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

You mean something like this ?

As much as I would have liked to see my entry win, there were some very nice other entries. I particularly liked Brian Moran's entry.  I thought for sure that one would be the winner.

Flash is Dead.

Its been dead for about 7 years now.

Dead, dead, dead, DEAD.

Come on Lionel how could you still be using flash on your website.

I deleted Flash from all my computers long, long ago.

That's my thoughts on the Lionel 2015 Catalog.

I like the offerings. I'll be buying some items.

romiller

Interesting. Ro has his preorder pricing notices out and up. If memory serves, he's usually as much as a week, or more, after others. Nice to see as he's one of my go-to Lionel dealers.

Btw -- agree with the others comments on the design-your-own 115th anniversary box car. Pass.   I do like the other version with JLC on it.

A wide variety of products at various price points.  The FEF is the only engine that interests me.  I feel that the product descriptions were weak, sometimes down right absent.  I feel that BTO product's features should be clearly spelled out in order for me to commit to the purchase.

The web site descriptions are also weak with many errors.  Smoking whistle is not listed as a feature for the 2-8-0s.  I am sure over time Lionel will dial the web page in, but right now it needs a lot of work.

I am SO glad to see Charlie Ro's prices out with everyone else's -- for no other reason to reinforce the message that he's still a viable source for Lionel pre-order items, and he recognizes that the world of pre-ordering BTO items has changed the dealer landscape SIGNIFICANTLY.  I know Charlie is a stand-up dealer, and many folks who've been around for years know it too.  But the younger audience these days is all about instant-gratification, where dealers ship product before the online website order is completed.     So when they don't see price guides up the same hour the website catalog goes live, they tend to not even know a dealer exists.  

Frankly, it never bothered me all that much that Charlie Ro's pricelists have typically come out a week or so after catalogs went online.  NONE of this stuff is ever available immediately anyway.  So what's an extra week or so... when you're ordering from a dealer as reputable as Charlie Ro?   I think what's different this time is Lionel has set a dealer pre-order deadline (at least for BTO items) of just over a month from the catalog's release date.  So that's really motivating dealers to scramble for pre-order business.

Nonetheless, I'm glad to see Charlie continuing to adapt these days.  He's seen a tremendous amount of retail change over recent years, along with lots of Lionel management changes.  And I'm sure it hasn't all been easy.  He's certainly earned a tremendous amount of business from me over the years... and I continue to order from Charlie to this day.  Yes... I do spread my toy train orders among multiple dealers these days, but Charlie still gets the lion's share (no pun intended) of my Lionel O-Gauge items.

David

I appreciate the era-specific paint jobs on the FEFs. They look beautiful, but they're well beyond my price range as a college student. (The VLBB has done me in for the foreseeable future.) If anything, I may preorder the NYC GP9. 

I'll also say that, while I don't see myself purchasing any, I do appreciate the wide variety of accessories introduced/reintroduced this time around.

Still hoping for a Legacy Niagara and VL Santa Fe F-3s in the future, but I suppose we'll see. Beyond that, the biggest item on my wishlist is DIY fixed pilots a-la-Atlas O; they make such a difference. I also noticed Lionel giving more scale-coupler-ready options, which is great; I hope to see more of that as well.

Here's to my wishes being granted in 2016!

Totally agree. I usually don't place preorders right away and it seems like Ro's pricing hits just about the time I've made some buying decisions. Nonetheless, was a pleasant surprise to see his email in the in-box when I got home this evening. 

Guess I'm one of the happy few 

FEFs-What's not to be excited about?  Road number specific Sellers or Worthington feed water heaters!  Whistle steam! Numbers other than 844!

UP 'Business train' announcement!   I'm excited about THAT!  Can hardly wait!

Weathered locomotives-H-7.  I want.  I'll make my other Legacy H7 a 'shopped' late UP version & change cab number.

By the way, I own all of the past FEFs and an H7.  

Those compaining about the FEF price: Did you really expect a re-release for the price 6 yrs ago?  

I won't say the catalog sucks, but that new website does indeed. It's the most confusing thing imaginable. Can't find anything. Incidentally, where did they hide the older catalogs?

STILL waiting for the Legacy Warbonnet F-3/7. Has to be coming soon. More folks will be heading to Atlas O for theirs. Atlas O prices are starting to look competitive! 

That got a laugh out of me, too, especially given the context in which it occurred: "Multiple Road/Road number defects include:

- Truck side frames

- End railings

- Steps

- Smoke stack position"

At least we know where to look for the "defects."  Defects, details, no big difference.

