Why has Lionel decided not to release new American Flyer Polar Express items for 2016?
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Maybe because the Polar Express market is saturated with O Gauge product and the Flyer sets haven't sold as quickly as the O Gauge sets?
Just a theory...
Rusty
What is the abandon toy car for? Was that a character in the movie? Is it meant to be part of the consist or "abandoned" on your RR?
I have G,O, HO, N and Z that I can set up. Just missing something in S for Christmas layouts.
They are offering another New Station but none of the other pieces you have photo of. I sure hope they fix all the problems of last years offerings and maybe that is why.
Don
Yes, The abandoned toy car is part of the movie. The lead boy character passes through the car in the film. People who have the PE set should see the movie to understand some of the parts for sale. The S Gauge PE baggage car was not in the movie. Lionel had the shell for a heavyweight baggage car so they made one for the S set.
Some of the O gauge items, like the figures and station would probably work for S. All the Gilbert buildings were more O anyway.
When I interview Lionel at York I will ask if they plan to release more S Polar Express items.
Roundhouse Bill posted:The S Gauge PE baggage car was not in the movie. Lionel had the shell for a heavyweight baggage car so they made one for the S set.
Lionel has now made what are essentially TWO baggage cars for the O gauge P.E. set, Bill. They have had a regular baggage car cataloged for several years. Last year, they added one decorated for "Letters for Santa." And in the 2016 catalog, they have added an O gauge combo car. I doubt any of the train set engines can pull all the add-on cars made.
If you use the later PE steamers made for O, they can pull more then their initial consist of 3 cars. They have different chassis and larger motors.
As far as the S Gauge PE Berkshire is concerned, it can pull at least the five cars that have been made for it already as long as you use an 80 watt transformer or better, rather than the "wall wort" supplied with the set. I suspect it can pull even more than the Five PE passenger cars, but I have not had a chance to try the engine with more cars yet.
Ed Boyle
The Flyer Berks can pull as many as 15 freight cars or more on flyer track and easily all the PE Passenger cars. I am very satisfied with my Nickle Plate and PE as far as pulling power.
Pulling power should be no problem as I have had 21 mixed link coupler truck freight cars and the knuckle coupler truck freight cars pulled by my C&O and NPR Berkshires.
There are a few websites out there that still have the baggage and abandoned toy car out there as I just picked up two of them. What were the problems with 2015's AF PE. I got mine and the locomotive would run intermittently and it made an awful screeching sound. I sent it back and the ended up replacing the trailing truck of the locomotive, tender the whole thing, and a couple of other parts. Is this the typical set that was put out last year. I knew that there was some sort gear problem but I guess there was more than met the ear and eye.
PLUS, I think that Lionel needs to work out all of the bugs on any second batch of the Polar Express sets, before it even considers any addition to the S-scale P.E. line up. Poor smoke unit performance, lax power from the wall-wart, & faulty assembly of the passenger cars all dogged the initial run. Maybe I will consider a set from the upcoming batch if Lionel & it's Chinese supplier can get their act together.
