Lionel Christmas Catalog

Kinkade boxcar for 2012, very sharp looking.

  

 

LOL! Do you think one in ten O guagers will have this Kinkade boxcar rolling on thier layouts?

Now that the catalog is online and I've had a look I know my girls will love all three of the "Made in the USA" Peanuts boxcars!

Gotta be a typo on the 0-4-0 switcher.  449???  They should be around 189 or 169.  The Angela Trotta Thomas version is being blown out for 99.00 at Ro and Trainworld!

Well, I for one will be ordering a Thomas set with the new remote. It seems to be great value, and fun too.  I'll also probably get the Angel Trotta Thomas box cars and gallery building.

Thank you Lionel. 

Dont think its a typo on the North Pole 0-4-0, its the same type as the ones in the 2012Vol1 catalog.

 

 

Unfortunately, the only thing that caught my eye in this catalog is the Peanuts cartoon. Judging by this thread though, it seems I am in the minority, which is good for Lionel.

Nothing really jumps out for me,  but I may spring for the new PE freight set. I bought the original PE set right after it was released, and have enjoyed putting it up during the Christmas season.  The freight set offers a nice variety of rolling stock beyond the passenger cars

No New Christmas Trolley? What the heck?

 

I am having trouble viewing the catalog online.  Does anyone know if there is a way to download it?  I looked for a link but did not see it.  All I could find were links to view catalogs online.

I was hoping there would not be another aquarium car, but looks like I'm going to be getting a total of three this year, Christmas plus the first two from the regular catalog.  You do have to give Lionel credit - coming up with different paint, figures, themes for the holidays or special occasions every year using the same 'stock' cars  does require some inventive thinking on someone's part.  BTW, the Thomas set does look like a winner.  I will be getting one or more for my grand kids.

FWIW I couldn't get the catalog to open under google chrome. I went back to my old internet explorer browser and it opened fine.

Mrs train already wants the peanuts box cars. I'm sure she will want more.  me I like the SD80 mac.

I agree that the price seems awfully high for that 0-4-0.  I can't imagine it being more than $200, tops, unless it comes with Legacy.

Allan, it does not come with Legacy which is why I thought it was the same as the Angela switcher.  They are not the same item.  A bit more to the running gear and different head light placement, but for nearly 300$$ more?  I love Lionel but that is ridiculous.

Guys: the Angela Thomas  0-4-0 was a old Lionel loco, this looks like a K-line Porter loco to me.  Dennis M.

As previously mentioned, the 0-4-0 is a SCALE model and thus has more detailing than the old 1615-style traditional 0-4-0 (Angela Trotta Thomas model), with a price tag to reflect it (and then some).

 

There are several of these scale 0-4-0s in the Lionel 2012 Vol. One catalog and similarly priced.

 

Not my cup of tea.

 

I am amazed at how popular holiday Lionel products have become, considering that they have just about a month's usable life each year versus all year 'round for non-holiday decorated stuff. I do have a few holiday items, but I prefer to spend my money on all-year offerings. (These new offerings are sure neat looking, though    )

Thanks, Rick...  I'll try that.  Just don't tell Rich.  He gets a little "excited" when people mention IE.  

Thanks for the info on the switcher, Dave Warburton.  I, too, love the holiday stuff.  Lionel goes with Christmas almost like that baby Jesus.  I like to buy one Christmas item for the Christmas layout each year and it is amazing how much you will acquire in 40 years!

That is why I like the Polar Railroad line so much.  I run those items all Winter long.  My Polar Railroad stuff, along with my Scale Polar Express, comes out November and gets put away around February-March.  My traditional Christmas colored items are out for two months max...still, I look forward to running them each year.

 

I found this in the catalog and really like it...

 

Some nice Items, i will let the wife get a look to see if something grabs her. 

 

quote:

I was hoping there would not be another aquarium car

I too was hoping for a Peanuts aquarium car with the characters sledding over the snow. Oh well, Lionel misses the sled again.

 

I've never been a fan of Thomas Kinkade, but, this car looks pretty good.

I had started to collect some items based on the Polar Railroad theme (have the Geep and caboose, for example), but am only interested in items that continue that same maroon, blue, and yellow color scheme.  Looks like that has been overlooked to a large extent this time around.

That has been the BEST o gauge train catalog I have ever seen. Lionel is putting a lot of effort into it. I really like the PE tunnel and freight set. Also the peanuts and tho,as stuff. Good job Lionel 

LETS HOPE ALL THESE ITEMS ARE ON THE WATER NOW TO BE HERE FOR CHRISTMAS SEASON.

