Lionel "Tinplate" for 2017 - Not MTH

After reading this a few times this doesn't appear to be a tinplate set but a clever ruse.  This looks like a S2 painted in tinplate colors and scale plastic cars with brass plates.. I would have pressed the button if it was tinplate.. sorry , but no.

rat

You know , I am going to take back what I said. Maybe  Lionel was thinking...hey lets do something different.  I can understand the concept, and somebody might like it

rat

What would also be cool is the reverse of this. Actual tinplate train decorated as a scale one.

Ack!  Scale locomotive and freight cars painted tinplate colors.

This is a special order item for us.  It'll be interesting if Lionel gets the pre-order numbers they need!

poor choice of cars.  i'd prefer a short work train or even a 2-3 car coach/lounge/obsv passenger consist.

ratpak posted:

After reading this a few times this doesn't appear to be a tinplate set but a clever ruse.  This looks like a S2 painted in tinplate colors and scale plastic cars with brass plates.. 

It's a scale set hence my use of "tinplate" and a close look appears that the plates will be printed on but lots can change if this set even sees the light of day. 

It reminds me of something Lionel would've done in the 1930s like the semi-scale Hudson set with true tinplate cars; a mashup of toy and scale. 

As someone who has spent a small fortune on items from the Lionel/MTH tinplate collaboration I'm intrigued by this one. Not sure I'll end up buying and -- as Phil mentions above -- it may depend on consumers placing enough pre-orders.

Brian Olson posted:

ratpak posted:

After reading this a few times this doesn't appear to be a tinplate set but a clever ruse.  This looks like a S2 painted in tinplate colors and scale plastic cars with brass plates.. 

It's a scale set hence my use of "tinplate" and a close look appears that the plates will be printed on but lots can change if this set even sees the light of day. 

It reminds me of something Lionel would've done in the 1930s like the semi-scale Hudson set with true tinplate cars; a mashup of toy and scale. 

The description does say brass plates....but that could be just a suggestion.

rat

I think it's a fantastic idea!

I love the choice of colors - even the journal boxes!

Should have been passenger set!

Looks cool, I don't think it would fit with the rest of my collection though. Especially not for Legacy prices.

I find it an oddly attractive set.

Rusty

Rusty Traque posted:

I find it an oddly attractive set.

Rusty

Exactly how I feel. It's been MANY years since I've been compelled to purchase anything NIB.  It just looks "right" in a way I can't explain. 

I like the concept, but I agree that it should have been a passenger set with this engine.

The freight set should be lead by steam, with at least one more car. 

That being said, I do like this set, but my limited buying power is going to be spent on other things that grab my attention more. 

its like a bad train wreck ,want to look away ,but cant,,,,i think the price is abit strong

I like most of it. That reefer looks odd however.

Wow - the new NYC S2 is around $800. Add three tinplate-look cars and mark it up to almost $1000? Gawrsh...... 

It is interesting but it's kind of a"fake" tinplate set. Not sure what target their shooting for? A person who wants a "scale" train to look more toylike or a tinplate person who wants plastic cars to sort of look like a tinplate set!    Either way I would be surprised if this one gets enough pre orders. For the price tag on the engine and cars you could buy a really nice tinplate set!   

I’ll fully admit that I like this set and I’m on the fence about doing a pre-order.  

While I do love tinplate there are a few things holding me back.  All of my trains are conventional control Lionel and traditional tinplate MTH.  To get the all of the features from the loco, I’ll need to invest in a Legacy system, which will bump up the overall price.  In additional to that, it’s not a true tinplate set since the cars are plastic which will probably ruin the authenticity of what tinplate is supposed to be for me. 

I may have to agree with Chris on this one – save your money and purchase a real tinplate set.  I’m already eyeing one up as we speak!

tinplate colors in plastic? It reminds me more of the Marx plastic era than it does Pre-war. 

Now, if someone would combine the 256 chassis with some leading and trailing trucks, then put a scaled up S-2 body in tinplate atop it... Then I would be interested.

Greg Nagy posted:

... It reminds me more of the Marx plastic era than it does Pre-war.

Louis Marx would have a good laugh at that statement.
he made toys, not collector's items and would see no play value in this overpriced oddity.

Such an unusual cross-pollination may have some limited appeal, but it is overpriced. Better off buying an actual tinplate set either authentic or repro.  My guess is they will not get enough orders to justify production.

Perhaps if the S2 were in a war bonnet it might sell better?

handyandy posted:

Perhaps if the S2 were in a war bonnet it might sell better?

Or Daylight.

Does anyone know a roundabout figure that will need to be pre-ordered for Lionel to produce this item?  I was just wondering what it might be.

This set has really caught my eye...I feel that the engine is so cool in TinPlate color decoration. That being said, I am a player. This engine alone will be colorful, with Legacy and the swinging Bell very unique. Yes, I will order this set.  Its a similar color to the #305 Hell Gate Bridge and I do hope there is enough demand so that Lionel will produce this beautiful set. If we help Lionel with this set, they may bring Passenger sets, work train sets, etc. Later....Happy Railroading....

