Lionel Autoracks and Motor City Express ...Now with flashing ETD

Good Day,

Let the design, consulting, building, collaboration, and modifications begin on the Autoracks! I plan to add the steel plates.

Model Railroading is a journey……………….enjoy the ride.

Happy New Year,

Frank

Why not just fill them with cars? Lionel have also mentioned that they will be producing some new cars specifically for these autoracks.

What steel plates are these?

How many to add?

where does one buy them?

Thanks

I find it interesting that people who passed on the scale Atlas 89' intermodal flatcars because they were too long are now on board for the scale-length Lionel Autoracks. I'm not sure how a long train of scale 89' Autoracks will work for you if the 89' flatcars don't. Others are also complaining about the weight of these cars, a dummy ETD or the fuel tank on the SD-80 MAC- all of these issues can be fixed.

Those of us who have been 3RS O gaugers for a long time don't whine like little brats when a locomotive or freight car needs "adjustment"- we fix it and move on.

Geno

Good Day,

I decided to do some painting this morning.  Presenting autoracks that I’d like to see Lionel offer. 3-car packs would be great!

Regards,

Swafford

     Drawings by Michael Eby         Painted by Frank Swafford   

3 packs?? Aren't the 2 packs expensive enough? Frankly, I wish they would just sell singles with different road numbers like Atlas. I suppose dealers could break up the multiples.

When I am paying almost $1000 and much more for the other racks I don't expect the issues that the set should be fixed by the buyer. Adding weight and the ETD is not that bad of fix but the SD 80's fuel tank is not an easy fix and it is a disgrace that Lionel dropped the ball on a otherwise scale sized set. 

Keep fixing it and the mfgs. Will never do it right, the only way they will learn is when we refuse to take delivery of misrepresented products. My lhs had 13 preorders for this set, 7 so far have either been refused or sent back. Can we say blowout in a couple of months.

David1 posted: My lhs had 13 preorders for this set, 7 so far have either been refused or sent back. Can we say blowout in a couple of months.

Please name the hobby shop you speak of, I am looking for set and my local guy did not order any sets. 

Charlie

Am I correct in understanding that the only people left in the country that buy Lionel's trains are the rivet-counting types that haunt this forum?

I have talked to several hobby shops in my search for a break-up of this set that have each proclaimed these sets are selling well and that they have no complaints.

One I talked to said the sets were flying out the door...and...had not heard anything of the complaints on this forum, was unaware that there was an EDT on the ATSF car, and naturally unaware that the EDT did not work.  The only complaint he had received was from a fellow trying to run them through his post-war sized tunnel.

Apparently, Lionel thinks the cars are heavy enough.  I don't think Lionel even conceives that folks would be running these in monster trains...many cars long.  What's more...I don't think Lionel cares...they aren't really targeting those folks for sales.

I guess the bottom line is that if you like the cars you should buy them.  If you feel they need more weight...add it.

If you don't like anything about Lionel or the cars...just don't buy the Lionel cars.

Get some from the other importer making them in the same fashion.  Who is that any way?

Oh...by the way...I'd bet MTH comes out with a similar car within the year.  Sometimes that just seems to happen.

By the way...some of us on this forum over-estimate its "weight" and importance to the O gauge train world.

Expecting Lionel to release a train set that is 100% correct is overly optimistic, especially one that is intended for the 3RS market. Lionel is trying to produce and item that will not only appeal to the first time O-gauger that only has room to run 036 curves, but also for the 3RS guys who demand realistic, scale details and run on 072 or wider curves. This obviously isn't an easy thing to do, and often leads to a scale-sized loco or freight car with a glaring compromise for those tight curves, and doesn't appear like the real thing.

IMO the shallow fuel tank on scale-length diesels is a pointless accommodation for the tight-radius curve crowd, since I doubt most O-gaugers who run 036 curves would want to run a scale 20" loco in the first place. It also is a deal-breaker for those wanting to buy scale-length sets because of the unrealistic appearance.  I would guess Lionel kept the inaccurate fuel tank to save money and to clear the 036 switch stand.

Those of us who have bought scale products from Lionel for the last 14-15 years have learned to live with these shortcomings- we made our choice when the first scale- length diesels came out, Husky stacks were released with accurate details but inaccurate body length, etc. If you can't live with the errors and don't want to fix it, don't buy it- kitbashers like myself will buy it when it gets blown out.

Geno

I admire the "can do" attitude that some of you seem to be exuding on is thread.  And to be fair, we should send Lionel an invoice for what it costs us to "make the set right".  But I wouldn't hold my breath too long expecting payment of the invoice -- or even a response for that matter.  

Until more folks start voting with their wallet, the importers will continue churning out stuff that is less than it can/should be.  It's really a simple concept... but until you "get it", they'll continue playing you like a fiddle while they laugh their way to the bank.

David

Well said.  I am with you 100%.  What is sad is some people will never "get it"

I think many people "got it" and are happy with what they got.    Your comments are nothing more than an insult to those happy with the set.

Should there be a working ETD? YES!  Does that ruin the set? NO!

People are voting with their wallet, they are buying this set.

Grzyboski's Trains and Charles Ro both have them on their respective websites.  I also saw a couple of sets on the bay.  Not sure if I want another locomotive.  I might just buy the six 2-packs and sell one car from each pack.  Although, I haven't made a final decision yet.

David56,

Nickolas Smith has the sets in Bromall , Pa. No he is not the one that has been left out in cold from the refusals. He sent most of them back to his distributor. 

