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Lionel 2020

I know I'll be buying my first starter set in a long while.  I hope they do the TOS next.  This could be a big seller outside the hobby.  I did fact check the Kirk Car and it's correct otherwise Ryan would have to wear a Red Shirt at York in the fall.  The add on cars have a familiar ring to them.

ST Lionel

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Last edited by MartyE
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Another Lionel catalog which nothing of interest for me. Way too much Christmas product. My Lionel dealer also says it is too much (Christmas) holiday product. Still wanting some locomotive models that neither Lionel or MTH have not made yet.

I just ordered the Santa Fe E1 A/B set from Sunset Models / 3rd Rail though my Sunset Models / 3rd Rail dealer. They are not due out for at least a year. Their previous models run fine and are real nice so I wait.

Maybe MTH will surprise me with some new locomotive model(s) in new their catalog this April.

I'm very curious about the auxiliary water tenders. Are those derived from the J3a Hudson's? Are they prototypical? I would've thought that they would've used the tooling from the old L3a Mohawk tenders.

The CNJ Baron SD40 set is quite nice, though. Hopefully this run of the SD40's retains the nice look of the kinematic pilots that the 2015 run did.

I am impressed with the Christmas lighted FasTrack idea!   Under a tree with twinkling lights, this set with lights in the track adds a great colorful light show under the tree.   I am in for the set and perhaps additional track.   Innovative!   I would think it would sell pretty well, if Lionel can get it into some of the big chains to reach the public.   Perhaps Menards will stock some for Christmas.

Just turned the page and saw the Christmas Light Express, with LEDs on the cars.   If this will activate the lighted track, I might get this set instead, and add a loop of lighted track.   

Last edited by Ken-Oscale
Ken-Oscale posted:

I am impressed with the Christmas lighted FasTrack idea!   Under a tree with twinkling lights, this set with lights in the track adds a great colorful light show under the tree.   I am in for the set and perhaps additional track.   Innovative!   I would think it would sell pretty well, if Lionel can get it into some of the big chains to reach the public.   Perhaps Menards will stock some for Christmas.

We were talking at the LHS the other day if they could make it so the lights follow the train around the track.  How festive (or annoying) could that be?

Last edited by MartyE

Nice catalog. Lots of variety... must be someone is buying brand new trains.

My only quibble - for several years now - is I do not understand Lionel's pricing. The scale guys complain about high prices, but I guess they fail to notice that the prices for the traditional stuff are only a few dollars less than the much more costly to produce scale items. 

The new style SP caboose is $75.00. A much more costly to produce scale caboose with detailed interior is $99.00. Huh? A newly tooled scale box car for $99.00... they're giving that away if you compare that price to a traditional box car from years old tooling.

A couple years ago when the Lionel Junction sets were cataloged, a separate sale Lionel Junction car was $45.00. Huh?? The new Standard O cataloged cars list at $45.00. Huh??? I just don't understand. For all the grumbling the scale guys do, it sure seems to me like Lionel is bending over backwards to keep the prices on scale rolling stock as low as possible. Ryan said as much at one of the recent TCA museum presentations.

As I told a Lionel rep some years ago, I want to buy a traditional train car and pay for that train car, not subsidize tooling for scale items, which in reality, need to be priced a lot higher.

Well, Lionel is free to do as they wish, just as I am. They can price the traditional cars as high as they want... which I'm sure is part of the logic for so many licensed tradtionally sized items. But I'm not obligated to buy them though, and am not going to. The one deal is the ore/hopper car six packs... too bad more dealers don't break them up.

Luckily for me there's still the used market, so the Brianel Repaint Shops will continue to be very active for the foreseeable future.

IT appears the clear winner for popularity would be the Preamble express especially those who are collecting the AFT.

The PRR Reefer set appear to be PFE cars repainted... the Atlas O trainman reefer from years past is more prototypical.

I have the superbly detailed MTH FM Trainmasters. A breakup of the PRR set without the loco I may have to seek

I already have the Weaver models Conrail Blue and white reefer. I will research if Conrail had a similar to the PCF [Pacific Car & Foundry] boxcar for hauling beer.

The Conrail Rotary coal cars will be a must.

The PRR TOFC I can add to my existing PRR TOFC set. 

