Defender ship date

I have this set on order, but the three year delay is starting to worry me. I think their still trying to find somebody in China to build it. And I feel this set is not going to turn out right. I'm going to cancel my order before I make a $450. Mistake.

Pat

How do you know it has been delayed?

Charles RO says it is being shipped in late April when I called yesterday.  I talked with a contact at Lionel a month ago and he said it would be shipped soon.

Lionel's website shows the defender set delayed again till August. Check it out.

Darn!

The Defender set is finally completed, the set box has been printed, & the manual printed. After all sets get assembled for shipment to the US, they will finally deliver to distributors. Target for that is June or July.

Have been informed by a trustworthy source that a L-AF Defender set will be on display at the Lionel exhibit in Orange Hall this next week at York.

Very much looking forward to seeing how it turned out.

Bob

I look forward to seeing it too.  I have both of the Gilbert sets and one of the Flionel sets ordered.  A friend at Lionel says the rocket car and unloading box car are not teathered like Gilberts and the Geeps are plastic.  In a week we will know for sure.

Too many unfounded rumors circulating...and not just about this set. The Jeeps are not plastic; they are diecast. True----the cars are not tethered; they are independent of each other. And the two cars do operate.....another unfounded rumor that's been circulating.

The C&O Geep is going to have a die-cast hood and cab?  That would be a first.

Rusty

I believe he means the 2 US Army Jeeps on flatcar, not the prime mover

Doug is referring to the two (repro) Tootsie Toy jeeps on the Army flat in the set.

Bob

Ooopsies!

Rusty

The icing on the cake would be to package this set in a Gilbert style display box but with better padding to protect the components.  With track and repro transformer.

Mike W.

I too would like to see original packaging on this and all future sets!

Also, i would like to see a repro of the A/F transformers.

Thanks,

Phil     

When Lionel remakes a Flyer set like the "Defender", I wish they would do the cars from the set exactly like Flyer.  

Did Lionel have this set on display at York?

Yes, The Defender set was displayed at York.  No set box was shown.  It was a static display so not running in the small S guage loop.  It looks good but some guys thought the yellow paint was too bright.  They also had the shells of the new Cylindrical hopper with no wheels or trucks.  The new Flyer catalog was handed out at no cost. 

No new steam engine for 2013 but the new diesel will be the ES44AC.  I like the new Diesel Railsounds boxcars they are going to make. You will be able to give your Gilbert sets some sound.

They preview 3 sets for a new Berkshire engine that is not a scale like locomotive to be out in 2014.  Will only come in sets.  The sets include track and transformer. The Birkshire is not a Legacy engine.

Yes, as Bill posted.

The yellow is noticeably brighter than the shade Gilbert used on the original and the No. 24549 search light car has a red rather than Tuscan flat (the track lighting at the Lionel display may have accentuated the yellow). The generator is painted yellow rather than being unpainted yellow on the original - a nice touch. The appearance of the search light is close to the original's. There is no tether wire between the rocket flat and the operating boxcar (the No. 25056 USM combination) but both pieces do operate and are reasonable reissues. The repro TootsieToy jeeps are die-cast and are somewhat more olive than the brown originals. They look good. The No. 24557 USN Jeep flat is gray, as is the Gilbert.

The No. 21234 is equipped with the new style power truck with a four wheel setup in that the engine is a GP7. The bell is electronic and defeatable. The GP7 is rather handsome, actually.

In several ways, a creditable reissue, so don't dismiss the set out of hand until you see one. The red flat car body for the search light car and the shade of yellow, however, may be a bit at odds with the expectations of some.

Bob

Here:

http://lionelllc.wordpress.com/

Bob

The Defender set is also one of the first things they showed on the TCA Netvision video.  It's about 2.5 minutes in.  Even though I'm not into it, it looks pretty nice.

http://tcamembers.org/netvision/index.htm

Select the Lionel link.

Rusty

Charles Ro has it proced for $429.95 without shipping.  I hear there may be a shortage produced.  I placed an order in February but who knows if I will get one.

I wish they would make the new Berkshire a scale piece, similar to the 293. Then one could add details if they wish, instead of a goofy proportioned Frankenstein.

  I would like AF to maintain its scale proportions, even on the entry level sets.

That's what I think old AC would have done. Al

Good news there are in....Cant wait to see it open.. As to the shortage my order shows short shipped. So we will see.

There has been discussion at Lionel about this and I believe that the new S Berkshire will now be scale proportioned. In terms of present and future product offerings, it makes sense on a number of levels.

Thank goodness.

Ed Boyle

Ed:

Good news for S on the scale proportions for Lionel AF.  Hope they will also rethink the size of the highrail flange deapth.  Can live with AM and MTH(SHS)size but the old "cookie cutter" of Gilbert is hard to work with.

Roger

Just got notified that my Defender Sets are on the way. (I just ordered one)  The paperwork says I ordered two of them and they are sending both sets. Hmmm.

Oh well.

Ed Boyle

There's one listed on Ebay now (Monday, Aug. 5)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/111137321216?ssPageName=STRK:MESINDXX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1436.l2649

Pick up my set yesterday...............very nice well done, not bad for the price.  

In stock!          http://nassauhobby.com/1959-Defender-Set/

I saw the Defender on display this weekend @ Barry's Trains in Elizabethtown, PA.   He is selling them for $500, so there is someone who also has it in stock.  Nice set!  

I ordered one last week. This will be my first non Gilbert S gauge.

Steve

I have them in stock. It is a nice set I must say..

wow!!! $500.................. I paid $429.95 at Charlies Ro

Thanks everyone.

Now I have to find a supplier at comparable prices in Canada, given the exchange rate.

Wish the CDN $ was still ahead of the US $ !