Guess the date of these products...

Without actually looking it up, I'll guess 1999?  The SD-40 set sort of sounds like the third (and Last, IIRC) entry in the "Warhorse" series of sets.

-Dave

Dave45681 posted:

Without actually looking it up, I'll guess 1999?  The SD-40 set sort of sounds like the third (and Last, IIRC) entry in the "Warhorse" series of sets.

-Dave

Pretty close.  The article is date November 26, 1998.  Thanksgiving Day from the NY Times.

Here is a link to the article by Les Lines. Steam Meets Silicon In New Toy Trains

I found the prices interesting.  All the talk about how prices increased and a Hudson back then is about the same as what were paying for the new Lionel Berks.  The MTH Daylight isn't much less than something similar today.  Maybe I'm wrong but these prices are not that far off of what today's are for similar sized engines.

Except that the article states that the prices for the Lionel Hudson and the MTH Daylight also included a set of cars. Subtract those cars and the price difference is very significant from 1998 and 2018.

Here’s the actual text:

GOING FIRST CLASS

Some high-tech train engines and their features:

NEW YORK CENTRAL HUDSON

With Vandergilt tender, digital sound, smoke, electrocouplers, command control and a four-car set of heavyweight passenger cars, from Lionel: $1,499.90

SOUTHERN PACIFIC GS-4 DAYLIGHT

Steam locomotive with digital sound, smoke, remote-controlled couplers and a five-car streamlined passenger set, from MTH: $1,249.90

SOUTHERN PACIFIC SD-40 DIESEL

With four loaded coal cars and a bay-window caboose, all with the weathered Warhorse look; digital sound, and command control, from Lionel: $899.95

UNION PACIFIC VERANDA

Gas-turbine engine with die-cast tender, four flywheel-equipped motors, tow operating smoke systems, digital sound effects and lighted cab interior, from MTH: $699.95

Jim R. posted:

Except that the article states that the prices for the Lionel Hudson and the MTH Daylight also included a set of cars. Subtract those cars and the price difference is very significant from 1998 and 2018.

Here’s the actual text:

GOING FIRST CLASS

Some high-tech train engines and their features:

NEW YORK CENTRAL HUDSON

With Vandergilt tender, digital sound, smoke, electrocouplers, command control and a four-car set of heavyweight passenger cars, from Lionel: $1,499.90

SOUTHERN PACIFIC GS-4 DAYLIGHT

Steam locomotive with digital sound, smoke, remote-controlled couplers and a five-car streamlined passenger set, from MTH: $1,249.90

SOUTHERN PACIFIC SD-40 DIESEL

With four loaded coal cars and a bay-window caboose, all with the weathered Warhorse look; digital sound, and command control, from Lionel: $899.95

UNION PACIFIC VERANDA

Gas-turbine engine with die-cast tender, four flywheel-equipped motors, tow operating smoke systems, digital sound effects and lighted cab interior, from MTH: $699.95

Thanks Jim

You are correct.  I deleted those items without realizing some of them included cars.  Good catch.  Not sure why I just missed those.  I was trying to delete the reference to the sound and such that might give away the time frame and killed the entire significant info. Interestingly enough I left them for the SP SD set.  I guess prices have changed a lot.  All these sets had cars.

The SD40 warhorse coal set is on par with the SD40R salad bowl Express set from 2017 with 4 Lionscale reefers. Both $899 msrp