High end Christmas and Halloween engines?

Chris I agree for seasonal item.operated maybe in a 3 to 4 week span during the respective seasons at best, its pricey. And I operate the seasonal trains only on my overhead loop which is 027 track and that even negates lion chief steam because of the rigid tether used for the application but all the units offered by Lionel are sharp!!!

We did the Halloween Pacific last year. It was a great seller and encouraged us to do the RS-11, also which had good orders. So Halloween is a winner in Legacy. The custom sounds make it fun. Personally I like having the quillable wolf howl.

We'll see how Christmas versions perform. We have special sounds for those planned that will make it an extremely fun loco to operate.

I have numerous Christmas and Halloween Steamers and Diesels. I have enjoyed all of them. For years, we have set up holiday layouts/displays, and we have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them including complements from visitors. Now that I am working on my permanent layout out am focusing on it, however, still plan on setting up the holiday layouts as time permits. When one is still working there is only so much time. I saw the RS-11, and still considering it even though I do not have the Legacy system yet.  There were a few Halloween and Christmas Steamers that I believe came out last year or the year before in the $1300 ball bark. Too Rich for my blood weather seasonal or otherwise. Great topic Chris!

Joe Gozzo

Dave Olson posted:

We did the Halloween Pacific last year. It was a great seller and encouraged us to do the RS-11, also which had good orders. So Halloween is a winner in Legacy. The custom sounds make it fun. Personally I like having the quillable wolf howl.

We'll see how Christmas versions perform. We have special sounds for those planned that will make it an extremely fun loco to operate.

I noticed the sound files you can play in the 2019 catalog that might be a good idea to have some of those available to sample for some of the custom sounds you mention. That could be enough for someone to pull the trigger to purchase! 

Dave Olson posted:

We did the Halloween Pacific last year. It was a great seller and encouraged us to do the RS-11, also which had good orders. So Halloween is a winner in Legacy. The custom sounds make it fun. Personally I like having the quillable wolf howl.

We'll see how Christmas versions perform. We have special sounds for those planned that will make it an extremely fun loco to operate.

Dave - Do you know of the Halloween sounds in the RS-11 that is coming will be the same as in the Pacific issued last year? When it comes to sounds in seasonal engines, I prefer not to have the same sounds across two different engines.

Joe Gozzo

Chris Lonero posted:

Dave Olson posted:

We did the Halloween Pacific last year. It was a great seller and encouraged us to do the RS-11, also which had good orders. So Halloween is a winner in Legacy. The custom sounds make it fun. Personally I like having the quillable wolf howl.

We'll see how Christmas versions perform. We have special sounds for those planned that will make it an extremely fun loco to operate.

I noticed the sound files you can play in the 2019 catalog that might be a good idea to have some of those available to sample for some of the custom sounds you mention. That could be enough for someone to pull the trigger to purchase! 

YESSIR!

Trainlover160 posted:

I have numerous Christmas and Halloween Steamers and Diesels. I have enjoyed all of them. For years, we have set up holiday layouts/displays, and we have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of them including complements from visitors. Now that I am working on my permanent layout out am focusing on it, however, still plan on setting up the holiday layouts as time permits. When one is still working there is only so much time. I saw the RS-11, and still considering it even though I do not have the Legacy system yet.  There were a few Halloween and Christmas Steamers that I believe came out last year or the year before in the $1300 ball bark. Too Rich for my blood weather seasonal or otherwise. Great topic Chris!

 

Joe Gozzo

Yes Joe. As you know I have the CP holiday train this year and a Christmas MTH General type Christmas Locomotive and almost more Christmas rolling stock than regular rolling stock.   The day after Thanksgiving everything turns to Christmas on the layout!🎄

Hi Chris,

I had taken a chance on the scale Halloween Pacific last year and am pleased with it. I prefer to have Legacy in my engines--that more than scale size is the deciding factor over LC or Railking equivalent.

I have the scale PE Berkshire and cars and am hoping job & finances allow me to pre-order the PE Bipolar. The fantasy items seem to motivate me to work on the layout, and make me feel good and young again.

Trainlover160 posted:

Dave - Do you know of the Halloween sounds in the RS-11 that is coming will be the same as in the Pacific issued last year? When it comes to sounds in seasonal engines, I prefer not to have the same sounds across two different engines.

Joe Gozzo

It has a hancock air whistle and the quilling wolf is the secondary horn. The rest of the sounds are shared w/ the Pacific.

Chris Lonero posted:

I noticed the sound files you can play in the 2019 catalog that might be a good idea to have some of those available to sample for some of the custom sounds you mention. That could be enough for someone to pull the trigger to purchase! 

The goal is to get there. It was a nice addition to add in sounds. We'll see what future catalog releases hold. 

I'm considering the Bi-Polar. I've been hoping they would do a legacy alternate loco that could pull my Polar Express freight.

My north North Pole Village has a lightly Victorian/steampunk asthetic that matches the look of the communications room.  I am considering making a master to begin molding resin caternary pieces to hold wire.... a victorian, maybe brass looking armature to power the Bi-Polar.  Something that feels like it could live within the movie.

Hearing Dave talk about extra sounds just entices me further.

I Agree with Chris, put the sounds in the catalog! That will drive sales!

