Lionel 2012 LIRR Trains and Add-On

THANKS and more DETAILS please!

Passenger cars - gray/orange "ping-pong" coaches?? Please NOT "same old, same old" tired heavyweights!

The classic "ping-pong", "owl-eyed" MU's and also steam-heated coaches were everywhere in the 1950's and 1960's on the LIRR.

Come on, Lionel, it IS time they were celebrated with detailed models!

This is in the Ready to Run catalog, so it's basic entry level stuff.

There's a Starter Set with an RS-3 and passenger cars.  They're gray with an orange stripe down the middle.  There's add-on passenger cars for this set.

Also, there's a gondola with canisters.

Stu

Set looks pretty sharp in the LIRR colors and it also has a CW-80.

Now if us NJ Transit fans could just get some more pieces...

Is it the new RS-3 built like the Canadian Pacific?

Jon 

no, appears to be the Lionel metal frame version.

So it IS built like the Canadian Pacific?   Which has a stamped-steel frame, diec-cast trucks, and die-cast fuel tank?

Jon 

No, looks the Lionel style that they have been making since the late 1980s.  Metal frame,

plastic trucks and plastic fuel tank.

The Canadian Pacific uses the same frame and shell from the 80's, which is WAY better than the starter-set version that's been in production the last ten years or so.  Those had plastic frames and not enough weight to move even three plastic cars with plastic frames.

The Canadian Pacific RS-3 that was just released uses the old metal frame and shell, but has two motors, and die-cast trucks and tank.

Jon 

The Canadian Pacific RS-3's from the set that came with two RS-3's was cataloged with an image that showed the plastic frame version.  However, looking of pictures of actual production pieces, it looks like it was made with the metal frame.

Stu

The Canadian Pacific uses the same frame and shell from the 80's, which is WAY better than the starter-set version that's been in production the last ten years or so.  Those had plastic frames and not enough weight to move even three plastic cars with plastic frames!

Tell me about it! I was shocked when I had to repair a RBB&B Rs3! You can't even swap out the incorrect squashed & molded-in GP fuel tank for a more realistic one! On top of that, ONLY a single motor- what happened to the dual motors? Talk about cutting corners!

Exactly!  That's why I was so excited about the new Canadian Pacific units that just came out: metal frames, metal trucks, metal fuel tanks, dual motors, sounds and smoke.  These are light-years ahead of the cheapie ones thy've been producing the last 10 years.

Jon

There is no mention of the engine in this set having smoke like the recent CP version.

Since its an entry level set, doubt it will have smoke.

Those plastic frame RS-3s that came out in the late 1990s (I think first in the yellow constuction set) probably set the record for the lightest O gauge diesel engine. Its unbelievable how little they weigh.

Does anybody have a complete listing of the Lionel RTR 2012 catalog on-line. Lionel is apparently going to not have the catalog up for more than a week or two.

Andrew

have not seen a list online, but quite a few of us have seen the RTR catalogs already.

Most of the new items in this catalog are RTR sets, about 9 or 10 new ones. Surprised there are no separate sale engines in this catalog.

Since the cat is out of the bag on the RTR sets, here is a photo of the LIRR set: