Chances of lionel making a new subway?

In my opinion I do not think you will see another subway coming from Lionel. MTH has been the big subway player and even they have not had any new subways in the latest catalog.

I feel like the only reason Lionel ever did a Subway set was to steal the thunder of MTH. MTH was there first in several places where Lionel actively traded on thier name to one up MTH in the public eye.

This was done at a time that they had done the same thing (Early 2000's) replacing the MTH layout that had been at Macy's Santaland before the current Lionel one as well as the one that had been the Grand Central MTA Museum Gallery which was replaced by the current Lionel one.

Since Lionel has had the MTA contract they have made one set and a repaint of that one set. They aren't doing anything with the license. They are only sitting on it to keep it away from MTH.

I have been on the fence about buying this http://www.lionel.com/Products...neID=&CatalogId= Lionchief I want to try also I can run it elevated so I can have room on my small sized layout

Lionel license with the MTA expires soon so let's see what happens. MTH is free to make any of the subway car models new or otherwise they just can not put the MTA logo on them. It's the cost of making new dies that keeps both Lionel and MTH from coming out with any new models of anything recently.

JP of Acton MA, USA writes,

The last MTH catalog that featured 2 new R26 Subways, was the 2014 V2 catalog.

Interestingly, MTH is supposed to be producing Subways for their HO line, for either later this year or early next year (2016)

As for Lionel, they only produced the Green, Red, and Silver w/ Blue stripe sets. they have not produced any others since then.

-JP 

I want a subway set, but it's got to have Legacy, so I hope Lionel does more so I can have one.

If Lionel was going to produce another subway set, thre would have to be enough of an 'audience' for that to happen. Probably in the area of 300+ subway rail fans, writing to Lionel, saying they want to see another subway.

Similar situation with MTH.

I have been dying to see Boston Subway trains and modern LRVs. So far MTH has produced 3 Boston commuter rail diesel locos, and 3 Boston PCC trolley cars.

There just isn't enough of an audience for Boston transit trains. 

I wish MTH would take on the London Underground as part of their European lineup. Not for everyone, perhaps, but I lived along the Met line for a few years and would love to add one to my otherwise-US-based layout. I have to believe our friends across the pond would eat it up, too. I saw a lot of tube trains modeled on layouts I visited while living there.

trainyard-

Boston's a tough one.  Here are some options-

1) Very old assembled 0300 and 0900 Main Line wooden kit models from the Boston Elevated days come up once in a blue.  Great patience required.

2) Was able to pick up a surprisingly good model of the 1951 East Boston Tunnel car made by St. Louis Car Co. years ago.  Have no idea who made it.  As you probably know, these ran in married pairs so I kit-bashed a St. Petersburg Cleveland rapid kit to match it up.

 Again, lots of patience required.

3) For the 01500-series Red Line car, you might want to try kit-bashing an Atlas Comet commuter car.  A SEPTA version is now available on ebay.

4) Island Modelworks has produced a very kit of the new 0700 Blue Line cars, so you may want to check that out.

None of these are powered, so there's another layer of complication.

The Car Works produced an excellent model of the Boeing LRV years ago, but they're getting much harder to find.  Naturally, the scarcer they get, the more spendy they become.

So although it will take some effort, it's not impossible.

Good Hunting!

JP of Acton MA, USA writes,

CTSRapid,

I have seen the Island Modelworks 0700 Blue Line cars. Aside from unpowered, they are unpainted and un detailed as well. There is a decal kit for that model. As for powering, I imagine that any motors / trucks can be made to fit the frames. 3 rail operation would require Lionel or MTH Subway running gear. 2 Rail operation would require something from Q Car Co. or North West Short Line.