Lionel 2015 Volume 2: Share your overall thoughts, opinions.

A Legacy UP FEF with whistle missile.

OK . . . .

Other than that . . . . . 

Maybe an NS Veteran salute . . . 

Kinda ho hum

Accent on the Ho Ho Ho Hum

I like the SD38s with the Reading & Northern being my choice.  But WOW at 650 for a diesel!!!  Might have to rehash this one?

  Also where are the DUMMY units for the diesels?  Come on Lionel at least have some of these?

Those are 3rd rail prices. They make much prettier trains. Lionel has priced themselves right out of my market. Im just not interested in spending that kind of money for their products. I know I sound like a cheapskate and anybody who knows me knows I am not but holy smokes their products are just getting sooooo expensive I don't find them worth it.

Agree. Most people will look at that winning car, with virtually nothing on it but those two "L"s, and have no idea what it means. It may be interesting as an abstract design, perhaps, but as a commemorative car it reveals nothing about what it is that's being celebrated.

Overall a nice catalog. I am on the fence on the FEF...if I have the cash when it ships, maybe I'll buy it.

Definitely interested in the UP passenger set that will be in the next catalog!

There are some fine items in this catalog. The Double Door Boxcars are very cool.

One item I am interested in but missed the mark is the Gantry Crane. Since Lionel has the technology with the crane cars, why make this accessory Manually operated to raise and lower the boom operations?

I'll wait for a version that is completely Legacy or DCS controlled for all functions.

Otherwise I think this catalog has something for everyone.

Paul

While I wouldn't say that Lionel has priced themselves out of my market, I would say that unlike my spending habits in the past, because of the prices it would have to be a locomotive that I really really really want for me to preorder and spend that kind of money. Since there is no unstreamlined Legacy NYC J3a, my wallet is safe this time.

Not interested in anything.

"I thought I read an alternative for the Powerhouse 180 was coming. I am a little disappointed to see nothing about it in the catalog. "

The Powerhouse had to be redesigned from scratch and is expected in 2016 according to Mike Reagan on Notch 6.  The previous manufacturer went out of business and took the designs with them, apparently.

I think the Universal Lion Chief remote that can command control 3 locos at <$40 street price is going to be a big hit.  The milk cars are reasonably priced for one thing.  Lion Chief locos are reasonably priced for command equivalent locos that include a remote.  Mike Reagan also stated the accessories have been redesigned for greater reliability and lower amperage.

Seems like a nice enough catalog, though not much in it that I currently model.  A good thing, too, as my wish list is backlogged enough as it is!

I would be up for that and would think it would join the whistle steam tour some time in the future. I'll have a Niagara too while they're at it.

I love the veterans paint scheme Sd60E although the price may well prevent me from preordering. The gantry crane is excellent and might be the most popular with my kids. I am disappointed with the very limited number of Canadian road names.

The catalog online was an improved layout and was set up beautifully. 

Jay in Ottawa

Unless Lionel puts the correct tender with the Southern Railway "630" I don't think anyone will buy it.

Neal Jeter

Well, as of 15 minutes ago they've sold at least one!   Preordered.

Well after perusing the catalog I really didn't see anything that I really liked, actually I did but it's apparently not going to be for sale. I seriously doubt that many of those who "voted" for the winning design either will buy one at $85 or even have trains. It was a social media ballot and many times those are loaded simply with friends and coworkers who really don't care other than helping a friend win, which is a shame because it might taint the waters for another design your own contest in the future.

As a design for the 115 anniversary it lacks anything that says...

115TH ANNIVERSARY !!!

No prominent dates, no Lionel Trains other than the L and a small emblem on the door, lackluster graphics, boring same old, same old color scheme and the same look on both sides.

The second place one has many of the themes that make it special enough for an anniversary car and while at priced $85 a pop, for a one time car like this is not too outrageous. The third place winner while very patriotic really doesn't say anniversary either, it would make a great Independence Day car tho. I think it relied to much on the Go Team USA effect and missed the mark as an anniversary offering too.

I don't mean to sound harsh or too critical I think the ball got dropped on this one for an item that could have really been a stand out car. Lionel if you do revisit this idea please don't use social media, it's way too easy to stuff the ballot box, I know, I have been guilty of doing the same but for a much more noble endeavor and it lost out for pretty much the same reasons and our side came up short against an at best questionable opponent.

Well, that's my opinion on the subject, a little long but at least I didn't complain about a door placement or wrong style of headlight or a road name that never had one of those whatever it might be.

Jerry

After the first pass through the catalog, very little in my chosen road name (BNSF). The couple of BNSF items they did have are too big for my layout (O-54 & O-63) so no trains this time around. Some of the smaller steamers were interesting, but above my pay grade.

However, I am very happy to have a second chance at some of the accessories from the last catalog. Couldn't afford all that was on the wish list last time around.   I will also be ordering the command control building with sound that goes with the gantry crane I ordered from the last catalog.

Jerry, If lionel is showing the second and third place  BYO boxcars, perhaps they should just offer them to consumers as well.  The second place car looks good.  

Jay in Ottawa,  Hopefully, the next book have something for those who model CN, CP. 

