I just caught wind of the 2023 Lionel catalog and was pleased to see the C&O F-19 Pacific being offered. I am very interested in this model and was wondering about pre-ordering. I have messaged my local shop - but not sure they deal much with Lionel. He was almost exclusively an MTH dealer and didn't historically sell any Lionel.
My questions are: Is there an ordering deadline for this loco? There was no mention on Lionel website or catalog about a date.
* With this apparently just being announced, what is a good estimate on a delivery date based on other pre-order locomotives
* What should I be aware of as I am making my decision about who I order this from? I have not done this previously.