Dave Olson posted:

We did the Halloween Pacific last year. It was a great seller and encouraged us to do the RS-11, also which had good orders. So Halloween is a winner in Legacy. The custom sounds make it fun. Personally I like having the quillable wolf howl.

We'll see how Christmas versions perform. We have special sounds for those planned that will make it an extremely fun loco to operate.

dave do we know when the Christmas version will be out

ZenGardenRails posted:

I'm considering the Bi-Polar. I've been hoping they would do a legacy alternate loco that could pull my Polar Express freight.

 

My north North Pole Village has a lightly Victorian/steampunk asthetic that matches the look of the communications room.  I am considering making a master to begin molding resin caternary pieces to hold wire.... a victorian, maybe brass looking armature to power the Bi-Polar.  Something that feels like it could live within the movie.

Hearing Dave talk about extra sounds just entices me further.

 

I Agree with Chris, put the sounds in the catalog! That will drive sales!

I'd love to see your North Pole Viilage - and the communications room fascimile. Can you share pictures? I am toying around with a similar concept using ceramic buildings.

I sure would like to see an Orange GG1 , 5 black stripes...skull and crossbones instead of a keystone..TRR.

TRANSYLVANIA down the side....How hard could it be?  I'd buy 2.

rat

maybe with a Frankenstein laying down on the roof to draw power from the pantographs...

rat

As much as I like the scale stuff, I too don't think I'd get the "play value" out of something I'd only be running 5-6 weeks out of the year. That was a deciding factor for me when purchasing the MTH CP Holiday Train. Yes, the Premier had scale size and detailing, and the correct locomotive, but I couldn't justify the extra nearly 300 dollars over the RailKing version. Same with the Polar Express. I love the new Bluetooth LionChief version. It's perfect for a seasonal layout and didn't break the bank. If I was going scale/Legacy, I would likely lean more towards a Pere Marquette Berk over a Polar Express one.

Rob

ratpak posted:

maybe with a Frankenstein laying down on the roof to draw power from the pantographs...

rat

This is a wildly inspiring idea.  Some flickering LEDs and Frankensteins monster grumblings.  I'm not big on Halloween trains... But this would force my hand.

I suppose the easier route would be a laboratory car with the gurney inside... But the roof would be head turning!

Not into the "Happy Halloween" on the engines. Would much prefer something more like Eerie Lines, Transylvania RR, The Ghoulish Rd...

Sunrise

Paul Kallus posted:

ZenGardenRails posted:

I'm considering the Bi-Polar. I've been hoping they would do a legacy alternate loco that could pull my Polar Express freight.

 

My north North Pole Village has a lightly Victorian/steampunk asthetic that matches the look of the communications room.  I am considering making a master to begin molding resin caternary pieces to hold wire.... a victorian, maybe brass looking armature to power the Bi-Polar.  Something that feels like it could live within the movie.

Hearing Dave talk about extra sounds just entices me further.

 

I Agree with Chris, put the sounds in the catalog! That will drive sales!

I'd love to see your North Pole Viilage - and the communications room fascimile. Can you share pictures? I am toying around with a similar concept using ceramic buildings.

Might be a little bit, but I would love to share some photos when I can.  Expecting a baby any day now and just recently packed up everything.   its a fair observation that im relatively obsessed.  its all O scale.  

my original problem was that there were no adequate buildings for a north pole village in the polar express available anywhere.  Even the TW trainworx buildings were not to my liking because they didn't accurately represent the buildings in the movie.  I find the buildings from the movie striking and somewhat historical to the pullman district in chicago.  after making the clocktower building as an O scale dollhouse with flanked reindeer stables for my Daughter, the project spiraled out of control.  Once i finish a wheelhouse, and a present distribution center... im going off into non-movie buildings like a Hot-chocolate brewery of sorts and all manner of expected christmas village faire - but styled in that north pole aesthetic from the film. 

Its amazing what you can do with a 3d modeling program, a laser cutter... and a 3d printer these days.

Definitely a fan of the scale Polar Express / Polar RR stuff.  I like the expansion of the brand, especially to accommodate the more day-to-day operations of such a railroad that would have to serve needs of the north pole year-round.  As I would like the PE north pole village at one end of the line of my dream layout I find it interesting to imagine the various industries that would help serve Santa's operation, or just be in the neighborhood. Diamond or ore mines, oil drilling, reindeer/caribou farm, general freight station, etc. 

And, as I'm a bit twisted, I'd love to see a Class A or other large articulated done in PE/Polar RR livery with a matching set of LionScale hoppers - to haul the coal for all the naughty kids...  

Fridge56Vet posted:

And, as I'm a bit twisted, I'd love to se a Class A or other large articulated done in PE/Polar RR livery with a matching set of LionScale hoppers - to haul the coal for all the naughty kids...  

Not twisted at all. Despite what some think, this is still O-gauge, no matter how intense discussions around prototype get. I would've purchased a Polar RR or PE Cab Forward with Legacy had Lionel made one. That model is most definitely something Santa and crew would use.

IMO, returning to one's roots in the hobby is still the keystone of why O-gauge exists to this day. Christmas and Hanukkah electric train memories remain embedded in our psyche. I think we're all trying to recreate aspects of those special times. Kudos to Lionel for bridging the gap and keeping things light and fun.