Errors aside, I do like the new N5's and N5B's, notably the PRR-Railway Express Agency Assigned to Passenger Service N5B (finally a caboose/cabin car for passenger trains) and the PRR N5 with the original end railings. 

BTW, the proofreaders (if they exist) also missed the misspelling of "included" on the oval on page 69, which reads "SMOKE!  INLCUDED IN N5B CABOOSES ON PAGE 69"

This catalog is great because they finally have the 8-door 86' High-Cube Boxcars ready for production. I only waited 35 years for these Boxcars to be made in O Scale.

Andrew

If you like the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern, you must order the EJ&E SD38 diesel loco pair in this catalog. You might not get another chance for EJ&E locomotives for several years.

Andrew

I think the NS SD60E's are great.....Lionel obviously heard many of us who were asking for them.  I just ordered the Veterans and First Responders versions.

I think the Smithsonian box car is great.  I hope they will issue a series of these.

The 115th Anniversary stuff isn't all that exciting, but I did order a T-shirt.

I am truly baffled at the winning box car in the Design A Box Car competition. 

I am disappointed that the LCS STM2 module was not listed.  It is still listed as a future product on the LCS page, but I was under the impression it would be available by the end of 2015.

I'm not a big fan of steam....only have a few of them, so I can't really comment on the locomotives in the catalog.

Lots of BIG rolling stock.

It looks like Lionel is heavily invested in LC+....an increasing number of choices.  And, as another example of Lionel listening to its customers, they are bringing out the LC+ remote to control 3 trains....way to go.

I tried to save some money for the MTH catalog....maybe I can buy a box car.

And it takes an 86' long layout to run them. 

I would like to see Lionel offer multiple road numbers for rolling stock.  One ATSF piggy back is all right...but four would have been really cool.

That would be a good idea, at least have two like MTH does with their Premier line.

The SD60E and SD38 were nice.  Still kind of surprised no modern era near scale items.  I like the scale items but they look kind of goofy on smaller layouts.  

My next biggest interest after trains is space flight so I'll be ordering the Smithsonian boxcar and it'll sit on my shelf for 11 months a year and spend one month going around the christmas layout being pull by a Postwar 2046 Hudson which will forever be my favorite engine. As for my basement layout nothing interested me which means I'll have just that much more money to spend when the next MTH catalog comes out

I really do not have an opinion.  No praises and no complaints.  Are the pilots on the GP9s and SD60Es semi-fixed?

Everybody will have to build modular, around the wall track layouts with O-54, O-63, O-72 curves to operate all the long locomotives and freight cars.

The track plans that the Lionel employees promote are much smaller tabletop track layouts.

They are promoting the wrong type of track layouts for the locos and freight cars.

Andrew

Great catalog!

1. Lionel wins the race to produce the SD60E's and I'm sure they will be fantastic! I think they will be very popular and a huge seller. huge release for a volume 2 catalog. Being a police officer I would buy the 9-1-1 if it didn't look like a fire truck.

2. Usually here is where I say "well another catalog with 0 EJ&E items, come on Lionel give me something!" I almost fell off my chair when I saw a pricing list Wednesday that had the two J units. 

THANK YOU LIONEL FOR THE EJ&E SD38's!!!!!

not trying to be greedy but I need a caboose now!

Art there are a few J units in service by CN that are rocking that scheme which is referred to as the "J ball" scheme, obviously because of the J in the green circle. My co workers always joke with me at work when we drive over the east Joliet yard and start yelling Hey Zett it's a  J ball!! when they see one.

very excited, EJ&E was huge in the Midwest and more of their items need to be made in O gauge.

3. Loving the whistle steam staying around And it looks like they are putting it into smaller engines. Wish it was in my light mikado!

Price for those SD38s is pretty high, maybe 20% higher than what I would expect but I will make it happen for J engines.

I like the consolidation locomotives, especially the Western Maryland one. Just one question. Was that type of tender ever used behind the 734? Really my only hesitation, and its more of just being curious. Not a deal breaker. All-in-all, pretty nice products.

I am both disappointed that I didn't really see much I am interested in, and relieved at the same time since I have plenty already pre-ordered from previous catalogs.

Some good looking locomotives in the catalog, but nothing in the railroads I like to collect/operate.

I will probably order the Smithsonian box car for displaying, but I'll probably pass on everything else.

Hope that some of you saw some stuff you want.

