Calling All Lionel Pocahantas Owners - PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

Some engine The Vision line BigBoy has been out for 2 months and i cant order any parts for it...  They didnt put a parts list up for it yet...I guess with my 2k price tag i cant get parts.. At least a listing of the parts be nice ...

Agreed.  The move to NC was very likely due to the new CEO already living there, but nobody will ever go on record admitting that.  You'd be surprised how many "corporate decisions" are based on where the CEO happens to reside.    Happens all too often, and affects LOTS of people.

David

I wish that Lionel would recall all the N&W J-Class engines and Pocahontas sets from the 2012 catalog, which have been delivered and those not delivered yet. The issues with stripes, 2s, passenger car windows, etc. (Way too many) should be fixed. I prefer this type of action rather than Lionel possibly losing their long standing reputation as an outstanding manufacture of model trains in the future.   

It is not an easy fix for the customer. I think the only proper way to fix the issue is a complete repaint of the tender and probably the 612 loco too.

Now is the time for all of the sponsors of this OGR Forum to get on the ball and go to bat for their customers to get this issue resolved!

And here we all thought the big disappointment surrounding this version of the loco(s) was gonna be the absence of whistle-steam!  Were that only the case.  

David 

Is there anyone else who's disappointed there's no "set" box? There isn't even a sku for each 2-pack of cars...

Matches on one of my J's

Sometimes Mark, after the major, major missteps with this set, your way is THE way.

I doubt they will fix the stripe, but I would bet that they will fix the 2. the passenger car windows have been an issue for years on multiple sets, so I doubt they will do anything about them unless they said somewhere that they would be different.

Yeah, I am disappointed. But I am disappointed in a lot of things, even the snow falling outside... again.

Two weeks ago I made a decision. I have about 65 Lionel engines and no telling what else... almost all Lionel. I bought an MTH engine, my first, and will buy more. I will also buy Lionel but now will consider alternatives. Got my first Lionel engine 65 years ago so there have been plenty of opportunities to make this decision.

Small thing, sure... unless others are having similar thoughts. Build to order??? My first was the Pocahontas. Not what it should be.

How can you tell in that photo?

Interesting.  That's not good.    I guess the list of corner-cutting continues with every product delivered nowadays.   

I'm still expecting a set from Charlie Ro, due in mid-March.  (Has anyone here received a set from Charlie yet?)  For whatever the reason, Charlie is showing an ETA of 3/10/2015 for these sets.  I guess with the packaging process that's occurring in Lionel's North Carolina warehouse for this set (as opposed to China), a "set box" was considered unnecessary.  Just pack 'em, stack 'em, and ship 'em.  And Charlie's big order apparently wasn't the first to ship out of NC -- unless he's receiving multiple shipments. 

Perhaps this new basic packaging is a pretense of future premium set packaging going forward.  I always thought the fancier "set box" was a nice touch for this class of sets.  But MTH has admittedly done away with them for quite some time now.  And I'm fairly certain sets from Lionel's heyday post-war era were pretty much packaged in basic shipping boxes too.  I recall my first O-27 set from 1966 was in a pretty basic box -- nothing like sets I've purchased in the past 10-15 years.

So for those of us who were accustomed to fancy set boxes, I'm sure the initial impression is a big let-down.  But if the product inside speaks of perfection, then the lack of a fancy set box can be easily overlooked.  Unfortunately, in this case, the lack of a set box would seem to be the least of one's worries. 

David

I'm with HW on this...can you take a photo directly at the side on a level surface?  I can't tell from your original photo. 

That is a semi-scale J. That is not the J we are speaking of.

As bad a job as Lionel did on these engines, they are still better looking than the original Pochantas pictured below.

I noticed on a different forum topic that you stated you have reserved a Powhatan Arrow set. Are you aware of the large discount being offered to folks who want to purchase a K-2 with their Powhatan Arrow train?

I feel I need to share what I do when a new product arrives. Given that none of the items we receive are going to be perfect, I developed a system of plus and minuses to help me through what is currently the O gauge world in which we live, i.e., a world of importers, not manufacturers.

-2 = major problem or potential deal breaker

-1 = minor problem

0 = neutral or not a problem for me

1 = well done

2 = wow factor

For the Pocahontas set:

-2 no set box

-1 no whistle steam ( I knew that when I ordered it)

-1 one of my windows on the observation is not lined in silver like the others

-1 catalog-to-receipt time frame

0 stripe issue

0 outside mounted windows

+1 chemically blackened drive wheels

+1 paint is cleanly executed

+1 I didnt previously have a scale J and aluminum cars

+1 the locomotive sounds fantastic (chuff, blow down, etc.)

