Lionel to Appear on Fox and Friends, Monday, December 16th

Poor Howard, he had plenty of info, plenty of trains, and only three minutes...

Nice job Lionel!

Thanks for posting the link.  A good segment, I thought.  The anchors looked like they were having fund.   That Thomas got bumped is a good thing - more fun!

There was a bump, who in the **** cares!! It was a great segment and good exposure for Lionel trains. 

As a kid, I remember the Captain Kangaroo show had a one-episode

broadcast called "train day".  I wasn't really a die-hard "C.K." fan but

I always enjoyed "train day" every year it came around.

     Hoppy

While I don't have inside sales info on the train hobby......I work in the plastic model hobby.....and have some info.  Sales of plastic hobby items, not what they were 30 years ago, are doing very well.....better than they have in years. During hard times hobbies often do well. People need diversions and hobbies are often nostalgic, trains for sure are.

I also believe as we face more and more tech in our daily lives people will want to get away from it. This may help the plastic hobby more.....but model trains can be low tech too so there is that option.

Overall there have been worse times to be in the hobby biz......the group I work with does all it can in a positive manner as being negative has never helped.

That's why I thought the Fox segment was good overall.....

Let's put this in perspective.

First of all it was a major plus for a hobby that can use all of the exposure that it can get.

The layout was indeed the one from Lionel's New York office.  It was recently refurbished.  Kudos to Tom Nuzzo for getting it dismantled and trucked over to the Fox News studios on 6th Avenue and 48th Street.  Have any of you ever tried to park in that section of Manhattan and then unload all of the materials that Lionel had to bring?  It is a nightmare.

This was live TV.  "Can it core a apple?"  There are no retakes, outtakes, do-overs, etc.  Once you've said or done it, it is out there forever.  Kind of like the Internet.  Considering the pressure and time constraints involved, Howard did an outstanding job.

This was the typical folksy Christmas-time train nostalgia segment.

BTW - after the show, Tom had to dismantle the layout (it doesn't fit through Fox's doors), truck it back to Madison Avenue and re-assemble it.

All things considered, I think that Lionel did a great job.

Thankfully, nobody in this thread is acting grumpy or curmudgeony, and nobody is being abrasive or caustic.  It's discussion, and it's on topic.  If you think what's happening in this thread is argumentative, don't venture outside the O Gauge Forum.  This is the most benign and peaceful usenet/forum/board I've ever visited.  Frankly, it's refreshing.

Absolutely agreed.  I'd have to back and look to be sure, but I don't think a single person in this thread indicated they felt otherwise!  Great exposure for a brand whose success impacts us all.

Eh....if you can get past the three dufasses and their inane banter and the fact that other than seeing three trains go round in a circle, it was just an "ok" segment.  Doubt if I was new to the hobby, that It convinced me to drop $300 to $400 on a train set.

  Just a quick demonstration of the new sounds and actions of a steamer and/or diesel would have been MUCH more impressive than seeing a couple trains go round and round.  An opportunity missed IMO.

C'mon Grinches, the segment was fantastic.  It's Christmas time, we're talking about  nostalgia, the inconic brand of a 100+ year-old company, and starter sets geared for kids who might later become hobbyists.  But, if people simply buy starter sets, be they conventional or LionChief, the industry will have more profits to plow into R&D that might benefit the hobby's purists and scale modelers.  How on God's green earth could anybody see anything but pure positive vibrations out of this segment?  Good for Lionel, good for the industry.

And one wonders why threads go off-topic.

I thought given the 3 hosts talking and the demonstrator trying to show a varity of ways to control the trains plus keeping all the trains going he did a good job. I am not sure that very many of us put in that position on National TV would have done any better. It is the exposure of our hobby to others that really counts. Thank you Lionel and thank you FOX AND FRIENDS.

Because, quite frankly, it was a lackluster, loud and boring segment.  Just because they got their name out there doesn't equate IMO into "pure positive vibrations. "  They was nothing to catch the viewers attention that new, exciting technology had been added to an old and favorite pastime....trains.  You're trying to attract a new and younger 21st century buyer.....us "older" folk; they already have.

