH makes some but cost and era not really correct for the Lionel loco.

 

PS.....loco kits???? I'd LOVE to have them available....but do not see it happening any time soon. BTS has some loco kits 'coming soon' but do not know if they will ever hit the market.

I opened my HP engine to see about upgrading to TMCC anc Cruise Commander but then I saw the drive motor was so small it might not be able to handle anything more!

Good idea to bring out a variety of UK engines based on the Potter loco, including LionChief.   I would buy a couple engines or a set, if packaged only in a set.  

Perhaps not totally dead:

 

https://ogrforum.com/t...eam-engine#lastReply

 

 

       
       


Nice Video Example Jonnyspeed.
I’d bet a dollar to a doughnut if Lionel would do something like that it would be a sell out..

K.C.

From their website:

 

The D51 steam locomotive is available exclusively to ModelSpace customers as a series of 12 monthly shipments of $114.99 plus $9.99 S&H per shipment.

 

So basically $1500 for the kit.   I did not see an option to buy it all at once, but may have missed it.

 

Cool kit though.

 

The cars they have a very nice as well.

I have a good idea, They should do one in pink and call it the muddles set. A better idea, sell all of them in Europe!!!

Bad enough MTH is all over Europe now you want Lionel also.

Why does not Marklin build O gauge sets, is it because MTH is less expensive and built in China and not Germany. Or maybe they do not care for english trains, just a guess.

In any case Lionel is 90% of my purchase of trains right now if they go Europo on us then they will become 0% as is MTH, my part of the open letter.

John

So you don't buy MTH because they make and market trains for the European market?

That doesn't make sense on any number of levels!

That's like saying if Lionel makes any cars that don't exist in the real world you won't buy any Lionel.

 

Jerry

 

 

Lionel already has one freight wagon they could do something with: the open trucks that are available in the Thomas line.  My guess is they are in the same league as their Mk1 coaches, but it's a starting point.  Remove the faces, put "GW" on the sides, and offer them in three- or five-packs.  The chassis could be used for other wagons, such as those AMCDave mentioned.