Lionel 2021 Catalogs in early (?)

@paigetrain posted:

i mean the catalog show where Ryan and Dave explain the catalog to us

Just check with Lionel's Facebook page from time to time, they will be posting the time and date for the next "Dave and Ryan" catalog show, probably sometime next week.

Catalog show would happen probably around 9AM EST or somewhere around that time as I believe last year was in that timeframe. There is also the possibility too that TrainWorld will make a show with Ryan possibly as well, but that would be after the day it came out, or days after.

@paigetrain posted:

i mean the catalog show where Ryan and Dave explain the catalog to us

Sorry, I do not know the dates for that.

The catalog should be online on the 22nd, so when it is live on their site, they would be reviewing(unless something came up to prevent them) sometime that day.

Patience everyone!  The 22nd will be here soon.  Something to look forward to in this time of few events.

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

It may not be "breaking a sweat", but it's pulling with a really small motor.  The Lionel Legacy K4 is based on the K-Line design, and I've had a bunch of them across the bench for motor and gear issues.

Have you had any other gearbox issues with Legacy steamers produced in the last few years, on the bench?

Lionel has adapted that fragile gearbox to just about every model. Light and heavy Mikes, N&W J's, NYC Mohawks, the H10's, heavy pacifics, the new northerns, the new 2-6-6t, and at least one of the driver sets of the Legacy mallets. Heck, it might be in everything by now.

As I mentioned some time ago, I had a first hand experience with the secondary gear bushing beginning to fail in my Legacy K4. Even though well lubed, it actually started to produce metal shavings.

It takes a ton of grease in the gearbox screw port to get it transferred up to the worm with this design, and most folks aren't aware that theres an extra set of bushings in the chassis above the powered axle that can only be lubed through the spokes.

I only own two models with this design, and after the K4 failure will never purchase another. I suspect, eventually we'll see more failures of these over the next several years as folks put some miles on them.

I wonder what the purpose of the design is? To attain a slow speed that can't be reached by the electronics alone? I know I won't have a gearbox failure in my old lurchy TMCC steamers.

Excellent question, Rick!  I only have one Legacy steam engine, an USRA 0-8-0.  My other steam engines are LC or MTH.

Wouldn't be helpful Rick if Lionel would provide a cutaway illustration of the motors and gearboxes they install on these engines like they did in the Post War catalogs. Then we would know ahead of time what to expect. Looking at a Pullmor motor today its amazing they could sell trains as inexpensively as they did back then.

Pete

@Norton posted:

Wouldn't be helpful Rick if Lionel would provide a cutaway illustration of the motors and gearboxes they install on these engines like they did in the Post War catalogs. Then we would know ahead of time what to expect. Looking at a Pullmor motor today its amazing they could sell trains as inexpensively as they did back then.

Pete

That would be much easier than my usual tactic: zooming in on pictures on the Lionel parts site and hoping for the best.

@Lou1985 posted:

That would be much easier than my usual tactic: zooming in on pictures on the Lionel parts site and hoping for the best.

That helps after the fact but sometimes that isn't posted until 6 months after release and in some cases like the J3a Hudsons never. Would be nice to know before committing.

Pete

@Norton posted:

That helps after the fact but sometimes that isn't posted until 6 months after release and in some cases like the J3a Hudsons never. Would be nice to know before committing.

Pete

Oh for sure. Zooming in on the chassis usually tells you nothing, as the pictures aren't great.

I'm in the process of acquiring one of the Legacy ATSF 3751 class Northerns from the 2019 run. I'll soon enough find out if it has the multi gear gearbox. At least with MTH Premier I know I'm getting a worm wheel and a worm shaft with ball bearings on each end in the gearbox every time, and that's it. Haven't had one issue with that design, and I will sometimes run big 4-8-4s on the front of passenger trains at 75mph for a couple hours.

@Brian DeFazio posted:

The entry level sets and licensed products are Lionel's bread and butter, not the high end stuff.  That is info straight from Lionel btw.  They know their market well and cater to it.  Also, fantasy schemes sell like hotcakes, they have also admitted this.  There is also a healthy market for very high end items and sets.  You make what sells.  This catalog very obviously reflects what lionel has indicated are their best selling types of items.  Also, from what I've seen, o-scale has gained a lot  of popularity in recent years and especially with the 20-40 year old crowd.  Things aren't as bleak as you think.

Back in the days of the original LGB this was also their marketing plan, starter sets.

All I want is 6" piece of Fastrack. I mean, come on... 18, 24, 30, 36 curves but no 6" straight?

got my copy this morning

my godfather hid it in my laundry and oh boy what a catalog

after reading it there is a lot of really cool stuff i hope to get

my next purchase will be another set with the record feature so i can um experiment with sounds

This is off Lionel's Facebook page.

Your favorite duo is back!!! Tune in to The Ryan & Dave Show on Friday at 3:00pm ET as Ryan and Dave walk you through our 2021 Lionel Catalog that will be released that morning!

I'm holding out for the N&W "Pocahontas Arrow" Acela with the extra cars....

Could always do a Star Trek Acela. Warp speed Scotty.

@MartyE posted:

Could always do a Star Trek Acela. Warp speed Scotty.

I've giv'n her all she's got captain, an' I canna give her no more.

The Star Trek set should have been made with the ACLEA locomotives and coaches in the first place.

The MotivePower Passenger diesel-electric locomotives need to be made for a Star Trek set.

Andrew

I forsee a mass exodus of young half-broke middle-aged men to S.   I'm getting ahead of the curve.

@Sean007 posted:

Thanks for the preview, but so far most of what I see is a bit beyond my budget.

I need to retract my previous statement: I see many items in the 2021 catalog that my railroad might need and is not cost prohibitive!

Finally got to sit down with the actual catalog and I want the NASA set plus a few add-ons (Polar Express, Dementors Coach, etc). And the Lionel and Alien Ale Cars for my beer train.