New Lionel train sets are dirty out of the box...

Did you receive the sets in factory sealed packaging?  If not, I suspect they were not as new as you may have been led to believe.

 

Pete

       
       


Hello Chris M,
I’m thinking someone bought both outfits played with them, and then returned them. Who were these Dirty Sets purchased from?

K.C.

I agree with the guys above.  Brand new trains shouldn't look like that.  

Was it really dirt or was it is protective grease/coatings put there deliberately to keep wheels free of problems until the set is opened?  I've brought home new, factory-sealed locos in the past (and new track) that had protective coatings that had to be removed.  I've been warned about that at my LHS, and given recent problems Lionel has had with corrosion and water damage when shipping across.  

Both sets were factory sealed. The Penn flyer was bought from a Menards, and the NYC was bought from Charles Ro.  Both sets had the same amount of grime. I am leaning towards the "dirt" being a coating that had to be removed. I also bought a used Hogwarts Express locomotive from Charles Ro. and that seemed to have less grime on the wheels. I have been out of the game with O scale for many years and just now got back into it. you can see why I would be concerned with buying "new sets" when honestly I don't remember them needing this much attention out of the box. 

       
       


If that’s the case.. I think Lionel should include a bottle of “Clean Wheel Solvent” with these outfits. It wouldn’t hurt to mention it in the directions also.

K.C.

I have come across a coating on the track as well. A few threads here have dealt with that. I bought some brand-new track from a box that the dealer opened in front of me. It looked fine. When I got it home I remembered the Forum thread(s) and wiped it with a cloth. The cloth turned dark. After I cleaned the track it worked well. Eventually dirt built up on wheels but that is normal.

 

One thread identified the coating as an agent for separating the track from the press after rails had been shaped.

 

Building on Lee Willis' post, I'll venture that this coating could also protect from corrosion during the voyage across the Pacific Ocean and across America.

 

In any case, new track may look nice and clean but there could well be a coating on it. Clean it first and it should work fine.

Was your Menards Penn Flyer set the 2012 version with the black die-cast locomotive + air whistle tender or the new 2013 version with the green plastic bodied locomotive, RCSound enabled tender and remote control?

 

I purchased one of the $100 after rebate 2012 Penn Flyer sets at Menards on Black Friday and noticed a number of the boxes appeared to have been opened-handled.  The first one I got home had a short between the engine & tender when placed on the track - the one I exchanged it for had a bad coupler on the box car but otherwise runs fine and I didn't note the black grime on either the wheels or track?

Just bought a new lionel RS 11 same problem. Clean wheel everything is fine noes.

Very strange...I bet one of our vendor/sponsors can find out from Lionel for us?

 

My Penn Flyer was the older die cast version. Ran fine but had a lot of residue on the wheels.