The FEF 3 is nice but I have the previous FEF in Legacy and  it is hard to beat,I think they are issuing it because of the UP passenger cars coming in the next catalog.So nothing for me.

Mikey

 I think it is a sloppy production. The Consolidations have no details or specifications. The catalog lists a bubble with whistle steam on it. Sound nice until you look up the part number on Lionel's website then the specifications are there with the sounds listed as:

  "8 diesel RPM levels". I am reluctant to pay $800 for something that will be delivered different from what might be promised.

Actually, to a large degree you can't even run them on smaller layouts. Lionel has dropped the ball (except for the Challenger) by abandoning the LionMaster line. I have no MTH electronics in place, but at this point am seriously looking at their Imperial J and EVO. No alternatives from Lionel.

I like the scale freight cars, surprised at how many are offered.   I am ordering the LC multi-remote just for fun, I don't really need it.   The new Lionel website is bizarre, I wonder what thought process went into the design.

There is some nice stuff in the catalog.And if you got the money get what you want.But there no way on gods green earth.$50.00 T0 $80.00 for a single freight car.Not gonna happen theres no way I am gonna spend that kind of money.On a single boxcar I will hit the used but in good shape market.If lionel want me as a customer.They are gonna have to meet me half way.

I skimmed through the catalog. It looks to me like there is a wide variety of merchandise that should appeal to those willing to spend the money. (I didn't really pay attention to the prices).

The only items that were of interest to me were the few military items that were classified as "Postwar Inspired" because I have been on a postwar military kick lately. But I won't buy any of the pieces. They are all duplicates (or copies) of items I already own. I don't need 3413 style mercury rocket launchers decorated multiple ways. One will do quite nicely.

No, but the original issue of these locos retailed at around $900 (catalog list price $1,159) and hiking up the catalog price to near enough $1,700 (street price some $350 less) seems excessive. At that level Lionel must be trying to tap the same market as the 3-rail brass importer(s), which won't work for the majority of people who buy brass, IMHO.

[P.S. At the price I paid for the first Legacy FEF3 (about $899 from memory) I regarded it as a bargain for the sound and smoke features it has. I don't think the same about the new models' pricing.]

Still, I'll go in for the 8444 although I've got the 3rd Rail version, which is a beauty but lacks the play value of Legacy sound, smoke and light. I passed on Lionel's earlier black FEF3, which I came to regret - until now.

I am also intrigued by the excursion car announcement. More than that I wonder what the catalog reference to a prototypically correct Mars hazard light function means. Is this any different from the Mars light on the original Legacy FEF3s? That's just a "blinker" that operates when the engine is stationary or in reverse, which may be what is "prototypical" about its operation but the blinking LED just isn't up to the standard of other Lionel Mars light simulators.  

[P.P.S. The Legacy boards and smoke units have changed fundamentally since the original FEF3s. I expect the smoke performance to be good; I wonder about an improvement in the Mars light. They could probably engineer it in but I'm not wholly optimistic they will even at the increased cost.]

The Milwaukee stuff will be hard to pass up.  The Lionchief controller is a must.  I liked it overall. The bridges have suddenly caught my eye.  I vote no on the new website however.  Maybe they take pride is hiding information or else it is no longer there. 

Late getting home last night so missed the excitement.

Website - I must be too old. Don't like it.

Catalog - lots of big stuff but I am not excited about anything. Last year was really neat and maybe I am in regression. Do plan to look harder at MTH in the future. Have very little of it.

Prices - Too much and do not see the value. The rate of increase is crazy high and I can't see it as viable.

Glad to see that many are pleased.

TNHokie - good luck Monday night.

Nope.  Partially, because before the 734 was the 734, it was LS&I 34.

Before:

After:

Amazing what a little elbow grease can accomplish...

As can be seen, the model has little resemblance, with the exception of wheel arrangement and lettering, to the prototype.

Rusty

Nothing for me as everything is too expensive.  I'm no longer buying new stuff and have switched exclusively to buying from the used market.

No talk about the silver Anniversary Berkshire ???

Dave

The 86' Hi-Cubes are excellent -  too bad no Santa Fe 8-doors - guess that'll be in the next catalog.

Nice to see the eight-door 86-footers. Although most of us knew they'd be coming anyway. I could see myself picking up two or three.

Overall I don't get hot-and-bothered if a given catalog isn't bursting with must-haves. Can't please everyone all the time. And it allows one to have some funds left over for the next company's catalog

As for prices...as has been said before, people keep buying 'em.

---PCJ

The prices are outrageous and there aren't any "must have" items for me.