Lionel running out of ideas?

No they are investing a lot of money in the iPhone app/LCS electronics system to attract the video game set into the hobby. That is where they are putting their money.

Doubt it!

 

Trains, Operational Accessories etc. can all be updated with additional features as they descend from above.

 

Add to that, the future of Rail Transportation, the future is out there and waiting to be discovered.

Considering LionChief Plus as the latest innovation, I think there may yet be great things to come.

Maybe the question should be, "Are we running out of ideas of things to post?".

From what I have seen in the last year or so, I think the answer is "No, I don't think Lionel will run out of ideas for producing trains."

 

In the past, electric trains defined "hi tech" for toys.  With what has been happening recently, electric trains ware holding their own when comes to continuing innovation.  At the starter and intermediate ends of the market, LionChief and LinChief Plus are good examples. At the more advanced end of the market, The IPhone App and LCS electronics should make the leading edge technical types happy.

 

Heck, I am really happy with the Cab 1L! Plus I am looking forward to "Plug-n-Play"

for accessories.

 

Ed Boyle

I am certain I have contributed to the 'bad posts' category as well, but it's how we learn. Hopefully we get better as we go along. Also a good exchange of ideas and information I think.

 

I don't think there is any shortage of ideas, just getting the product designed and made where you can make a profit is where the problems are. and why we don't see many of them come to market. A difficult process at best.

 

I don't think they will run out of ideas any time soon. And if they do I imagine there will be new technology by then that will create a whole new set of ideas for new products. I do wish they would make all their operating accessories available all the time, however. There are several I would like to purchase over the next few years and I think I really prefer new the ones as opposed to the older used items available.

Lion Chief, Lion Chief +, Lion Chief Super +, Lion Chief Super Dooper +, ?????

 

TMCC, Legacy, Vision Line, Arm and a Legacy +, ????

 

Keep them coming, and I will do what I can to empty my savings when they do!

I agree Dale.  My comment was more tongue in cheek than anything.

 

 

lets face it the amount of trains produced in real life is a finite set. so unless they start making things up yes they have the potential of running out of ideas. Couple this with the cost of new tooling to run off new models, we should expect to see the same stuff repeated every so many years.

They are certainly showing more R&D and new innovative products that any other O-Gauge manufacturer. Legacy keeps growing and the LionChief+ line is really exciting

Dale:  Looks very similar to the Rico Station.

As long as we are around to buy their products, you can bet the idea factory will not stop working. They have some very talented folks on their payroll and they do listen to what we would like. So keep the cards and letters coming.

 

Lionel running out of ideas? Probably not, as least for awhile.  Lionel running out of ideas that will make a sustainable profit for them in the long run? Who knows?

 

I'm sure Lionel spends a lot annually on R & D, in order to remain competitive and profitable.  But I suspect that the profit margin is not that great, given the declining interest in 3-rail model railroading and declining market overall, with the aging of the baby boomers, who currently make up the lion's share of 3-rail customers.

 

Yes, Legacy is great for the boomers and a few of the younger generations who have the money to spend on it.  But for how long? 

 

Lion Chief and Lion Chief Plus are also good for younger kids entering the hobby or upgrading a bit.  But how long with these hold their interest as they mature into their teen years and will they retain that interest, even with phone apps. and other electronic wizardry?

 

As manufacturing costs continue to rise overseas and the customer base decreases from what it is now, Lionel is going to have to work harder just to maintain status quo sales figures. I hope they can.

They can't run out of ideas because there are so many things that do not exist in the O Gauge market. The modern equipment barely has a dent in it, from any of the big names. Tooling costs money though, and they seem to be spending it else where.

It isn't a case of manufacturers running out of ideas, it is more of a case will manufacturers be able to convert the younger generation to accept the new technology associated with the hobby to such an extent that it adds value to their recreational pastime. 

 

As the old saying goes, you can take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink!

One area that is ripe for new products is marrying robotics to model trains. The HO guys are doing this, but the OGauge companies aren't. I had an article in the May2014 issue of Servo magazine which showed 12 adoptions of robotics in OGauge accessories.

 

You did a much better job in stating what I was trying to say in just a couple of sentences.  Nice going! 

Personally, I was happy with TMCC and need no further electronic development. Beyond "basic control" (direction,speed and couplers), it's all fluff anyway.

 

I would love to see new modern equipment. It will be the only thing I would buy. I bought all the new 86' box cars this year and all the 89' auto racks last year.

No, I don't think Lionel or anybody else has run out of ides. At least not until they've made these....

 

Or one of these...

There is nothing OLD under the sun! That includes you old guys!

About half way down the page in this thread Alan the Ad Man (leavingtracks) posts a little info about this. Might be a little more about it in the thread also.

 

Forum Members

 

 

There is bound to be another popular culture movie coming along with a train in it sooner or later: Lionel doesn't even have to be creative, just first off the mark with a request for the licensing rights . . . We had Harry Potter, the movie, and Polar Express - the movie: both were books before they were movies, but it was the movies that boosted their popularity/identified them with and created the market for toy trains, and the movie image that is advertised.  

 

It is only a matter of time.  

......sometimes I wonder......the way they keep rehashing the same mohawks and berkshires every couple years. They haven't offered a highly detailed "modern tooled" hudson in 13 YEARS

They still have to make: F45, U36C, SD45-2, GP40X, GP50, B23-7, B30-7, B36-7 and a SNOOT NOSE SD40-2

They have no more ideas. We will have to buy the same things again and again for the rest of our natural lives, or until the next catalog is published.

