Lionel's Big Announcement 5/10 - 150 Years in the Making

Ryan:

I'm looking forward to tomorrow!

Neal Jeter

I have a very good idea, and I hope to see Dave smiling next to you Ryan.

Ryan....how about someone at Lionel post a link here since a large number of the forum folks don't do FB and still fewer in recent months with what has been happening in social media....THIS is the place to post your video!!

I enjoy a good product tease (à la Menards).  But I'll have to wait for the online write-up since I don't do facebook or any other social media.  _{To finesse Craignor's earlier post}, I hope this Lionel announcement is with the same get it done spirit, commitment, planning, execution and May 10, 1869 completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.

Thank you for that, Alan!

Since the announcement is most likely a live stream the best you will get here is a link to the video.  You do not need to be a Facebook user to access the Lionel page and watch the video.  I'm sure one of our members will post the link after the live announcement.

All I know is that PRR 4-4-0 steamer better look as close to scale as possible but I can't believe no rail sounds!

I was shocked to hear that they weren't going to have sounds. "It won't fit" is a poor excuse IMHO. Perhaps they should have retained John Z. He was making good strides at making all of the electronics smaller. This is one of the problems with proprietary electronics. No competition or incentive to improve. DCC is much smaller with equal sound quality, better motor control, and also has the ability to control smoke units.

"you'll see some new surprises tomorrow!"

If you want to surprise me, include the "1776."

Brass Hybrid 4-4-0s like they said in the York video, but can't wait to see them.

OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:

Ryan....how about someone at Lionel post a link here since a large number of the forum folks don't do FB and still fewer in recent months with what has been happening in social media....THIS is the place to post your video!!

A wise idea, I have banned FB, Instagribe, and Tweety bird in my kingdom anyone caught with any of that social crap on my infrastructure in my kingdom will be banished to the dungeons.

So saith I king John

Expect it will look something like this in O scale, but with a bit more detail and accuracy then my painted up O scale models;

Partnership with Menards?

https://www.lionelstore.com/category/American-4-4-0

On right now ....

https://www.facebook.com/Lione...os/2309473385985682/

Conrail6358 posted:

This has certainly been an exciting week in railroading and a thrill for any of us in the hobby. Don't worry, we're taking lots of notes back here and have "boots on the ground" gathering more information for us for a lot of upcoming announcements. But while the "big locos" are getting all the attention, we've got another date-appropriate new product announcement to make! 

We've been dropping plenty of hints, so I don't think there is too much doubt as to what's behind the blue curtain on Lionelstore.com - but even if you've been following closely, I promise you'll see some new surprises tomorrow!  Since our soft announcement at the National Toy Train Museum last month, we have made some amazing upgrades and with the help of new historical data will have the most accurately decorated models of these famous locomotives ever produced. To get the most information possible, you're best source will be our Facebook Live presentation tomorrow morning (5/10) at 9 AM Eastern. (That will give you all plenty of time to pop your next bowl of popcorn for the other big events out west later that day!) I've got a lot of great new information to cover, so please join in!  The video will be available on Facebook afterwards for review, and I'm sure someone will be kind enough to copy a link or upload here as well for those who don't Facebook.

Happy railroading everybody!

Thanks for notifying the forum about the announcement.  I would not have been aware without your post.  I think it's great when you and Dave engage with the group here.  Inevitably, there will always be a vocal minority of detractors that probably don't have first hand experience with your products anyway.

The 4-4-0s look great and I'm happy to see that you guys are producing them.   

kj356 posted:

Expect it will look something like this in O scale, but with a bit more detail and accuracy then my painted up O scale models;

Closer to "prototype" than you may think.

Back in 1969, the UP "borrowed" the V&T 22 (Inyo) and 18 (Dayton) to stand in for the 119 and Jupiter:

(Trains Magazine 05/69)

Rusty

For those who don't "social media" (funny, I always considered a forum like this to be VERY social...) here is a link to the video from our YouTube page: https://youtu.be/Tt3d3EgAjT0. 

Dave and I will be doing a follow up on our next Ryan&Dave show as well and you'll see these featured in Volume 2 this July of course.

A few highlights for those who want the Cliff's Notes version before getting back to 24/7 Big Boy video marathons:

7 4-4-0s (including 2 pilot models) with

• LEGACY, DCC and conventional operation
• Die-cast and brass construction
• All new tooling
• Designed from the original O'Connor Engineering replica drawings
• New decoration schemes for 119, Jupiter and Pennsylvania all based on the latest historical research and analysis from the leading historians on the subject (We're actually going to backdate the PRR a few more years for a more polished look based on a call I had just last night, look for some updated art on that one next week. She's going to be stunning!!!!)
• Leviathan and York based off of current replica appearance
• Each model uniquely numbered
• Built to order

4 Add on passenger car 2 packs - one car equipped with Railsounds so you'll be able to add sound to your train

An additional non-sound 2 pack of Woodruff Sleeping Cars to further expand your trains. All of the cars which don't have sound electronics inside will have interiors with painted figures

All of these products are available for preorder now through lionelstore.com AND through your Lionel dealer. We also have a special limited set (150 pieces) exclusive through our online store. Please go there to see more images and order information. The order window on these will likely close around the first week of August so that we can get this to our factory on time for an anticipated early 2020 delivery.

