New Lionel Visionline GG1

How about THAT for a prime example of "Madison Avenue marketing speak"?

That is not new information (Vision Line) the GG1 section is new obviously. Not sure what Madison Avenue has to do with it?

Is this a re print from 5 years ago?  

That is not a scael sized GG-1. IMHO, The Williams version is the correct size

Sam, yes it is (Page 7 from the 2009 catalog). No big deal, cut and paste. Marketing 101, keep your message out there.

 

Charlie

Tim, There is an excellent thread out here about the GG1s produced over the years started by Jonathan Pfiffer(sp?) that shows the JLC model as slightly longer than the Williams/Weaver/MTH which all seem to use the same chassis. The Lionel is the only one that has spoked drivers which is a nice touch...

Charlie,

 

Back in the good old days, most all of the nations biggest & best advertising/marketing agencies had the offices on Madison Avenue in New York City. Thus, the term "Madison Avenue marketing speak". In other words, lots of great big words that really tells is nothing.

Sam beat me to it, but Tim, you really need to educate yourself before you make inaccurate comments:

 

Scale GG1 Comparison - GG1s live on!

 

Jonathan Peiffers' thread has the most comprehensive information on the various 3 rail GG1's available, give is a read and come back here when your done.

 

 

Jack, I don't think the paragraph on Vision line is a bunch of "great big words that tell us nothing". Advertising yes, it’s not a technical bulletin of the Vision line operation, but it is not supposed to be either. 

 

While the original poster did not write that this was “new” material, it was presented in a way that might confuse some people. That is why I stated this is not new, in fact the message goes back 6 years now. People are already confused as to what Vision Line is supposed to be… mostly because they have not read the paragraph and a few others listed in the catalog(s). You can’t fix stupid, but you can’t blame Lionel for trying.

 

If anyone has a better way to convey what Vision Line is all about then by all means contact Lionel. I’m sure they will listen to any good ideas.

 

Charlie

 

I will admit, the sparking pantographs look pretty cool, but it looks like everything else you can find on an MTH GG1 plus the pantographs actually work.

 

 

I concluded quite some time ago, that Vision Line was nothing more than a re-branding of the JLC series products when Lionel management changed hands.  The JLC "brand" became victim of the "not invented on my watch" syndrome, so it was renamed to Vision Line.  Most folks saw through that in a heartbeat, but it was a prime example of executive egotism at its best.

 

Of course Madison Ave is often referenced as the tradition marketing machine for many a corporate ad campaign... hence the reference to "marketing speak" in the earlier post.  Again, most of us can see it coming within the first sentence or two of an appropriately word-smithed paragraph! 

 

David

 I can't get the link to work ... I'd like to read it.

 

Matt

Go to our Facebook page for a live video

The link has been disabled - comes up as an error,

 

 

Sorry guys, not sure what I'm doing wrong with the link.

 

Just try copying <Scale GG1 Comparison - GG1s live on!> and paste into the OGR search engine, that should work.

 

Charlie

Found it, Charlie ..... thanks.

 

Jonathan's GG1 Comparison

I specifically said the information came from the Lionel website under the VisionLine GG1. If you clicked the link it took you to the comments I copied and pasted in the initial post. Second, I also noted that Lionel posted a few videos.

The point was not to debate any manufacturers previous releases but just to offer a place for to get official information on a new product announce by a manufacturer at one of the industries trade shows.

On the other hand, if you read the review mentioned it is comprehensive and written in 2008.

Was there a reason given that Lionel's latest & greatest GG-1 would not be operational through the pantographs. Seems that would be the ultimate operating feature of a GG-1.

 

    Bill T.

 

I have no clue either how complicated it would be but MTH trolleys can be converted to run on a wire. It's on my to do list someday as I believe it's not too difficult.  Of course they are pretty simple critters by comparison.  I must say I like the remote controlled pantograph. But I'm not sure about the sparking feature. To my eye this model will need a catenary, working or otherwise.

 

(And yeah I choked on the marketing copy, too. Lots of words saying nothing until I scrolled down and found the video. Wish it had sound 'though to get a sense of the stereo speakers. Overall, I like it but not in this short line's RR budget.)

 

Tomlinson Run Railroad

That would be incorrect.  The VL GG1 "prototype" was based on the JLC GG1.  I have the Williams scale GG1 and the JLC GG1, they are the exact same size.  I am 100% sure the new VL GG1 will be the correct size.

 

 Lionel fans can look to our VISION Line to experience the “gold standard” in model train engineering, manufacturing, and most of all… VISION. In each successive year we will unveil a selection of products that will elevate our line to levels never before reached in our industry.

 

Not really as Lionel is just following the Germans lead when it comes to the "Gold Standard". Kiss Modellbahnen came out with steam locomotives emitting steam from steam chests and blowdowns over 10 years ago.

 

Heljan & ESU LokSounds have recently come out with a Nohab Diesel that has Led's mounted under the trucks that flash to emulate wheel sparking when going into curves/ wheel flange sounds play. Doing the same by installing Led's into the pantographs is the same technology.   

When the MTH GG1s are converted to run overhead, do they loose the ability to remotely control the pantographs?  From what little I know about electronics and circuity, it would be a pain to have the LEDs for the sparks and to get power from overhead.  Doable, yes, but costly like they said.  You'd have an issue with teh power from the overhead wire arcing to the LEDs which would burn them out, and possibly short out the LED control board.  If they make a zone on the panograph that was just for pickup, how many people would be willing to invest all the time required to make sure to move their overhead wires to make sure they never went out of the power up zone?  I know there are some here that do power from over head, and I know some don't.  I want to put lines up for my semi-scale GG1 and EP-5, but they will be for looks only, so a sparking but dummy pantograph would be great for me, if it could go on O45 over even O36 curves.

I understand the reason for running overhead power in the old days, what possible reason, from an operator’s point of view; would one want to operate under powered catenary lines in today’s world?

 

Charlie

Maybe to watch it REALLY "spark"?

The Chicagoland Chapter of the European Train Enthusiasts (HO) can and do on their modular display railroad.  It's a source of pride.

 

(They can also operate stud-rail AC, 2-rail DC and DCC...)

 

Rusty