Lionel's 115 Anniversary Silver Plated Berkshire Shown at TCA Museum Presentations

Sounds cool.  I love the look of a silver plated locomotive.  The scale Berk should wear it proud.  Not sold on the 115th anniversary logo yet, but looking forward to seeing this item.  Enjoy the meet!

Interesting strategy.  The gold Polar Express started like this (with a build-quantity of 200 when originally announced), then later went to BTO -- with presumably more than 200 produced.

Unless this loco is THAT much of an eye-catcher, I'm suspecting the "limited production" approach may be chosen to stoke demand among "collectors".  Otherwise, why not take orders and produce according to actual demand?

Either way, hopefully the front pilot wheels will stay on better than those from the last production run. 

David

It looks like I just found the motive power to pull a long string of silver K-Line Quarter cars! I'm in!

Or a long string of Lionel mint cars. 

David

Derek posted photos of this locomotive on the notch6.com Facebook page.  Looks stunning!  Still a bit confused though why Lionel would limit production rather than just make it BTO.

David

According to the podcast the process they are using (nano plating). Is complicated and requires multiple layers.  They said if everything goes right they can only make about 10 units per day.  So if it doesn't go right they probably have waste.  Looks like a beautiful finish.  I wonder if this type of finish or something similar is what they will use on the new passengers cars they talked about previously that would be so impressive on a plastic body.

You have to see it to believe it, very STUNNING. As someone said  when we were looking at it today sure makes the details pop!  

C'mon David, Lionel knows how to stroke some folks. get them excited about ltd numbers and sell hundreds more.  Same strategy Jeep used on their "Limited" vehicles, they were never Limited. May be limited in quality but I diverse! ....LOL

 I wonder how wide folks will have to open their wallets for the honor of owning such a stunning piece?  

Over time unless carefully stored/displayed and minimun handling, the silver plating will tarnish, and possible revert to a black patina.

Replacing the word "honor" with silliness, I'd also be interested in knowing how many would buy one.. Ugly doesn't come close.to my impression of it...

Joe

Bet they all sell out with ease.

Replacing the word "honor" with silliness, I'd also be interested in knowing how many would buy one.. Ugly doesn't come close.to my impression of it...

Joe

Well if peoiple are willing to spend over 2K for a centipede set when the competition has it for $799 MSRP... more power to them- and more $$ in my wallet!

They have the drugs and the patients pay for them....dearly!

It's not actually "silver plating." On the Notch 6 podcast, the process was explained as "nano plating."   

Quite true.  I said it looked stunning, but that doesn't imply I'd want to buy one.   I'd much prefer to purchase a chrome 400E and matching Presidents passenger cars in Standard Gauge... sans any anniversary markings.

I've always thought it somewhat disingenuous when corporate executives of today commemorate the anniversary of companies that neither they nor their families had anything to do with decades ago.  Heck, you might not even need more than your own hands to count the number of employees who've worked there more than 15-20 years. 

My point being... Companies today are largely a revolving door of sorts.  Theres nothing about the Lionel of today that even remotely resembles Lionel in the 1980's -- much less postwar Lionel or the Lionel of 100+ years ago.

No... The more I think about it, the more I'll go the Standard Gauge route instead.  The 100th Anniversary Gold Hudson from 15 years ago has enough trouble holding any significant value today.  The 115th Anniversary Berk is likely to follow suit once it's no longer the newest item off the boat.

David

Maybe it is about trying to beat a competitor who's celebrating their 35th Anniversary.  Or testing the waters for what they will offer at the 125th Anniversary.

Anyway, folks either like this item or they don't.  If you like it, want it and/or can afford it then go for it...otherwise move on.

Never was... And never will be.  When my wife and I would make an entire weekend of going out to York, I'd often mention the OGR forum at the B&B's breakfast table... only to get the most blank stares.  

I'm sure things have changed somewhat over the years, but we probably still represent just a tiny microcosm of the entire 3-rail hobby -- not to mention toy trains / model railroading overall.

David

This just shows how diverse our hobby is.  While gold or silver engines are novelties and may show off the details better, they are not at all realistic.  Would you run these on a layout or display them in a case?

Art

I'm sure they will too.  That's because Lionel is extremely good at generating excitement over a newly announced item.  It's quite a process to observe.  

I don't recall how many 100th Anniversary Gold Hudson's were made, but they sold for $1400 in 2000 and owners are hard-pressed to sell them for half that today.  I own one and like its appearance very much. Very nicely done and well-appointed.  But like pilot engines, most rosters don't need more than one IMHO.  So for those who don't own anything unique like this yet, it'll make a perfect addition to the roster.

David

Worked for you when you dropped 2 mortgage payments on that VL bigboy with a deflating coal load and unprototypical independent stack chuff.

Talk about "the pot callin the kettle......."They have the drugs and the patients pay for them....dearly!"