Whether you decide you have to have one of these for your collection or not, I do hope you'll take a close look at these models. Speaking personally, I've always felt that this era of railroading is one that offers so much potential and reward for modelers and historical interests alike but is too often overshadowed by the later and larger locomotives. The updated color schemes of Jupiter and 119 reflect decades of research by some dedicated and passionate historians, several of whom I've had the pleasure of knowing personally for many years and who were kind enough to lend their latest efforts to us for this project. For our part, we have worked with our design and manufacturing teams for more than a year to bring you the most accurate models possible of these important pieces of our history. Like the originals, they are works of art - well tuned to the art of work. The first five were ordered the minute this project got the highball...     And with the requisite emoji now attached, it's time to step off my soapbox and get back to work.

No more Eureka Palisades? Was excited for that one

Well at least the price of the PRR 4-4-0 is cheaper than the SMR D8...

The question will be will the Lionel Coach sets [a Different Model Coach] look as good as the SMR coach sets!

Surefire posted:

No more Eureka Palisades? Was excited for that one

The Eureka is a 3' Gauge locomotive.

Rusty

I took these pictures in 2003 of the York. The York is in New Freedom, PA just a short drive from the York fairgrounds.

http://www.steamintohistory.com/

Scott Smith

I waited for this announcement before choosing to comment.

Detail appears to be nicely done on the passenger cars.

If HO can be made with sounds and smoke, then this could have.

At the very least,  a smoke unit could have been added (they were 30 years ago) and Legacy instead of Railsounds 4, in the passenger car.

Good marketing....now you have to buy and additional product to get sound.

Thank you, Ryan, for posting that YouTube link.

OK; since they've got the base models/framework complete, how long before a repro of the loco in Back to the Future III?

No smoke and optional sound?

Soo Line posted:

I waited for this announcement before choosing to comment.

Detail appears to be nicely done on the passenger cars.

If HO can be made with sounds and smoke, then this could have.

At the very least,  a smoke unit could have been added (they were 30 years ago) and Legacy instead of Railsounds 4, in the passenger car.

Good marketing....now you have to buy and additional product to get sound.

 

Soo,

I’m with you!  They should have “Smoke” & definitely Legacy Railsounds !!!

I'm not sure why anyone is surprised by the no sound and smoke situation.  Lionelacknowledged this when they did the "soft" announcement at the TCA Museum during York week.

The adding of sound in a car is new, but I can't imagine anyone legitimately thought Lionel was going to change their mind and decide it was possible to put sound in the engines themselves when they said it would not happen only less than a month ago.

I may go for a set of the 2 main engines and a few cars.  We'll see.  The only negative with the adding of sounds in the car, is now one will not be interior detailed, since it obviously has to hide the electronics. 

A big part of the attraction to items like this for me (Heritage Series -  BFOC, John Bull, etc.) is the details on the pieces.  Having one look out of place due to the sound electronics being hidden inside is a compromise I'll have to think about.

-Dave

The posting from Ryan above mentions sounds in the coaches (I would have to assume the CP AND UP sets.  The Lionelstore descriptions do not mention any sounds at all, or at least I didn't see that.

Ryan  Would you please verify if there is another set to be listed with sounds or if this is an oversight to be corrected.

Thanks

Gray Lackey

Soo Line posted:

I waited for this announcement before choosing to comment.

Detail appears to be nicely done on the passenger cars.

If HO can be made with sounds and smoke, then this could have.

At the very least,  a smoke unit could have been added (they were 30 years ago) and Legacy instead of Railsounds 4, in the passenger car.

Good marketing....now you have to buy and additional product to get sound.

 

I agree in general 

But speaker size means allot, and placing it in the passenger car will probably give better sound. However, I am not that interested in the passenger cars and would be more interested in period freight like flatcars and other types. That leaves the engine soundless. Sound could be included in a boxcar, perhaps the next catalog will have matching freight.

Dave

It's great that Lionel notified the OGR forum personally.  They could have just treated the OGR  market just like the rest of the market.

Good marketing to put the sound car as an add on.  That way not everyone has to buy it.

It never hurts to be thankful.

Love the engines and cars and a great job by Lionel. I would love to have one but out of my price range.

For those getting them, good luck I think they will be a treasure to own. 

Dave

I'm very excited for these models, they look beautiful! Now the decision is which one to buy! The lack of smoke and sounds I'm not surprised about since they are such small prototypes, most other 4-4-0s in O gauge are either oversized prototypes or repainted generals (other than SMR) so it's nice to see brand new accurate locos on the market! 

Nice offerings for sure! On the fence due to $$. Debating getting something.

i don't have time to watch the video right now.  How much $$ for the engines?

$1100 each.  Available from dealers or Lionel.  Don't know if dealers will cut you a discount.  Rather doubtful .

Interesting set.  Does anyone know if the legacy system on these includes the IR sensor? I do not see any indication in the descriptions. It really would be nice to run them on a controlled layout.

Bachmann is offering in HO the UP and CP 4-4-0s probably over size but with DCC and I think sound for less than 1/4 the price of a Lionel O model. I know they are partly brass but Legacy electronic must be large compared to DCC.  

Rusty Traque posted:

Surefire posted:

No more Eureka Palisades? Was excited for that one

The Eureka is a 3' Gauge locomotive.

Rusty

I'm well aware. 

It was mentioned as an option in the TCA presentation.