Lionel 2012 Volume 2, What are you ordering??

FWIW regarding those berks, while it doesn't justify the non "smoking whistle" feature, they DO have a big *** canon can motor in them unlike the original k line version. They should pull anything up until they run out of traction.

I like all the so called fantasy stuff in the latest catalogs.  There's still a whole lot of us who operate in that aspect of toy trains.

I am a big SP fan and have the GS-2 and GS-64. I want the SP GS-6 but without steam blow downs, steam whistle, or any "new" features makes it a hard swallow.

I have to agree I can't see paying for and not getting the steam whistle as well as the steam blow downs and without them I have to pass    

Sorry Lionel!!!!!!!

Watch it.   Numerous past threads attest to the huge popularity of MPC stuff among A LOT of Forum members. Much of it was very innovative and good stuff!

After I see it at York, I'll likely order the Operating Merchandise Car. By the picture in the catalog, it looks as though the mechanism could be the same as the original (I hope). I've got the 027 version, and always wanted the 3856 (but too $$$$). That's it for me, unless MTH or Williams has something affordable.

The Burks are just remakes of the K-Line Burks, aren't they? Doesn't look like Lionel wants to spend the money (probably costs a lot) to redesign the plumbing and do the surgery on older engines that are being re-run. They may have learned from the Crescent, Blue Comet etc. that it was too expensive, and the market won't allow them to charge enough additional to cover those costs. But who knows? It will be interesting to see what they say about it at York.

Part of the reason the "k line berks" have no whistle steam is that the whistle is located on the firebox near the stack on the prototype.Whistle steam needs its own seprate smoke unit.Lionel should have caught this before  cataloging these berks.As far as the other locos go I suspect its probably a supply issue with the smoke units as well,doubling the amount to be manufactured because of the added whistle steam unit.

Interesting - thanks - I still want one....

Interstate RR fantasy road number ES44AC with matching caboose.

It's off topic, and I don't have the energy to go into it now anyway. But clearly you missed the memos - long threads done periodically over the past several years with hundreds of responses from MPC lovers going through all the great things done during that era. Good reading for the unwashed. 

Sound of Steam, for example, that you mention? A first effort (crude though it was, as might be expected - so was the Wright Flyer) made to put electronically-generated sounds into toy trains - that wasn't innovative?

   Sure it was.

Love that Dreamsicle paint job.

>>>Part of the reason the "k line berks" have no whistle steam is that the whistle is located on the firebox near the stack on the prototype.Whistle steam needs its own seprate smoke unit.Lionel should have caught this before  cataloging these berks.As far as the other locos go I suspect its probably a supply issue with the smoke units as well,doubling the amount to be manufactured because of the added whistle steam unit.<<<

My guess is Lionel with a few previous steams still in stock with whistle steam decided that the expense to engineer that feature into the model was not worth the effort.

Also, A shortage of smoke units doesn't even make sense when the number of models involved is miniscule.

These are reissues, not much expense involved to just run it again. Tools and dies already exist. Lionel marketing probably figured adding the feature would have delayed production of a model that in their mind would sell anyway.

Joe 

>>Talking about those Berks, I see Lionel still has al roads in stock and has already reduced the cost to dealers.

For those interested, I guess check your dealer as this would be the time to buy..

Joe,<<<

Interesting - thanks - I still want one...<<<

Also noticed a price drop on the big SF Northern #3751...

Anyone around here have one? I'm interested in your thoughts.  I may bite for one if reviews are decent...

Joe

Re the retread K-Line Berkshires: I have not examined one myself, but according to some previous threads on this board, they are not just a rerun of the K-Line. In addition to adding Legacy and a fan-type smoke unit (the K-Line Berk had a puffer), Lionel retooled the chassis to eliminate the backward-facing motor, and put in a bigger motor so it will not have the pulling power issues of the old one. I'm not convinced that makes it worth the kind of money Lionel is asking, but it isn't just a rerun with new electronics. 

