Good money after bad.

All they have to do is pay a bazillion dollars in licensing to Lucasfilm/Disney...

Jon  

Megatracks is the least of Lionels problems. 

You would do better figuring out a way to save all those defective moguls that folks already paid for, from the scrap heap.

Lol,  quality! What is that? 

I still don’t think there is any hope for Megatracks but the movie looks like it’s going to be good! 🍿

What is mega tracks?

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

Exactly my thought. 

bigtruckpete posted:

What is mega tracks?

That was my question, too -- I had to look it up.  One page breathlessly announced it as "the hottest toy of 2016."  I guess I slept through it.

If only the resources spent on this debacle had instead been used to promote & develop ERR to a more sustainable level...

MartyE posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

Exactly my thought. 

I’ll run the D11 over it, just to make sure it stays buried!

Nick

P.S. Got to get back to sharpening pitch forks and making burning torches  

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

Well said, same here.

RickO posted:

Megatracks is the least of Lionels problems. 

You would do better figuring out a way to save all those defective moguls that folks already paid for, from the scrap heap.

Not to mention the partnering with another bright idea  NASCAR , just watch the races on TV , the stands are empty , the cameras stay close to the cars so it does not show , just watch , I was flipping thru channels last weekend , some short track race had like 100 people in the stands .

SuperChiefer84 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

Well said, same here.

Melt them down or bury them like the old Atari game.....that was as big a flop.

RickO posted:

Megatracks is the least of Lionels problems. 

Yeah, and now there's another self-inflicted one, possibly much worse.

I'm out here on the fringes of this hobby, and even I've gotten 2 phone calls from irate Hi-railers in less than 24 hours concerning ERR:

ADCX Rob posted:

If only the resources spent on this debacle had instead been used to promote & develop ERR to a more sustainable level...

Scratchbuilder1-48 posted:

RickO posted:

Megatracks is the least of Lionels problems. 

You would do better figuring out a way to save all those defective moguls that folks already paid for, from the scrap heap.

Not to mention the partnering with another bright idea  NASCAR , just watch the races on TV , the stands are empty , the cameras stay close to the cars so it does not show , just watch , I was flipping thru channels last weekend , some short track race had like 100 people in the stands .

I agree NASCAR's fanbase has declined. But last weekend was a poor weekend to use as an example.  The race was scheduled for Sunday and the weather was cold and rainy and it got postponed after only a few laps raced. And the race was resumed on a Monday afternoon and it was still a rainy, cold and drizzling day.

ADCX Rob posted:

If only the resources spent on this debacle had instead been used to promote & develop ERR to a more sustainable level...

BINGO!!!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

ADCX Rob posted:

If only the resources spent on this debacle had instead been used to promote & develop ERR to a more sustainable level...

BINGO!!!

Lol, My sentiments exactly!

Lionel means ELECTRIC TRAINS.   Not plastic mono-track cars, or Nascar collectibles.

They should focus on making SOME good, basic traditional size, conventionally-run O Gauge trains at reasonable prices- say $ 150 for engines.  Put these standard O Gauge engines in the sets, not LionChief.  Put the cost savings (from standard O vs. LC standard) into a 40-watt transformer in the sets. 

Then set buyers already HAVE the transformer in the set to run a LionChief Plus loco when they upgrade.   Think of it as an upgrade for set buyers- and from transformer to LC Plus IS a big upgrade.  (From LC to LC+ is not.)  Keep and further develop the LionChief Plus line, with enough continuity that LHS buy them without fear that they will be obsoleted and have to be sold at a loss. LC+ available at the current price levels is fine.  

Then some semi scale and scale stuff, but never over $ 1000 for a locomotive.

-Focus on QUALITY.  When you buy one- the thing is perfect.  Period. 

- Rethink Built To Order (BTO).  This stuff is too hard to buy right now.  Order 9 months ahead??  And then- you might not even produce it??  What do you mean there are no PRR locomotives this year??    Only old guys who are looking or something specific will put up with it, NOT the general market. BTO is a terrible business model for the average consumer.  I don't get it- no other hobby is like this.  Do you think they intro new whiz-bang RC planes with a 9-month pre-order wait??

- your LHS can't afford to carry many Lionel engines and rolling stock, either. The distributors either.  Margins are paper thin.  Costs are way high.

Due to all this- everybody has to go to the Internet except when they need some lychen or balsa wood.  The hobby has to support the distributors so they can afford to STOCK.  Put margins in so LHS can afford to sell the stuff and not drive everybody online. 

Vision Line??  Quit spending research dollars and time on it.  Current development is enough to attract anybody!  Now the big feature on the Niagara is that the thing simulates picking up water on the fly??   ANOTHER smoke generator to cause a service shipment??  Cmon!!!  Few are willing to pay. 

All this said- I have several LC+ engines- and all are perfect.  Lionel is getting some things right!!  And- I see things getting better.  But it's a HUGE line- it needs to be trimmed.

SuperChiefer84 posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Who wants to save that turkey?  I was puzzled as to who was steering the ship when I first saw it, and my opinion hasn't changed.

It's dead, bury it!

Well said, same here.

The solution is called dollar general

Balshis posted:

bigtruckpete posted:

What is mega tracks?

That was my question, too -- I had to look it up.  One page breathlessly announced it as "the hottest toy of 2016."  I guess I slept through it.

 

Same here. To me it looks like Hot Wheels on both steroids & LSD.

So what about ERR?

E-UNIT-79 posted:

So what about ERR?

The death of the TMCC upgrade

You know, in the sports world, too many bad decisions by the management, gets a reaction from the ownership. Seems like the current management at Lionel have made their fair share, with Nascar, Mega Tracks and now ERR, hitching their wagon to some lame horses.

Sick to what you do best boys. It's the trains!

Guess the plan for TOY R US to be their main outlet failed, period.

Melt it down to make little plastic statues of Conway Twitty and sell them.

Pete

Sick to what you do best boys. It's the trains!

Even going back to the Postwar era, Lionel has a history of trying unsuccessfully to diversify their product line. 
Other then their wartime production of items for the military and civil defense, I cannot think of anything that was really successful.

Texas Pete posted:

Melt it down to make little plastic statues of Conway Twitty and sell them.

Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, Obscurity Railcars...  

(For the benefit of those who don't know wherein Pete and I speak 

Mitch