LEGACY SANTA FE "GOLD BONNET" PASSENGER SET

First I have heard about it.  Nice find.

It was first seen on the Lionel store mix up with the catalog. Ryan said on the Ryan&Dave show that they pulled these because of the AFFA closure.

Doug

I saw this picture a while back on another thread about Sunset Models possibly making these.  Interesting...wonder what the passenger cars will look like and how they will sell.  

T4TT posted:

I just came across this on the Lionel web page.  I never knew ATSF had a Gold Bonnet PA.  I guess I missed the memo on this set.  When did Lionel release information about it?  What type of passenger cars were behind the actual Gold Bonnet PA?

thanks

There were postings about this actual locomotive last week.

"From another website:

This was part of a promotional train painted up for General Electric. In February of 1960, one PA along with a baggage car and three lounge cars were painted gold for GEs "Golden Values" promotion campaign in Southern California. The train ran between Los Angeles, Pasadena, San Bernardino, Fullerton and San Diego. Then the locomotive and the four cars were returned to their normal paint schemes."

http://cs.trains.com/trn/f/740/t/259864.aspx?page=2

"This set includes a LEGACY® PA and four passenger cars. While no photos of the cars have surfaced, it is understood that the train included a baggage and three coach/lounge cars which had their trucks painted gold for the event. Cars feature flicker-free LED lighting, die-cast trucks and kinematic couplers for realistic operation."

Well, it looks like Lionel is to be congratulated for attempting to model the special train as it was reported to be and not a 3-unit PA set with a dozen passenger cars.

Maybe they'll do one for American Flyer (Hint, hint...)

Rusty

Yep the set is in the 2019 catalog which include one dual engine powered pa painted in gold and silver with four passenger cars. All at a cost of 1000$

Anyone notice the SKU number?  It's SKU: 1922040.  I guess the 19 in the front will go for the year of the catalog it will be in?

https://youtu.be/cGiEkaicfcY  The only preview of the 2019 catalog on the internet! Yes the quality is pretty bad, but you get the basics?

Has anyone purchased the Lionel Gold Bonnet set and what are your thoughts on the gold color?

I did purchase the set and have been very happy with it. The gold color looks excellent and the guys in the club thought it looked terrific. The cars are also done very well. A great set I believe. 

Dave

Dave S. posted:

I did purchase the set and have been very happy with it. The gold color looks excellent and the guys in the club thought it looked terrific. The cars are also done very well. A great set I believe. 

Dave

Pics Dave??

Jeff T posted:

Dave S. posted:

I did purchase the set and have been very happy with it. The gold color looks excellent and the guys in the club thought it looked terrific. The cars are also done very well. A great set I believe. 

Dave

Pics Dave??

Ditto from me. There's been a lot of comment about the MTH version's fine gold finish, which I think is plated, but not a glimpse of the Lionel version although it was announced first. I'm not in for one of these sets but I'd sure like to see how Lionel rendered the finish.

I'd like to see pictures if someone has any

Here's mine. The detail is good, but I'm still not sure about the color.

ticklor posted:

Here's mine. The detail is good, but I'm still not sure about the color.

What manufacturer? 

BobbyD posted:

ticklor posted:

Here's mine. The detail is good, but I'm still not sure about the color.

What manufacturer? 

This Lionel's version of the gold bonnet.

ticklor posted:

BobbyD posted:

ticklor posted:

Here's mine. The detail is good, but I'm still not sure about the color.

What manufacturer? 

This Lionel's version of the gold bonnet.

Is it really that dark? In the prototype images I've seen it appears much lighter in Gold color.

How about a Better picture !!  I have one of these on Order !

Fredstrains

Here's mine.  Includes three 21" Pullmans and an 18" baggage.

Johnsgg1 posted:

Here's mine.  Includes three 21" Pullmans and an 18" baggage.

Lighter color here in your images. Thanks. Hope you enjoy it!

John,

Good pictures !    How does it run?

ie:  sounds & overall operation?

Thanks. again For Pictures 

Fredstrains 

Many thanks from me too. I don’t have these or the MTH version, and really wasn’t tempted by either, but I was very curious to see how the Lionel finish came out and as to why no pictures had been posted after they were delivered. I think MTH used plating but the Lionel painted finish is nice. 

Does anyone have the MTH model?  The plated finish should be really nice with the gold!

BobbyD posted:

ticklor posted:

BobbyD posted:

ticklor posted:

Here's mine. The detail is good, but I'm still not sure about the color.

What manufacturer? 

This Lionel's version of the gold bonnet.

Is it really that dark? In the prototype images I've seen it appears much lighter in Gold color.

The picture above is taken with no flash. Just natural lighting. The pictures below are taken with a flash. The detail is great on the engine. It runs and sounds great. I just thought the gold would be a little lighter without throwing a flash at it. I would like to see some other pictures of the engine. Maybe my paint was darker than others.

c.sam posted:

Does anyone have the MTH model?  The plated finish should be really nice with the gold!

