Lionel Neil Young Series Pennsy B-Unit Arrived...

Very nice. 

Mike, what shop did you order from?

Wait so you got the B unit, but they don't have the actual set yet?  Is it guaranteed to be made?  That's so strange why would they make B units and no AA units?    Won't the paint color possible be off between runs if the rest of the set is made way later?

TexSpecial (Steve), I just want you to know it was because of your previous posts and replies regarding the Neil Young TX Special set from Lionel that I ordered one too!

chipset........I hope you mean this as a good thing.  I realize we have to wait for the complete set but in the long run I believe we both will be happy campers. 

TEX

Steve

More of the reason why, Lionel should BRING PRODUCTION BACK TO THE USA!!!!!!!!!!!

Hmmm... 

Gotta wonder... 

If the thinking is that shipping the "add-ons" long before the complete sets makes it less likely the customer will cancel his pre-order.

Rusty

The same thing happened last year with the Postwar Inspired UP Anniversary Set. The two-car add-on pack (not really part of the original 1950 set) was produced and released before the set itself. 

While some may want to revisit the China vs. US / Lionel-delivery issue for the zillionth time, I'll go back to the original post and say:  that's a pretty B unit (and I'm not even a Pennsy fan).  I look forward to seeing the two sets. 

LOL! Steve, it is a good thing for my overall health and well being but bad on my wallet!

I agree, I don't mind waiting as long as they do it right (dang China), plus it gives me time to save more money and finish the re-construction of my layout.

I ordered the B Unit you talked about as well for my older TMCC Texas Special I got from ebay (mentioned in my other post), as that A unit does not have smoke, and at least the B unit will.

chipset, I agree, holding off paying for the AA and passenger car set will help me catch up a bit on train funds.  LCCA Texas Special switch set me back some also.  I ordered the Neil Young TS powered and non-powered B units.  Should see them Monday as per UPS tracking info.

I am also re-constructing my layout.  Look in my profile for my email and lets chat about our changes, etc.

TEX

Steve

ok Steve will do.

I was also surprised when my Texas Special B-unit showed up. Can't wait for the set.

NVisich:  Looking at your photo's of the T.S. B-unit, it looks as though the band on the lower side of the B-unit is a  "SILVER" color and not the  "WHITE" of past T.S. productions by Lionel and others.  Can you respond as to whether the color is silver or white?   Dennis M.

I just did a google search and it looks like the actual TS was silver and red and not white and red?

Except for the top of the nose?

That would be correct.

Plus, the E7's built specifically for the Texas Special had fluted stainless steel panels on the side on both MKT and Frisco owned locomotives.

F3's weren't used on the Texas Special.  Consider the postwar-inspired set as artistic license.

Rusty

 I just checked Lionel's website and it shows both Neil Young sets have been pushed back to April 2014.

Congrats Mike W -the B looks great.

Any one notice that the TankTrain set is now April '14?

Curious, as the add-on tankers are still set to be delivered later this year...it's just weird

TEX Steve, thanks for that bit of info.  I missed that video, but it all makes sense.  Even having not heard/seen that interview video, the pattern with so many sets being delayed is just too coincidental not to think anything else.  What a mess!!!  

April 2014 is a very common date on the shipping schedule now.  

Gotta give Lionel credit for being honest.  But they should take a lesson from 3rd Rail/GGD, whose been sending very informative emails containing updates of what's currently in production, what's shipping, what's newly arrived, and when reservations are closing.  Just conveys a much better overall impression that they have a pulse on what's happening and when.  Very professional at a time when I was beginning to think that level of customer service was history.

David

Well if they are putting these sets together at a central location then I will guess it will take them a few months +/- to find everything for each set.

Piggy Back sets, engines should have been done a few months ago, piggy back cars done before the end of last year and the tractor trailers due in Oct. and the woodside caboose?

TankTrain sets, engines where done right after the beginning of the year, tank cars due in Nov.

Interesting to say the least, I'll just watch for the great flood of new releases at the end of the year just like in the past.

Hi David,

I totally agree with you.  Lionel should take better care of their clients through improved communication.  Evidently there is emails going from Lionel to their dealers on scheduling that we are not aware of.  Waiting until the last minute to list a schedule date in April 2014, in my opinion, is a slap in the face.  Those of us who pre-order Lionel items commit to these items and it benefits Lionel to have us do this.  We should get scheduling information and explanation emails relating to any delays of our pre-orders.  The dealers could help in this also.

TEX

Steve

TEX Steve, you bring up a good point about communications between Lionel and their dealers.  I gotta believe that dealers heavy into Lionel must be livid with all these delays, which translates into a sizable loss of "timely" sales revenue to the dealer (as well as Lionel).  This could be one reason we see what appears to be an endless sea of blow-out deals these days.  Lionel needs to throw the dealers a bone, so to speak, by offering currently warehoused items at dirt cheap cost so dealers have SOMETHING to generate sales while the stuff they have on pre-order remains yet to be produced in China.  Just another hypothesis, but seems reasonable.

One thing's for sure...  With all these product delays, it's a great time to be building a layout!  

David

WOW!  Lionel did a great job with that intricate Pennsy paint scheme.  An eye catcher for sure.  I'm surprised so many importers model PRR diesels.  The paint masks alone must gobble up a lot of the cost. 

I hope mine gets here soon.

I'd be interested in opinions as to whether the Powered B is really necessary, or will the dual can-motored A units in these Neil Young sets be adequate to pull the A-B-A and six cars (with non-powered B).

