New Polar Express Streamliner: Good or Bad for the hobby?

You said it yourself, you are a "train guy" as are the rest of us. Why do you care what some YouTube troll says.

 

And even if it didn't sell well, it wouldn't be a first. I don't understand the "bad for the hobby" part.

Nah.  The negative poster obviously has no sense of imagination. Looks good to me...

 

Sunrise

I think it is a nice addition to the PE lineup. I certainly could care less what anyone else thinks. I like to think I am an average person and the train appeals to me.  I am certain this set will be a positive on trains.

I think this set is very good or the hobby and I am an avid PE fan. It if captivates interest in our hobby, that is what it is all about. There are always going to be naysayers along the way, pay no attention to them.

 

Nice purchase!

 

It looks very attractive to me, and if Lionel sells a bunch, it's good for the hobby.  Probably some Polar Express groupie who can't stand change.

The streamlined version has nothing to do with the movie aside from the name of the train, but Lionel has discovered that "train guys" will buy anything with "Polar Express" marked on it. 

Don't pay any attention to the troll, it's a wonder he didn't use four or five of the four letter F words in his comments....they usually do.  Lionel did a good thing with the Polar Express diesel set.  Some O gauge people wanted more in this line and Lionel made it.  I don't believe they produced it because Polar Express fans would purchase anything.....in my opinion.  Enjoy your set, it looks super.

 

Steve, Lady and Tex

I can't see how this would be any worse for the hobby than the plethora of sports oriented train sets, trains with the model manufacturers name on them, or any of the other Christmas sets offered in all the major scales. 

 

 

Absolutely positive to expand the Polar Express brand!! 

What's with all the negative people these days?  IMO, it's a really attractive looking engine and train.  Buyers will decide if it should've been made or not.

Absolutely not!  It is an attractive set and a definite complement to other Polar Express items produced over the years.

 

Trust me, you will NEVER please all of the people all of the time, and nowhere is that more evident than in the world of Cyberspace.  Don't even give it a thought!  If anything, feel sorry for those who have little or no imagination and who have not learned to respect the choices made by others.  They live in a smaller universe than the rest of us.

 

My guess is this set will sell very well for Lionel.  I would buy one myself if it was Legacy equipped.

 

I suppose if I had any wish at all, it would have been to see the set lettered for Polar Railroad since then it would go well with the Lionel Polar Railroad Geep I bought several years ago.

It slays me when folks take a fiction movie and somehow pretend that anything to do with it is "not authentic" or "plays fast and loose with truth".  I've said it here before to quote Al Hitchcock:  "It's only a movie".  It's only a toy train.  Lighten up Francis.  And one more cliche:  If you don't like it, don't buy it.

My question is: Why would you waste any time even acknowledging this clueless person?

Polar Smolar.  Nice looking train.

 

The comments you were concerned about show a unrealistic look at the buying public. I would bet many people will buy this because it is a handsome train set, they won't be giving a thought to what  type of locomotive was in a ten year old movie. They will buy it because they like it.

 

Fred

When people are having fun, there is always someone who wants to be a

"Wet Blanket".  Don't let them spoil your fun.  It's a toy train for crying out

loud.  Enjoy it.

First of all Thanks for sharing a video of the Train set & your Christmas Layout.

 

I will be buying that set now after seeing it in action.

I like the freight set as well but, I would have  liked to see the Berkshire instead of the 0-8-0 they used. 

 

I will have to save up for both sets. The Original & the modern diesel set .

 

 

 

I'm also a train guy and I could really care less from what someone else thinks at times. And when it comes down to it the main thing is weather I like or not. I don't buy trains on what others think about them, it's my money that I'm spending.

 

I got my set last week and my extra cars came the week before and I really like them. And this is my first FT that I own which really looks good to my eyes. I do have a lot of Polar Express trains & accessories in my collection to go along with my other Christmas items. My favorite time time of the year has been and still is Christmas.

 

And I'm glad Lionel is still putting out PE themed items. It must be still selling or Lionel would not be bringing out new PE items. It's almost a full 10 years since Lionel 1st announced the Polar Express and they defiantly hit a grand slam with the PE.

 

I think we are circling the wagons, nothing wrong with that.

fred

My PE Steamer smoked for the third time while operating on our club seasonal display. I substituted the 1225 Berk for my trusty WbB BL2 Demonstrator (it's blue). The BL2 didn't miss a beat and to my knowledge there wasn't the first complaint from any children about the engine not being "authentic".

 

Sometimes we "care" more than the intended target audience for these products. I like that PE diesel and if it were offered as a separate sale, I'd buy it in a second and forget about the 1225 Berk! 

 

Gill 

I think this set--and the Polar Express freight set--are definitely a good idea for the PE line as well as the hobby in general.  Ever since this movie came out I was already imagining what a sequel () would be like, with new trains, but Lionel's ever expanding PE line allows the modeler to expand beyond the movie and create their own "sequels".