Gentlemen,

   Not for me thank you very much.

PCRR/Dave

I can't decide. However it is an intriguing set. I give Lionel kudos for trying to be different on this one. I think I will wait to see if it gets produced. Or maybe I will just order it......I prefer my trains dressed in tinplate.

I preordered one,,,not saying it will be made,,,,,,like I preorderd two standard subway set,,,that didn't go well,,,and i'm still mad,,,,mike

Nothing about this is a "ruse"; it's clearly described.

I intend to order one. I love electrics, especially NYC electrics.

I'm a Hi-railer - y'know, weathering, bashing, 1:48, that stuff. But I do love this set (I have the earlier TMCC S-1/S-2's), and have a weakness for some Tinplate, sometimes, for some reason. This set scratches both my itches.

I doubt that it will make it to production. I don't understand the "market" with stuff like this. Years ago MTH offered a Standard Gauge 2-6-6-2. New tooling. Too cool. One was coming to my house for the mantle, if nothing else. It was cancelled. "Lionel/etc never made it so we don't want it!" Sheesh. Talk about a rut. That was one of the things I liked most about it - it was new, imaginative.

I expect the green S-2 set to meet the same fate. But I'm about to reserve one. 

Best "street price" I could find was $819.99 for this set.

how cow

Tinplate Art posted:

Best "street price" I could find was $819.99 for this set.

an interesting perspective on the cost of hobbies.  i'm currently considering buying an equatorial mount for my camera to take pictures of the upcoming eclipse for just about the same money.  and whereas running this train for 2¼ hours / day for a year would knock the cost of this model down to $1/ day, for the 2 minute eclipse, i'm looking at a return of my investment at ~$450/minute which works out to $27,000 / hr.  or to put it another way, an equivalent play-value train for those same 2 minutes would cost over $530M.

so $820? ...really looks like a good deal. 

handyandy posted:

What would also be cool is the reverse of this. Actual tinplate train decorated as a scale one.

One of these day (if I find it cheap enough), a beat up 402 will be modified with brass plate areas closed up, and painted black and lettered to New York Central as the original. Anybody got a candidate loco? I know they are cheap today, but just don't want to 'desecrate' a decent original.

Jim Waterman

D500 posted:

Nothing about this is a "ruse"; it's clearly described.  I intend to order one. ...

I expect the green S-2 set to meet the same fate. But I'm about to reserve one. 

Two thoughts... First it is a bit of a "ruse", because the imaging "suggests" a tinplate set, when in fact that appears to not be the case at all... only "tinplate-inspired", whatever that means.  

Secondly, I have a gut feel this set WILL make it into production -- just like last year's Steel City Switcher premium set.  And now dealers can't give them away -- largely because the 0-8-0 locomotive in the set isn't full-fledged Legacy.  (Another story for another day.). 

But like the 0-8-0's that were made in several liveries available for ala-carte sale, so will these S-2 electrics.  And also like the rolling stock in the Steel City Switcher set, there aren't many of them... In this, only 3 models.  And from the word on the street, these won't be real tinplate cars -- only decorated in tinplate colors.

So -- short of dealers sending in ZERO orders -- I can easily see this set making its way into production.

David

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

D500 posted:

Nothing about this is a "ruse"; it's clearly described.  I intend to order one. ...

I expect the green S-2 set to meet the same fate. But I'm about to reserve one. 

Two thoughts... First it is a bit of a "ruse", because the imaging "suggests" a tinplate set, when in fact that appears to not be the case at all... only "tinplate-inspired", whatever that means.  

 

It's no more a ruse than Daylight AC9's, Cab Forwards or the fantasy BNSF and NS (before NS did theirs) "heritage" locomotives of a few years back.

Seems to me the catalog copy is up front about what the set represents.  There's no new tooling involved and I doubt any new paint masks so Lionel's new product investment is minimal at best. 

I'm surprised no one's jumped in with the old standby:  "It's your railroad, run what you like," yet regarding this set.

I keep finding myself drawn to this set.  I find it a unique offering.  5 years ago I would've jumped on it, but my finances currently have other priorities so unfortunately I won't be ordering one.

Rusty

Looks like they are reissuing the S-2 NYC Grand Central Station electric which was the prototype for tinplate electrics in the 30's.  Lionel built this in die cast about 10 years ago.

The first run of the Lionel scale S-2 had a couple of noticeable defects: Odyssey surge at startup speeds and easily broken tunnel pantographs. 

Hopefully the Legacy version will have corrected these issues plus the swinging bell is a nice touch.

This set comes under the "I need to see it first" category. With MTH/LCT tinplate, I know the product will look twice as nice in person as in the catalog. With this being mixed media with plastic cars, I would want them nice and shiny to mimic tinplate.

Steve