I too am curious of the Aux tenders for the T1

I'm on the fence of the PRR sleeper two packs.

I will have to research the B6 with the Atlantic tenders... Interesting combo though.

Bottom line the Scale side of this catalog I would choke it up to SP and West Coast RR fans for sure.

MartyE posted:
Ken-Oscale posted:

I am impressed with the Christmas lighted FasTrack idea!   Under a tree with twinkling lights, this set with lights in the track adds a great colorful light show under the tree.   I am in for the set and perhaps additional track.   Innovative!   I would think it would sell pretty well, if Lionel can get it into some of the big chains to reach the public.   Perhaps Menards will stock some for Christmas.

We were talking at the LHS the other day if they could make it so the lights follow the train around the track.

Marty,

The way I read the description in the catalog, that's exactly what it does.  According to the catalog, each track section lights up when there's a train on that section and the lights on that (each) section go out a few seconds after there's no longer a train on that piece of track.

Stu

NOT LionelLLC posted:

Marty,

The way I read the description in the catalog, that's exactly what it does.  According to the catalog, each track section lights up when there's a train on that section and the lights on that (each) section go out a few seconds after there's no longer a train on that piece of track.

Stu

Well then, nevermind!  Cool!  Just re-read it and that's it.  Cool!

Last edited by MartyE

Was a bit disappointed with the catalog how many GS loco can one market take I was hopeful for a C&O streamline Hudson maybe just maybe something different between MTH and Lionel there are so many daylight loco out there, That does not mean there aren’t anything worth looking at I just feel this was a catalog LIONEL missed the mark on, For there 120th anniversary i would have made a vision line people can be excited about not just something that has been done to death, only good thing is I can save my money 

Fortunately for the old wallet and credit card - which is still smoking from the last catalog - I already have the former release of the Reading T1 - a very nice model BTW with rounded underside boiler. The only item I can foresee pre-ordering is the Polar Express Hobo Car, and am glad Lionel is offering it in both the older and newer car liveries. The Snowflake 0-6-0 set and Elf work-train are interesting and will require careful review before committing to a pre-order.

"Elf work-train are interesting and will require careful review before committing to a pre-order"

So there is one good example of what I mean about the pricing! The set breaks down to right at $50 per each little bitty car! Something that should sell for half of that! Someone at Lionel is getting rich!

josef posted:

The 0-6-0T. But surprise they added artist drawn smoke  when it won't have smoke. Wonder how many will think it's also a smoker?

Put your glasses on!   It has fan driven smoke.

I gotta get the lighted Fastrack for under the tree. 

Really like the Friendship Train and will be getting that.

The 0-6-0T engines - I see 2 of those in my future to MU/Lash-up.

The sound boxcars and cattle cars (though I really just want the sound car - perhaps someone will be selling individually after they are released).

I like a few of the Milk Cars, the Christmas Story and Christmas Vacation boxcars.

Need time to digest it all.

-Greg

Last edited by Greg Houser
Mikado 4501 posted:

I'm very curious about the auxiliary water tenders. Are those derived from the J3a Hudson's? Are they prototypical? I would've thought that they would've used the tooling from the old L3a Mohawk tenders.

The CNJ Baron SD40 set is quite nice, though. Hopefully this run of the SD40's retains the nice look of the kinematic pilots that the 2015 run did.

They are not correct.  The tenders shown in the catalog are from the NYC Hudsons that were just released and are too short.  The correct tender should come from a NYC Mohawk.  A correct tender is in the works from another source.  

Big Jim posted:

"Elf work-train are interesting and will require careful review before committing to a pre-order"

So there is one good example of what I mean about the pricing! The set breaks down to right at $50 per each little bitty car! Something that should sell for half of that! Someone at Lionel is getting rich!

Must be using a standard formula for pricing cars in sets.  The cars in the 120TH Deluxe Lionchief Plus 2.0 F3 set calculate to be $54.00 each using a street price of $899.99 for the complete set.  

I calculated the cars price as follows;

Set Price = $899.99 minus $629.99 for the F3 Engines, leaves $270.00 spread over five cars.  $270 divided by 5 = $54.00 per car. 

***ETA***  I used the prices listed on Pat's Trains website for my calculation above.

Last edited by GregM
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