+1 no running issues, smooth as silk on the rails

+1 legible tender and boiler plate designation

+2 cars are ALUMINUM and affordable

+2 really (to my ear) authentic steamboat whistle

Total = +5

Y'all have to remember, I'm a child of the 80s. MPC and LTI was king. Sometimes LTI was unattainable for me, but I remember the joy when I received the Conrail Limited, and then, years later, the Hiawatha - both are examples of getting that little "extra sumpin" when you ordered a set. To me, it's a warm and fuzzy, and why the set box is/was a potential deal breaker. Heck, even the Motor City Express had it's own box! All in all, a good set, not stellar, but good.

This thread is simply amazing. 

It certainly is.... I love watching the wolves stir the sheep into a frenzy... 

So who are the "sheep"?

Problem SOLVED!

I just opened my set and got my 606 off the shelf and compared tenders. To my amazement the stripes were in the exact same location. Next I put the 606 back to back with the 611. Instantly the problem was starring me right in the face. The 611 shell was setting lower than the 606. 

I turned the 611 over, took the 4 screws that holds the shell on out, turned the wheel assembly right side up, put two small washers in each hole, carefully placed the shell back on the wheel assembly right side up. Once the two were together I turned the whole engine over and replaced the screws that holds the shell on. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!!

As you can see by the first photo the stripes are lined up perfectly. The foot boards from the tender and the engine are directly lined up. The rear of the cab is also sticking up above the top of the tender now. I'm happy!

The washers I happened to have on hand were lock washer. You just need something that takes up approximately 1/8". It looks to me like the 611 shell mounting pegs could possibly be too short, therefore it makes the shell set lower on the wheel assembly. 

While I had the shell off, I used a black magic marker and colored a sliver plate under the electronics board black. Raising the shell will expose this silver colored plate so I darkened it black. 

One of the roof hatches came apart on the cab but that can be glued back. I didn't get the cars out yet. I've got to save something for another night. All functions worked on the engine. Sounds are superb! Sweet Dreams to all the wolves and sheep!

Nice!!! What an easy fix!

I will be doing the washer "body lift" on my 611.  Thanks for the tips guys!  Here's a little video I did of the Pocahontas set on the Pittsburgh Industrial railroad & horseshoe curve! 

This was great evening entertainment, sort of like an OGR "who done it" version of Columbo including a cliff-hanger and then the brilliant solution by Kevin.  This does not let Lionel off the hook, but OGR is the place to go for issues like this.

Kevin, excellent solution!  Thanks for sharing it with us here.

Nick, great video as always... featuring this beautiful set running on your world-class layout! 

All's well that ends well... at least for #611.  Now, if I can only get past the backwards "S" used on #612!    I might even notice that more now that we can get the stripes to line up!!!  

David

Uh, hey guys, why did Lionel go back to those awful torpedo shell markers??

Nick,

Thanks for clearing (raising) that up!

Kevin great fix!! And simple...I'm happy to see that corrected the issue w/o causing any additional problems. 

Thanks for figuring this out. Looks perfect.

Loved the HD video.  

RD, You hit the nail on the head.  

Nick, Thank you for the masterpiece video! I was raised in Pittsburgh.

Kevin, Thank you for the detailed solution, the manufacture should at least supply the washer kit.

JR

Some of you may be interested in this: N&W Class J Poster

Kevin, thanks for the update on how to line up the stripes on the loco and tender. I did the same and Wow, it matches perfectly...And, do to this set coming in 3 years later, so to speak, the other fellow did not want the passenger cars, so Now, I have a complete 611 Steam/Passenger set.  WOW...The engine performs great....Just Like Nicks Video, and the Number boards are crisp and lighted perfect!!! Its a really nice set. Thanks Lionel. 

I don't have a dog in the fight but that is a great fix from Kevin and Nick's video has me contemplating the set in spite of the issues.

Three pages of teeth-gnashing, and then in the end two little washers take care of it in the most obvious and simple way. What a ride!   

Like a fairy tale.

What is the consensus of opinion about the color of the stripe on the various models pictured here in this interesting thread?

Some appear too 'dark' or 'brown' while some (like one view of the 3rd Rail model) appear much more 'red'.

Our TMCC 611 appears very 'brown' to me - would much prefer a more reddish hue.

You may have seen the piece this week from the Fire Up 611 group that gas a teaser about a discovery that will speak on the Tuscan controversy.

quote:February 21, 2015 5:26 PM

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Maybe a washer (over the screws) between the rear frame and the body at the rear of the loco.

Again, thanks Kevin for proving my initial idea was able to fix the problem.

I meant to ask earlier, did you also put washers under the front of the engine?

N&W Class J Poster

I put washers in all 4 corners of the engine and raised the shell equally. 

Ok, thank you.