I just sent off my (polite) request, including my unanswered email from January, 2020 as an attachment. For what it’s worth, I offered to do the swap myself and return the original shell. Hopefully that can be accommodated since the auto-generated response to my request indicated it’ll take 6-8 weeks for the repair if they do it.
Well as upset as I was to hear the recent news, I'd like to hear it from Lionel so when I request my RMA, I am asking about the notification. I'm not going to get upset about this now.
Well after emailing "Talk to Us" I got a RA number and shipping label. No response to my inquiry about any kind of announcement. That's fine. I really didn't expect an answer but appreciate the quick response for the RA. I personally think they should have made an announcement via the dealers (maybe they have and I didn't get the info) or a website announcement. Regardless my car will go out this week or early next week and hopefully put this one to bed.
I appreciate everyone here that gave us the heads up and the folks that kept this issue alive for a solution. I also appreciate Lionel for doing the new shells.
It's a good thing I check in on the forum...and now I will request an RA.
Thanks for the heads up folks! I got my RA today!
I received my RA today. Are you guys including any notes in return to Lionel, such as per this person or that person, the shells are not the right color and will be replaced? Or, what are you stating, if anything?
@Paul Kallus posted:I received my RA today. Are you guys including any notes in return to Lionel, such as per this person or that person, the shells are not the right color and will be replaced? Or, what are you stating, if anything?
I will make a note to install the correctly decorated shell.
Got my RA for my black roofed version. It's going back when I can get it packaged up.
Mine has departed for North Carolina. Hoping for a safe trip, and matching shell, and a good journey home.
I also dropped my RPO cars off at Going Postal today - a FedEx drop-off point. Per return instructions, I included the receipt - which was dated 9/1/2019 from Charles Ro. The instructions also re-iterate Lionel's 1-year warranty, so am hoping for a good outcome.
Just got a notification from FedEx that my car is on it's way back. What could be an issue is a signature is required and I most likely won't be home. Aye cu rumba.
@MartyE posted:Just got a notification from FedEx that my car is on it's way back. What could be an issue is a signature is required and I most likely won't be home. Aye cu rumba.
Explains the fast turn around. They sent mine to the office, I work out of the home. Mine is also a USPS delivery. I've never seen tem use USPS for something like this. I will go in tomorrow and report what I find. If anyone else has rec'd and inspected theirs, please feel free to share
I also did the “Talk to Us” option and I am still waiting on an RA. I thought I gave all the details in my first email but they responded with a request for more information and a note saying they would look into the possibility of a warranty return. I am interested in how the updated ones turned out
-Ryan
@MartyE posted:Just got a notification from FedEx that my car is on it's way back. What could be an issue is a signature is required and I most likely won't be home. Aye cu rumba.
From Fedex's website you can make delivery arrangements, change delivery and I think maybe even sign online for a delivery. Might have to register for an account though? Can't remember if I had to do that or not, but I already have an account.
If you got a tracking number you can probably just click on that and be able to do everything from that link.
FWIW, UPS has similar options on their website.
@rtr12 posted:From Fedex's website you can make delivery arrangements, change delivery and I think maybe even sign online for a delivery. Might have to register for an account though? Can't remember if I had to do that or not, but I already have an account.
If you got a tracking number you can probably just click on that and be able to do everything from that link.
FWIW, UPS has similar options on their website.
Yes, you have to register, and what happens is somewhat annoying. I had a package that wasn't delivered, went online to sign up and all that to change the delivery or rules, whatever they call it. I get an email telling me that a letter with a code will be sent to my address to validate my address. After I get that, I can change the delivery. Well, here's the fun thing. The next day my package gets delivered, with me not home to sign for it as I was supposed to before signing up. Without having the code from the letter, should it have been delivered? Well, about a full week later I got that letter with the code. Since I technically didn't need it, it remains unopened. I usually don't have a lot of things come FedEx, so I will maybe open it and do the stuff if I order something and it comes that way.
BTW, when you guys get you packages, are you going to post pictures?
@rtr12 posted:From Fedex's website you can make delivery arrangements, change delivery and I think maybe even sign online for a delivery. Might have to register for an account though? Can't remember if I had to do that or not, but I already have an account.
If you got a tracking number you can probably just click on that and be able to do everything from that link.
FWIW, UPS has similar options on their website.