As far as the choice of equipment is concerned, the poor soul who bashed the PE Streamliner probably has no idea that both trains (all three, really) are from the same era.  In fact, in real life, the PE Berkshire may actually be newer than the FT!  It's a commom misconception that all diesels are "modern".

Aaron

I just love the color scheme of the Polar Express line so much that I'm happy to see it either in this set or the Polar Railroad items.  Combine these great, regal colors, with the beauty of the streamliner, and I love it.

It used to be said that there were two kinds of people:  people who saw the glass half full and those who saw it half empty.  There's a third type:  people who don't see anything in it at all! 

Like the movie says:  " BELIEVE ".  Dennis M.

 

I just about had my worries down to food, shelter, clothing, kids, grand kids and transportation and NOW THIS comes along.

Despicable desecration of a fairy tale, make believe, movie (about a boy's dream) with a fantasy paint scheme on a toy train!

I will have to have rest and recuperation on this one!

Nice video and nice train! I like the colors, good looking set and looks like a good idea to me. 

 

I would imagine Lionel knows quite a bit more about selling trains and promoting the hobby than the commenter on youtube.  Wouldn't give it a second thought.

Gill,

Grzyboski's Trains has the A unit separate for $169.??

I should add if Lionel did a Legacy version... 

We have no idea what the yard/facility looks like from whence the 1225 came to end up in front of the 'non-believers' house.  There could be PE 0-4-0 switchers, diesel switchers etc.  We already know there are freight cars.

 

Maybe someone is dreaming up a prequil.

I'm not a fan of the movie. I prefer the book.
For a modern version of the set I would think a train that was more contemporary would be a better fit. The FT was contemporary to the modern berk already in the set.
What if Lionel used their HHP8 and Amfleet cars to appeal to what kids see today and can imagine coming down thier street Christmas Eve.

Thanks for all the replies. From the conviction of the responses, it’s obvious that the Streamliner and the PE line in general have a lot of ongoing support. Ultimately, it’s our responsibility to pass the love for the hobby to the next generation. The PE line and movie have been great for attracting new people and I think the new Streamliner will only add to the momentum.

Some people just ain't happy unless they are telling someone else what they should or should not like. I just don't get it.

I love the movie, and I bought my Polar Express during the first run as a gift to the family. I've also added several add ons to it since then. As soon as I saw that diesel set in the catalog, the wheels started spinning. I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but after seeing your video, I'm getting awfully close. Run what makes you smile.

One train set isn't going to save or destroy the hobby.

 

Rusty

Cute Toy Train...

That's what most non train folks are going to think!

 

Since it's not: Tinplate, Marx, G/1:22.5~1:24, Wind Up 

or doesn't match the Large Scale P.E. set I have...

Meh.......

 

I had a troll insist that I was playing "funeral home" music on one of my videos.  It was "Sentimental Journey".  The meaning was completely lost on him...

 

Jon

Nice video and train, Crabcake.  I have the original set.... not sure if I will be interested this one but don't begrudge those who are.  I have never liked that Lionel passenger set tooling much... I think that is one my main drawbacks regarding this train.  It will look even better when Lionel offers added cars in the next few years, though!   

Surprising that no one has mentioned that the streamline cars has clear windows and interiors. The only thing is that I'm disappointed that Lionel did not put any passengers in the cars. They look a whole lot better then the PE baby madison cars with just the silhouettes in the windows.

 

 

Kids can be the toughest critics...if it passed muster with them, you did allright !

Many train guys with layouts, myself included, have their favorite railroads or favorite areas of the country that they stick to. Seems the longer you are in the hobby the more you narrow it down and do not buy engines from other railroads. I buy mostly Lacakawanna and a few others that operated in North East Pennsylvania, like PRR and Lehigh Valley.

 

Every now and then I see an engine from a different railroad that just pops and I really want to get it. It is hard to resist but I've been very good at not buying them.

 

The Polar Express engines and cars are a fantasy railroad so they fall into a different category in my mind. From the posts I've read here over the years I think most of us agree that the Polar Express is just a really great color scheme. Everything i have seen in the Polar Express colors just looks great. I will buy Polar Express items even though they do not fit in as North East PA railroads.

 

If others like me that typically don't buy outside of their few favorite railroads make an exception for the Polar Express that opens up a huge market for Lionel. I'm curious how many others break free from their traditional buying habits for the Polar Express. You just gotta love those colors.

 

I may be having the reverse experience. The more I experience the beauty of the Polar Express colors, the more I'm drawn to the Lackawanna, which I've always thought were similar to the PE color scheme. I will defer to you as a mostly Lackawanna man. Do you think the similarity is strong or even deliberate?