From what I saw, NS 911 looks great and is the only engine that I acctually like, but I'll pass on it because of the high retail price. The only item I'm interested in is the 4 double door 86' boxcar.

Overall a very good catalog especially for a Volume II. I already posted my picks on another thread about "what are you ordering" so I will not repeat myself.

Unlike others I do think Lionel will sell plenty of the Southern 630 Consolidations, with the whistle steam effect you will forget about the not correct tender or even attempt to modify it to look like the actual tender (remember we are modelers). By the way someone was hoping now that Atlas who has bought the Weaver modes that they would produce a more accurate 630. Well all I can say is in the last ten years Atlas made one scale steam engine......one....1.......uno....don't hold your breath.

JohnB

Honestly???

IT SUCKS! along with their new website!

What's one of the most popular Lionel items of all time? If not the most popular?

A Santa Fe Warbonnet!

Lionel who does your marketing research? EVERYTHING Santa Fe sells out...so where is it? Not 1 engine in the catalog that interests me the least bit...not even a re-run of the FEF! 

Nothing jumped out at me so the wallet is safe. 

$1,000 for the E-7 AA units with only one powered unit. That is just plain crazy, hopefully there is a lot of room for dealer discounts.

   Bill T.

I love the FEF but the price is just ridiculous. I paid less for much nicer locomotives from other manufacturers. Whistle steam is just a novelty, I cant see it from more than 2 feet away. Laid off sick is right, where is the Santa Fe? Lionel has really lost its luster with me. With the Lion Chief starter sets being of the quality they are and them dropping the lowest price scout set their product line has lost its appeal

I'd be embarrassed to submit that 115th Anniversary Boxcar design, whats scary is that it actually won.

Robbie , that would be great if Lionel eventually used the ideas somewhere down the road. I do realize it wasn't an anniversary car per se but it just seems no one out there has any real imagination anymore or worse, they know what the public wants which is boring or cookie cutter and they market down to it. We see it here, not many are excited over the offerings, nothing seems to stand out. Might be because a lot of it is computer drawn and rings flat and unrealistic or that it's against a white or a poorly rendered background but it's rare that a catalog of anyone comes out and you'll say"I gotta get one of those" or "Man that's cool, have to figure out a way to get it.". Maybe we're just jaded and have so much to pick and choose from or have that something really needs to pop to get our attention.

Jerry

I think the catalog is OK. I pre ordered the 9-1-1 SD60-E. I'm not a first responder but like all who serve in the armed forces including my son I have a great deal of respect for all the people who put their life on the line for us everyday. Only being able to pick one I like the paint on the 9-1-1 a little more. I'll probably go for the B&M milk car to.

I am tempted by the Chessie and PRR GP9's.

Nothing jumped out except the Smithsonian car.  

My wallet is still in recovery

Jeez you guys need to drink more Kool Aid If you're not lovin' it. 

My my favorite thing about catalog days are all the arm chair production folks. I'm still waiting to buy the trains you produce. 

Anyone who carps about pricing or a lack of a particular model or road name needs to realize one simple fact.

Lionel has been around a lot longer before you and will be around a lot longer after you.

I like the Union Pacific FEF-3.  While FEF tenders were similar to those on Big Boys and Challengers, there are some subtle differences.  MTH appears to use the same tender for Big Boys, Challengers and FEF-3s while Lionel has a separate tender body for the FEF that is particularly suited to that locomotive.  MTH has used the same tender body design for their Pennsylvania Q2 and J1a locomotives even though the tenders on those locomotives were not identical.

Matt,

     I completely disagree with you about the smoking whistle on the FEF. The whistles on the legacy engines I own make them special. Do you think if the Legacy Y3s had a smoking whistle Lionel would be weathering them to move their getting old stock? 

JohnB

Whistle steam is here to stay.  What once was a cool premium option is now becoming a standard.

Laidoff sick,

Boy did you get out of bed on the wrong side. Lighten up I am sure Lionel will have Santa Fe in the 2016 Vol I catalog in force. They always do.

JohnB

The Legacy Southern Pacific 2-8-0:  put the marker lights on the sides of the smoke box, and use a Pyle National visor headlight. So what if these things add a few $. At least it's more correct. http://www.rrpicturearchives.n...ture.aspx?id=2205017.

The PN headlight is on the Berkshires, why not here?

I like how, on page 68 N5/N5B cabooses, Lionel points out "DEFECTS."

Where are the proofreaders?

John Knapp

Erie, not Eerie

Well technically there is Santa-Fe motive power in this catalog.  Lionechief plus F units are listed.  Maybe not what your looking for. 

The only mildly interesting item was the SD38 in EJ&E.  I don't recall seeing that road's paint job before?

Art

Agree about the Southern trains--I was hoping for a set of Legacy Southern Crescent E-8s (with roof tanks).

Drifting further away from Lionel with each new catalog. More money, less to offer and fewer engines done prototypically. Not to mention super shiny paint jobs and protruding front couplers.

That is a big Ditto!  $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ YALZA!

Maybe the SD60e and a Few cars. I am done.