Fred

I have been a supporter of the Lion Chief line since it was first introduced.  There were many on this forum who were very skeptical.  The business plan of Lionel is a good one.  The LC line of engines coupled with the the new LCS Sensor track and the future possibilities that brings, is sure to lure in young families who cannot afford the high ticket scale stuff that most of us are buying.  I grew up with Lionel trains, but when my kids were growing up in the 80's and 90's, we could not afford Lionel trains.  That pushed us into the more affordable HO trains.  It was a Lionel Christmas starter set 12 years ago that got me back into Lionel.  My goal now is to share the O gauge experience with my grandkids and the rest of the family and friends.

 

Lionel has to get the young people involed in their product, the only people buying things are people over 40. What you have to pay for things these days you will never recope like the stuff from the 50,you bought a item for 2.50 now worth 250. Today you by something for 250 you will have to get 3000 for it to be comparable.

The answer is not really.Lionel could always do more of the southeast railroads.Such as the seaboard air line.Lots of motive power that has not been done.Then you have the dixieline the fec.No disrespect to guys who like the nyc and the penn.They have been done way overkill.And thats just my 2 cents.

It doesn't matter if Lionel gets young people interested or not. Who's going to buy the stuff for them? Has to be Mom and Dad because there is not many people under 40 who can afford or have a space for O Gauge trains.

I'm 43 and young compared to the people I see at train clubs, shows, swapmeets, and yes... even York. I could careless about running trains from my PHONE, tablet, pc, or even having a wi-fi connection to my railroad. I'm a model railroader who has chosen O scale at the stage in my life, after modeling HO and N scale because I had the space and funds to do it.

There is a ton of engines, cars, buildings and overall details that just don't exist in O scale. 2R is even worse than 3R, and thats why I chose 3R. Middle rail.... who cares. I want rolling stock, locomotives, buildings and I dont want over sized animated operating accessories. I can run trains  from my Cab 1/2 and my DCS remote, and I paid $300 for them so I will.

More technology equals more problems, more trouble shooting, more repairs. No thanks, I model trains, and it just happens to be O scale because I can finally afford to buy them. It only took about 35 years.

Running out of ideas? Probably not. Running out of willing customers? That is the real issue.

 

 

Everybody has different tastes,but the only Lionel item I bought in the past ten years was the Milwaukee Road 261 steam engine.One purchase in ten years says it all to me about Lionel keeping model railroading interesting.

Dan

 

 

I doubt the movie will have any influence on potential model train buyers.  It's a prop and we don't even know how much screen time it'll get.

 

Plus, the way movies have been bombing at the box office lately...

 

I don't recall folks going out in droves to by G Gauge trains after Home Alone or Lionel after The Adam's Family movies were released.

 

Rusty

I agree Lee, as long as there Movies, Beer, and Sport Teams, Lionel will make a train for all of them.

 

Other than that, re-issues of trains with new technologies along with the occassional "retro" set.

 

What I would like to see, is maybe modern versions of older accessories, and releases of neglected locomotives and road name combos.

Neglected locomotives and road name combos would keep Lionel busy for decades.

 

Also, based on how fast "retro items" flew off the shelves and demand a high price premium these days, it would be cool to release more than a "Post War Celebration" series with just a small builders plaque and Lionel boxes with slightly different livery, but instead release "actual retro" versions, where everything from the boxes, to the manuals, the wrapping material, and catalogs for the retro line run, as well as other goodies.

 

Maybe even retro versions of trains that were never released during the golden years.

 

Other than that, I believe collectors sets such as the Neil Young Signature Series and past PWC and CC sets are the way to go, as you can always find individual locos, for the most part, but these sets are hard to find.

 

Of course, seeing a Neil Young Edition of the Santa Fe, Southern, NYC, WP, CP and others would be totally epic.

quote:

Also, based on how fast "retro items" flew off the shelves and demand a high price premium these days, it would be cool to release more than a "Post War Celebration" series with just a small builders plaque and Lionel boxes with slightly different livery, but instead release "actual retro" versions, where everything from the boxes, to the manuals, the wrapping material, and catalogs for the retro line run, as well as other goodies.

 

Were Lionel to do this, it would further erode the collector market. Do you think Lionel could survive without the notion that Lionel trains are collectable and valuable?

Although, it would seem that you are correct at least on paper, I think Lionel is more concerned about making money than preserving the collectors market.

 

Regardless, there have been so many re-issues of locos and sets over the years, and yet, there is still high demand for them and high prices.

Based on the past decades, it would seem that when Lionel re-issues a set or engine, as a collectors or retro set, not only do they sell, but it also spurs these same collectors who do not own the previous re-issues to buy them as well.

 

Collector = Someone who buys every or almost every version of a particular collectible.

 

And based on the OGR forums as a sample...we are all collectors to some degree or another.

quote:

Collector = Someone who buys every or almost every version of a particular collectible.

 

Not the collectors I know.

 

quote:

Although, it would seem that you are correct at least on paper, I think Lionel is more concerned about making money than preserving the collectors market.

 

Certainly. The question is: Do they need a collectors market to make money?

 

I have long thought that a lot of people justify their spending on trains by telling themselves that those trains will have a high resale value. 
Then again, maybe those days have passed.