I'm thinking they will be, at least on layouts without steep grades. The older Pullmor-powered F-3 A units seem adequate to pull the traditional A-B-A and six 15" passenger cars in most situations. If anything, these new can-motored versions should have more pulling power than the Pullmor powered versions.

This might help.  I have the PWC TMCC ABBA (Powered A, unpowered Railsounds B, sound turned off, Legacy unpowered B and dummy A with 8 aluminum TS passenger cars and I pull smoothly up a 2.5% grade on my layout.  This is without cruise control. 

The Neil Young set should do much better having cruise with a lot more speed steps.

TEX

Steve

Probably not necessary at all, but one can never have too much power!    I always like the look of an ABBA or even an ABBBA configuration, so I tend to grab an extra B-unit (usually unpowered) for my most favorite road-names.

David

The most recent ones include Legacy locomotives, such as the Berks, Shays, and F3/F7's.  Prior to that the Mallets and Northerns were available at great "bargains".

David

I agree with this also David, that's why I kept my PWC Railsounds B and run it with the later released Legacy TS B unit.  Just think of the options open to you.....A, AA, ABA, ABBA, AB, ABB. 

One thing I forgot to mention is the PWC is powered by 2 pullmor motors and has magnetraction, so this might help in pulling power.  But I think the Neil Young set will do just fine.  I ordered both the powered and non-powered TS B units. 

TEX

Steve

I suppose if someone wanted two B units, in this case it would be cheaper to order two of the non-powered versions, given that there appears to be no numbering on these B units.

I received my TX Special powered and non-powered B units this week and just got time to open them.    They run and look great but gave me quite a scare at first.  I set the Smoke and Odyssey on and programmed the powered B unit and it sounded the horn like it should.  Switched it to Run and that's when the fun began.  No movement and no smoke!  I checked the switches and everything looked good.  Got adventurous and pulled the shell to check and make sure everything was seated right and after reassembly still no go and no smoke.  I was almost at the point of despair when I toggled the Odyssey and Smoke switches back and forth and few time and tried it again and voila!, it began to run and smoke like (I don't know...a diesel?)

Quite a scare but all’s well that ends well.

I like the look and can’t wait for the main set with the A units (and the 2 card add-on).

I do have to say that I’m a little disappointed with the packaging.  A few things:

• No Orange module.  No big thing EXCEPT there are no instructions in the manual what to configure the CAB-2 as.  No problem if you know but could be an issue for a beginner.
• No infrared sensor on the bottom.  I though the demise of the Orange modules would be followed by the installation of a IR sensor.  I guess not on B units.
• No ribbons.  Engines were packed vertically with rubber spacers at each end.  Had to pull the spacers and hold the Styrofoam cradle upside down to get the engines out.  I guess I just don’t like the idea of dropping it out of the cradle so I added my own ribbon.
• Very flimsy packing paper.  Only a very lightweight tissue paper around each engine.  No Lionel plastic wrap. 
• Manual shows Smoke switch as Sound.  There is no sound switch.  Just a volume control on the top.
• Finally, I really wish they had put the switches on the top so you don’t have to take the engine off and on the track to switch settings. 

Obviously minor complaints but just a little too cost conscious for my taste.

So is the Neil Young series taken the place of the Postwar celebration and conventional classics series? Since there has been some info regarding a possible second Lionel catalog for 2013 with a tentative release of early September, what is the future of the postwar celebration and conventional classics series? Don't get me wrong the new Neil Young series looks great but I am one to have all the bells and whistles in my high end locomotives and having the my postwar reissues as conventional only thus my curiosity as to the future of the PWC and conventional classic series?

Andrew

Chris, how do you configure the CAB-2 as with the powered B unit?

TEX

Steve

I received my PRR powered B the other day and gave it a test run.  Nice prime mover sounds and Lionel says the horn will complement the powered A horn (probably like the AA Centipedes).  Everything worked out of the box.  Ran nice and smooth.  Good smoke.  I think having an additional Railsounds unit is a big reason to get the powered B.

The painters handled the intricate Pennsy Brunswick Green paint scheme with great due diligence.  Must be one of the tuffer ones to mask and paint.

Didn't like the 'solid' look to the Blumeberg truck side frames.  Lionel could have removed the excess casting behind the brake shoes like on previous renditions.  Looks like 'thick' flash.  A little thinner and I'd cut it out myself.

I programmed it into my Leagcy Cab 2 as a Diesel Eng with Legacy RS.  I wanted to number it 9500 as that is what the A unit is numbered in the catalog, but I already used that number?  The previously released scale PRR F3's are also numbered 9500.  I would hope Lionel would use a different cab # for this series. 

I call up command engines on the Cab 2 by entering their cab #.  I already have green and black 2332 and scale and Lionmaster 5411.  I really don't need another duplicate.

I'll most probably run the ABA trio as an EN with all unit having the same EN number.  We'll see.  Have to think about programming in the RS passenger car.

I think it'll be a pretty neat set when complete.  A Lionel ABA passenger set in the Postwar style but with modern electronics (control, power, lights, smoke) and sound.

The Legacy manual walks you through the steps.   Page 56-58 shows you how.  Here's the link ==> http://www.lionel.com/media/se...CYv15Manual31513.pdf

To start you:

1. Press ENG

2. Enter Engine ID# (1-99)

3. Press INFO

This came up before and I think the consensus was that these will not replace the PWC or CC series. The last catalog featured only a small number of CC items, but someone posted that Lionel will still make these (labeled as "Post War Inspired").

I'm with you. The Neil Young series looks nice, but I have zero interest.