I don’t have it and I can’t track down the thread here which has some photos but I did find this one, circulated by Pat’s Trains which I believe marketed the majority of the special run Gold Bonnet sets MTH produced:

This reminds me that the gold was not plated (unlike some later MTH models) and the chrome/silver plate* was confined to parts of the side panels, which I believe is prototypical. So the gold is a painted finish like Lionel’s although the latter is richer, which is less like the prototype as shown in the photo posted above in 2018 than the MTH rendering. Still, the Lionel model is a nice representation of the real thing although Lionel’s effort at representing polished metal panels is not as good as MTH’s.

*Actually, looking at the photo more closely the panel is not “plated” but a very reflective chrome/silver paint has been used on it, similar to what I have on one of my MTH Amtrak diesels. I still wonder why Lionel doesn’t use something similar on its engines but a relatively unreflective silver.

I finally caught what struck me as odd about the Lionel gold PA.  Lionel added the yellow warbonnet stripe where as MTH did not.  The prototype also did not have the yellow stripe, although it appears that it apparently shows a little through the gold paint:

Rusty

I would still like to know how it Runs & Sounds??  Could someone take a Video??

PLEASE,

Fredstrains 

Fredstrains posted:

I would still like to know how it Runs & Sounds??  Could someone take a Video??

PLEASE,

Fredstrains 

I'll be at the club tomorrow and I intend to record a video and post it.

Fredstrains posted:

I would still like to know how it Runs & Sounds??  Could someone take a Video??

PLEASE,

Fredstrains 

Im sure it's the same as the previous Legacy PA releases. 

Johnsgg1 posted:

Here's mine.  Includes three 21" Pullmans and an 18" baggage.

That looks fantastic! I was on the fence about the set because of only seeing catalog, but the engine turned out excellent 👍

Rusty Traque posted:

I finally caught what struck me as odd about the Lionel gold PA.  Lionel added the yellow warbonnet stripe where as MTH did not.  The prototype also did not have the yellow stripe, although it appears that it apparently shows a little through the gold paint:

Rusty

Good point.

Will Ebbert posted:

Fredstrains posted:

I would still like to know how it Runs & Sounds??  Could someone take a Video??

PLEASE,

Fredstrains 

Im sure it's the same as the previous Legacy PA releases. 

Yes, it is.  No difference.  Has no problem pulling it's consist up inclines and the sounds are typical Legacy, outstanding.

Chris Lord posted:

Fredstrains posted:

I would still like to know how it Runs & Sounds??  Could someone take a Video??

PLEASE,

Fredstrains 

I'll be at the club tomorrow and I intend to record a video and post it.

Thanks Chris, that would be great !  I don’t have any PAs to compare it with!

Thanks again ,

Fredstanda 

Here's a video I shot of the Gold Bonnet set.  Forgive the shakes.  I was tight on time and used my cellphone instead of my DSLR on  a tripod as I normally would. 

Four sections:

1. Photos of each individual piece
2. Demonstration of sounds.  Horn, Crewtalk, Towercom
   1. I really like the richness of the sounds.
3. Run by using Legacy Sequence Control
   1. I'm a big fan of Sequence Control.  Set it and the engine plays it's own sounds.  I always use it.
4. Short smoke demonstration.
   1. For a Lionel engine this thing really smokes (probably too much for a diesel!)

Enjoy. 

Lionel Legacy Gold Bonnet Set Recorded at the NJ Hi-Railers

Thanks, Chris.  It takes a lot more time than most of us, myself included, realize to create even a short, unedited video, let alone the thoughtful and comprehensive production you have provided for us.

Would someone from Lionel or elsewhere please explain the inane Towercom announcement that goes to this effect; "dispatcher, my fuel is almost empty, am I cleared to the main?"

Somehow, if my car's gas tank is almost empty, I'm looking for a gas station instead of the nearest Interstate highway......  WHAT am I missing here???????

Chris Lord

Thanks SO MUCH for the Great Job on the Video! You are one of a kind on producing these Videos!! Looks like the PA is a good Smoker & Runner! Can hardly wait to receive mine!  

THANKS AGAIN!

Fredstrains

Thanks for the nice video Chris, very informative. Can the dispatcher dialog be disabled with these (and others) without losing the otherwise excellent operating sounds?  I would have to concur with  D&H 65 above - why would an engineer say he was low on fuel and then pull out for a trip - ridiculous!  Guess he wasn't listening very well as the dispatcher gave him permission to pull three times I think!

How many times do we want to hear that repeated when we run the train???

Looking at the MTH model posted above, (thanks Hancock) the plating is much nicer and more realistic in appearance to me.

Thanks for all the kind words about the video.  I hope it helps some folks make a decision.

Sam.  The TowerCom & CrewCom are invoked from the CAB-2 remote.  So if you don't push the button you won't hear them.  That being said if you activate Sequence control them the announcements it makes are automatic (which is what I like about it.  Fire and Forget!)