As far as the fuel tank goes, just look at the MTH SD80/90 and the Lionel version. It does make a difference.

i AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MY NEW AUTORACKS. hERE ARE A COUPLE OF PICTURES TO ENJOY

Well, in many cases, this means to make it right for your specific needs, that is, the specific needs of certain individuals. A manufacturer can't really do that for each individual. Obviously, from the comments, there are lots of satisfied customers for whom the cars work fine. What problems are you having with your cars?

So far at least three tunnel portals will need to be widened due to the overhang.

Break out the dynamite!!!

 Wow, this sure is getting a lot of attention! and for a set that's not right?

I commend Lionel for releasing a new car like this. It probably will be another car that is sought after just like the tanktrain cars. People were slow to act and then all of a sudden everyone had to have them.

 I believe Lionel put them in a set with an engine that was modern enough to sell. They could have re-released the super Legacy metal shelled diesels and priced the set way out of most people's reach ($2000 +?). I think they put it with a good looking engine that they had the tooling for already. Should they have changed the gas tank, sure. I bet getting some of this stuff together at all is a challenge over there. Cars with a street price of just over $75 is today's deal. They're $200 each in G scale. There's no blinky lights either.

 It would be a shame if they gave up trying at all. Is the glass half full/empty???

Can someone please measure the actual height of these cars? Thanks!

I measured one of the add-on cars quickly when I got it home to compare with the MTH models, and these cars are approximately 5 inches high.

David

Thanks you beat me to it.

David the cars are 4 7/8" high from the top of Lionel Fastrack.  Almost 5" high from a flat surface.  On straight track they are about 3' scale feet apart - looks nice.  On a 72" curve they are about 1/2" TOO FAR apart.  My latest coupler fix is to bend the thumbtack up slightly from the car end, install a new washer between the thumbtack and spring and install the 2 remaining washers under the C clip.  The test will be at St Robert Bellarmine Jan. 27.  See you there.

My comment about invoicing Lionel was somewhat facetious for that very reason, but I'll stand by my comment about voting with our wallets.  

As I indicated earlier, the cars are magnificent, and I was all set to purchase the set's cars from my LHS -- based on a potential set break-up by the dealer.  But once I found out about the dummy ETD on the set's BNSF car, I opted to purchase a few individual cars instead.

Everyone, please breath easy and stay calm.  If you bought the set and are happy, that's great.  Nobody here is trying to change your mind.  We all think independently.  And for me, I viewed the shortcomings of the set as a deal-breaker... and as such, I went an alternate route.  

Are the cars nice?  Absolutely!  Did Lionel cut a corner here and there on the set?  Yes.  We'll probably never know exactly why, but I view some of the corner-cutting to be a pattern that's cause for concern at times.  Whether it's happening due to increasing logistical issues with overseas suppliers or not, I can't say.  But if we accept things that are less than they can be, I assure you the importers will continue shaving corners wherever they can.

For those of you that are old enough... Just think back to that cereal commercial a few decades ago, where a bunch of kids kept pushing the cereal around the table, and finally said, "Let's give it to Mikey.  He'll eat anything." 

David

If you must have a working ETD, Dallee makes a blinking LED circuit for apx. $20.00. And their products will last for years.

Thanks, Jim.  I'll definitely look into that option too.  I really like the look of a working ETD, as illustrated in a photo posted earlier on this thread.  I think it's a fabulous touch.

David

Thanks for the dimension info.

Well as soon as I was talking about them they showed up. As I was unpacking them I got that same feeling that they're so light, I wasn't sure if they were in the box. I am struck just by the coupler mechanism alone. I took this pic and haven't even looked closely at the car yet. It looks like a great car overall on first impression. With it's features I think it's well worth the price.

 Now I'm a 2 railer so I'll be going over this car for changeover. I'm taking this pic in front of my autotrain with MTH and ATlas articulateds. I think the Lionel fits right in with both.

I have over 20+ MTH "shorty" Autoracks, roughly half of them already converted to 2-rail. I'm debating whether or not I can still live with them after I get a few Lionel Autoracks and do a comparison between the two. I've had the MTH Autoracks for well over 10+ years now and they're proven performers- they're weighted decently, track well over different track types and less-than-perfect trackwork (common when running on large modular layouts), and still look impressive in a long consist.

I seem to recall also seeing "shorty" Autoracks as well as the Articulated units in real life , so maybe running the MTH, Atlas and Lionel Autorack units isn't totally inaccurate either.

Geno

Here is the ETD. 

Hey Swafford, do you have a prototype picture of a rack decorated like this? I have only seen the White coonskin on the short red pannel #2B

Joe would please get that BIG AUTORACK off the track so I can see the MTH & Atlas

Could you go in reverse with the Lionel Autoracks...like convert to G and save $120 per car and run a mix on the G track?.. ..or would they really look bad doing this?

 Yeah ah Bill, that wouldn't be a go. Be kind of tough falling between the rails?? Some really wide wheels you're saying???

 You bustin' me???

These cars are looking real nice, coming from a scale 3-rail modeler.  Very nice. Can't wait to get my cars!!! Joe, you're killing me!! That CSX car is awesome!

OMG!

Fedex just dropped off my csx 2-pack.  The boxes alone are 28" long apiece!  They do feel kind of empty when you pull them out, but when the car was in my hand, the weight felt just right.

These are AMAZING!  I though I was looking at a piece of G-gauge rolling stock when I first beheld it resting in the styrofoam.

Put it on the layout quickly.  Looks kinda silly going around o-72, but looks good (by o-gauge standards) going around my o-99 curves.

THANK YOU LIONEL!  You guys really raised the bar with this offering!