They mentioned the use of the i-pad and phone as control devices, but really, how much more impressive would it been to show the realistic whistle, steam, action and sounds that set the modern aspects apart from the old. Being in the broadcast business, I know this could have been a better presentation.

I may well be missing something, but after careful viewing of the segment, I believe the Lionel Rep on screen was J.Don, not "Howard"... not so?

Thank you Allan,us West Coasters always welcome your help!

Another Lionel Sighting....er on the Radio!

 I just watched the Lionel on Fox. Nothing there I did not  like.

A nice segment!  

What a great show for everyone in the train hobby. There isn't any possible negative comment that anyone could have. They packed a lot of fun and information into a very short segment. The advance technology should appeal to the younger generation. I doubt any new buyers are going to nitpick a bump showing on the layout or even start to think in the terms of ultra realistic trains and layouts.

Just a perfect simple pro hobby trains segment that is good for everyone. Lionel did it right and for that I thank them. For those looking at it from a different perspective what can I say I just don't get what you are all upset about.

I just watched the correct link and I thought it was well done.

VERY NOISY!!

I thought the last comment/question made by the show host was indication of a strong lasting impression:

"Could you make it any louder?" 

I truely do not get the noise level, especially in a public relations piece.

I have watched non train people walk in then right out of loud open house layouts commenting on the sound level.

Tubular track RRers are used to this, not good IMO for advertising to the uninitiated.

Of course the elephant in the room is the absolute absence of KIDS!  Who are they targeting with this?  OK, so they gave the airhead blonde the LC remote to perhaps demo that anyone can do this and she didn't have a clue what she was doing...  Kids would have had it figured out in a minute.  Ditto on the iPad app.  Missed opportunity.  

I'd much rather see a short segment showcasing a visit to the Lionel store.  AND one that shows Kids having fun.  

Frank53, think of the "room" as this forum...  We were all once Kids and many are still Kids at heart, but that's no substitute for the real thing.  

Great Great Thread, From likes and criticism there are many different thoughts here. Just a great bunch of people. This is what makes the world go around, we all have our own thoughts and feelings and NO ONE can take that from us. Thank You everyone.

I'll bet there were more than a few viewears who saw the piece and thought to themselves, "wow, I didn't know Lionel stil makes electric trains!"  

And that in itself would make the piece worthwhile.

- Mike

Thanks for the correct link Allan, I enjoyed watching this program segment. Howard did an outstanding job, particularly how he handled the collision with Thomas.

don't get me wrong with my above comment. It was still a good advertising spot for Lionel and the Hobby. The RC operation will make it fun for old and young kids and is most likely the future. I have a daughter with autism and she loves watching the trains. The RC system will allow her to operate her own train. All I have to do is put the train on the track, apply power and she is off and running. As with any new technology there will be issues. Since this is my hobby I have an advantage over the new buyer with no prior experience. This is where the knowledge and experience with purchasing from a LHS comes into play. The big box retailers and Internet sellers usually don't  knowledgeable staff and or don't provide support. Its easier to refund then to help resolve the problems which can leave buyers with a bad taste for the product. In this age of fire and forget selling, Lionel, and MTH need to be able to provide better product support. That means answer the phones or direct the buyer to the nearest LHS to help trouble shoot and provide guidance and that's how we get new blood into the hobby..

I hope I'm not getting too personal here, I have a granddaughter with a dexterity disability that she may or may no grow out of. Do you see the LionChief remote with it's limited controls as the only system your daughter can learn to use? Is the MTH full remote too loaded with buttons, etc., that make it hard for her? Is the MTH roller too difficult compared to a rotary knob? My granddaughter did okay with the Remote Lite, but is having a harder time with the full remote. Admittedly, she hasn't been able to play with it as much yet, so maybe expertise will come with time. But, I've been thinking of buying her a set of her own and the LionChief price is attractive.

Honestly, why try and turn this into a debate forum about my dog is meaner than yours.  Lionel received some air time for our hobby and you are in misery because it was not the brand you use.  I believe it may be time to grow up or at the very least let it rest.

Absolutely unbelievable...talk about a bunch of grumpy old curmudgeons! Geez.

If I gave some of you guys a million dollars in 50-dollar bills, you would complain it was too heavy to carry.

We are all done here. Thread closed.