 

 

GG1GUYY

I'm a big fan of Christmas trains, and the Lionel Christmas catalog is the one I most look forward to each year. I think they have some neat product in this year's catalog. I have most of the annual Christmas/Holiday boxcars and I have most of the North Pole Central items.

 

I'm cutting back on my train purchases, but I really like the following:

 

2012 O-gauge Christmas boxcar - nice colors, very sharp and colorful graphics, it says "Merry Christmas" and made in the U.S.A. Best one in years.

 

Peanuts Christmas boxcar - I'm a long time Peanuts fan, nice graphics with all the main Peanuts characters, it says "Merry Christmas" and made in the U.S.A.

 

As mentioned, I'm a big fan of the North Pole Central, so I'm really considering the following:

 

North Pole Central TrackMobile - a little pricy for a Christmas item, but has a great paint scheme and a pretty good value for the price with TMCC and electro-couplers. From the comments I've read, people seem to like the TrackMobiles as fun little switchers.

 

Christmas Track Maintenance car - never thought too much of these cars when I've seen them in other schemes, but may get it to add to my North Pole Central fleet. I could run it with the NPC crane car and work caboose, and you can't have enough Santa Claus figures on a Christmas train.

 

 

 

 

The biggest hit in this catalog will be the Thomas set with wireless remote.  Those American Flyer NPE streamliners are mighty purty, they'd look absolutely fabulous behind a 326.

 

Pete

I fully agree with the two comments I above expressing appreciation for the fact that the 2012 Lionel "Christmas" boxcar actually says "Merry Christmas."  (More often than not its "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings!"

Because of this, I'll be buying one of the 2012 cars.... along with the Peanuts "Merry Christmas" boxcar!

I have spoken with different Lionel reps at York about this issue of political correctness with their "Christmas" products more than once. Maybe they are finally paying attention.  I am glad to see that I am not the only one interested in this issue. 

I'm thinking about the Polar RR freight set and the Peanuts cars.Maybe the Christmas gang car i think it looks good in Christmas colors!

There is a lot of good stuff in this catalog.... it will be difficult "making the cuts" of what can fit into the budget.  I love the Peanuts set and related Peanuts cars, the Ice Skaters Aq. car, reindeer on flat car (kinda like a K-Line item from 12-15 years or so ago, which was better detailed.)

If they can make the New York Central diesel scheme in White, Red, and Green, why not offer the Great Northern diesel schemes also in white, red and green.

 

Andrew 

I really like the words Merry Christmas on the boxcar and will be getting one for under the tree.

I can't get it to open with either Firefox or Safari.  And no... I will NOT download IE!

 

Jon

Anyone else getting an error when trying to view the catalog?  It was fine for me last night.

 

Chris

Yep, not working here at the present time (via Safari or Firefox).  I believe they have a little glitch that needs fixing.  It was opening just fine yesterday.

Thanks Allan.  I guess I'll just use the HTML index for now.

It appears to be working properly now (via Safari in my case).

The price is okay and in line with other offerings.  This is a Christmas version of the 0-4-0 "shifter" on page 18 of the 2012 Sign. catalog, which also is that price.  Note the serial number for this Christmas switcher, 6-11381, slots right in the series for those shifters, which start at 6-11379 and go through 6-11385.  I actually wondered when that catalog came out where 6-11381 was, since it was missing from the sequence.  Mystery solved. 

 

$449 is a lot for a conventional 0-4-0, but it has a cast metal tender, a bit of detail, and I've had good luck with recent Lionel conventional (e.g., the Atlantic).  I'm expecting a lot more than the Trotter series - I have 6-11384 - the Santa Fe version, on pre-order. 

You're right about those Signature Catalog offerings being at the same price point, so I guess it makes sense from that perspective.  

 

My personal view is that $449 is a good bit too rich for a small locomotive with limited features (i.e.--"Conventional RailSounds" or whatever they now call what was the very mediocre "TrainSounds"), even if it has a die-cast tender.  If it had Legacy, it probably would have been on my shopping list.

 

But, then, there are a lot of folks out there with more hobby money than I have available! 

I agree with Allan, the engine needs Legacy and rail sounds to be getting that money. I have purchased recent Lionel engines and have been very disappointed in the volume and sound quality of them, the  PRR K4, and the B&O SD70ace. I was looking to buy a ATSF 3751 however it also had the limited sound system in it, No sale.

What is going on with Lionel's sound?