On the down side, the Lionel catalog shows both versions of the Berk with the same detailing on the top of the boiler. On the prototype and on the K-Line version, the Coffin and Elesco versions were different. I have read in the past that when K-Line did them, they did a run of the Coffin versions and then changed the mold to the more-popular Elesco version. Apparently the mold is not modular. The Lionel engines, at least the catalog shots, all have the Elesco-type roof detail regardless of which feedwater heater is fitted. 

Nothing for me.

--Greg

I would like an IC berk and a J Class. We'll see.

And hey...how much whistle smoke and steam valve smoke do you do anyway? Isn't it the detail, sequencing and chatter, and horn/whistle blowing, bell when slow after a stop...all that which makes the smiles on the company in the layout room anyway? I still find the smoke, although so much better now, a bit unnerving as to worry about if there is too much fluid/not enough/whatever...am I burning up the resistor...or what. The sequence sounds are much more satisfying and maintenance free.

So get over it. Free yourself from the smoke units and their issues, eh?

 I could be wrong but I believe Lionel produces locos by the thousands. It doesn't matter which models, an extra smoke unit in each one would still add up if they rely on smoke units from an outside manufacturer.

 Valid points, and FWIW sooner or later the smoke unit ill have to be rewicked at the very least. The drawback to these newer units is they are more tedious and compact to work on. They mount under the boiler instead of on the frame and have to be completely removed from the boiler to service. The old units you just unscrew the top and change out the wicking.

So far I'm not ordering anything.  I was looking for the TMCC speeder, but I heard it was delayed, so I made my own.  Now I don't need the factory model, mine works just fine.

I'll order the Pennsylvania heritage unit pwd and dummy plus the caboose.

Still waiting for the Navy Alco set. Nothing else for me.

hello guys an gals.........

Nothing this time. 

the woman who love the S.F.#5021

Tiffany

Nothing this go around.  Lionel has priced itself out of my budget.

Nothing this time. I already have the J and GS-2 and see no need to upgrade. I'm waiting for the Cab Forward and GS-4 in different years!

I've looked over the catalog several times and I keep going back to this NS Heritage unit...

I really like this paint scheme a lot.

Actually, the frist steam sound in 3rO other than the air whistle was Marx Sound of Power from the 1970's!

Nothing....made that mistake the last time. I'll wait and see how good or bad things are after they're delivered. Then I''ll wait for the discounts, most of the recent releases can be had for far less than their preorder price.

Nothing for me.

Lionel screws the N&W folks again by pasteing "Pocahontas" on the side of the passenger cars. Didn't happen until the "Pevler Blue" paint came along and adds an observation car to a non-observation car train! '

I often wonder who does the research for Lionel?

Most freight cars (way) too modern for me....one loco caught my eye, but I'll wait until

some dealer at York is blowing them out, the Rock Island 2-6-0. And I prefer steamers with center smokebox or pilot mounted headlights, but guess this is prototypical.  Lionel does now get my locomotive support for offering conventional.  In cars, I ordered from the MTH catalog. The price spread between electronic and conventional seems to have narrowed...but..BOTH high for this small and other engines.  (I need another engine like I need four flat tires, so no stampede to order)

Somebody here on the forum said that Lionel was offering the NS Heritage units in a non-powered unit.  So I took a look at the catalog.  I may order the non-powered N&W ES44AC, the non-powered SP SD40T-2 ( to go with my MTH SD45T-2), the non-powered Southern ES44AC and maybe a pair of auto racks. 

Larry 

I'm lookng at the GS2. Wish it was a GS4. I have SIX Daylight cars to pull with it! Did So. Pacific ever use a GS2 to pull these cars??

Who has the best price??

Fredstrains

I will order:

PRR ES44AC

PRR Heritage Caboose

PRR Merchandise Car

17791 Hopper 3 Pack (to get the PRR Hopper)

Check out our preorder prices on our website and if you need we can email you a copy of the list as well just email me at charlienassau@aol.com.

Mike,

Thanks, I needed that!!!

Fred

Wabash 2367 F-3.  Although I wished they had made it with Railsounds/Legacy.

John

You could always get the Wabash F-7 set 6-38712 instead. That has both Legacy and Railsounds, and also smoke and ElectroCouplers too.