Availability of 18" American Freedom Train cars ?

Mike Reagan clarified in another thread the cars in the set will be 18" except for tech car (21")    looks like the series will have prototype car lengths. This will be an awesome set, I pre-ordered mine.

Ingeniero No1 posted:

Among other things, I really like the American Freedom Train GS-4 in the 2016 Lionel catalog; however, I am not interested in the matching 21" cars. I know that many here on the OGR Forum like 21" cars, and that is A-OK, but I just prefer the 18" passenger cars better. Yes, I could easily run 21" cars on my layout, which has Ø108" and Ø99" curves and several straight runs over 24-ft , but the 18" cars I have look just fine. 

Also, I understand that 18" cars would be closer to scale to the real AFT cars.

My question is whether you know of any source for the 18" Freedom Train Passenger Cars, and if not, are you aware of any such offering in the future, as within a year or so?

Thanks!

Alex

I thought there was a post by Mike from Lionel saying they would be 18" here on the OGR Forum.

"The display (baggage) cars will be 18" long, truly representing a scale 72' long baggage car.  Only the coach (technical car) will be 21" long in this set.

Thanks,

Mike

Thank you,
Mike Reagan
Lionel"

Alex, Mike Reagan from Lionel chimed in on the other AFT thread and indicated most of the AFT cars based on former "baggage" cars would actually be produced as 18" models -- only coaches would be produced as 21" models.  That wasn't all that clear in the catalog.

David

I guess somebody else read the same thing and types faster than me.  

BTW Alex, I agree completely that the 18" cars look much nicer on most folks' layouts.  Unless folks have access to layouts like the NJ Highrailers Club , most of the 21" cars Lionel is selling these days are gonna wind up on display shelves or -- worse yet -- in their boxes.  They just happen to be what Lionel has in their bag to sell right now.  Sales 201... sell what you got. 

David

There are always the K-Line AFT cars.  DOC has the whole set and it is impressive.  Can be a challenge to find them all, though, and you won't save much $$$, as they still command a good price on the secondary market.

Andy

I  missed Mike's post regarding the 18" cars from Lionel! I am so glad they will be 18"! Thank you all for clarifying this for me.

David - exactly what I think as well.

THX!

Alex