Since mine is listed as a "Direct Signature" I cannot sign electronically. Someone physically has to be there to sign for it. Sounds like a good excuse for a day off.
A day off does sound a LOT better than an online signature!
@Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:Maybe I misread the 2019 V1 PE cars listed on Pages 152 & 153. I preordered them to match the 6-84811-6-84815 PE cars shown in 2017 V2 catalog. When I received the RPO (1927351) the blue was a lot lighter than the cars in the 2017 catalog that I now have.
Did I get this wrong and this RPO is not meant for the cars listed in the 2017 catalog. I hope that is the case, because this isn't even close.
It has been a long time. Attached are pics of the new RPO next to the other cars. It is spot on. Well done! Even though they closed the barn door after the horses came back I am good with this fix. FWIW, it came in new packaging. It was not a shell swap.
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Images (3)
@Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:.
Thanks for the pictures. I appreciate Lionel stepping up and I also appreciate all the folks here that helped make this happen by speaking up and contacting Lionel.
@MartyE posted:Thanks for the pictures. I appreciate Lionel stepping up and I also appreciate all the folks here that helped make this happen by speaking up and contacting Lionel.
We have to meet in York Marty. It’s been a real “odyssey” pun intended. Enjoyed this topic. To anyone on the fence, go through the hassle. Turn around less than 1 week.
@Bryant Dunivan 111417 posted:We have to meet in York Marty. It’s been a real “odyssey” pun intended. Enjoyed this topic. To anyone on the fence, go through the hassle. Turn around less than 1 week.
Agreed Bryant!
I just re-read this entire thread. One thing that stands out, as frustrating and hopeless at times this seemed, everyone pretty much stayed the course, discussed the issue civilly, and exchanged information. In the end we got results. Thanks to everyone that participated in this thread.
Wow, Bryant, the pictures are stunning!
My RPO cars (black and white roofed versions) are due to be delivered today. I am keeping my fingers crossed - I am a student of Murphy's Law; back in 2014 I received a Pere Marquette tender with 10th anniversary PE Berk. Lionel exchanged them...that Christmas the Polar Express was just delayed a little while 
Never give up. That's why they invented death.
So after reading the thread again I remembered 1 last potential issue. The 2021 Signature catalog PE Sleepers with a white roof, 2127352 and 2127351, will the "Polar Express" be below the window like the other white roof coaches or above as depicted in the catalog? I'm having one of those Don Quixote moments. LOL!
Good to see the right colors on the Polar Express cars. About time.
@MartyE posted:So after reading the thread again I remembered 1 last potential issue. The 2021 Signature catalog PE Sleepers with a white roof, 2127352 and 2127351, will the "Polar Express" be below the window like the other white roof coaches or above as depicted in the catalog? I'm having one of those Don Quixote moments. LOL!
Difficult to determine exactly what you're referring to, so I'll research the references later when I have more time. In general terms Lionel's scale PE cars with white roofs have the correct per movie placement of the "Polar Express" below the window line - this includes the RPO cars as well.
The original and subsequently issued blacked roofed PE cars, including the newer black roofed RPO cars, have the "Polar Express" above the window line.
@Paul Kallus posted:Difficult to determine exactly what you're referring to, so I'll research the references later when I have more time. In general terms Lionel's scale PE cars with white roofs have the correct per movie placement of the "Polar Express" below the window line - this includes the RPO cars as well.
The original and subsequently issued blacked roofed PE cars, including the newer black roofed RPO cars, have the "Polar Express" above the window line.
Paul
In the 2021 signature catalog both versions, white roof and black roof, are shown with “Polar Express” above the Windows.
Thank you Lionel. Much better!
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It's been a long time coming, almost 2 years, and lots of phone calls to Charles Ro to Lionel, and then a flurry of e-mails to Lionel, but I am pleased to say that both my black and white-roofed RPO cars have arrived back in Pennsylvania and look great. I could even smell the fresh paint job
Marty: I dug out the 2021 Signature catalog and noted the discrepancy on the scale white-roofed PE cars. Hopefully Lionel caught this, regardless I will send an e-mail to Talk to us at Lionel and suggest others do the same...I don't know the production schedule on these.
@Paul Kallus posted:It's been a long time coming, almost 2 years, and lots of phone calls to Charles Ro to Lionel, and then a flurry of e-mails to Lionel, but I am pleased to say that both my black and white-roofed RPO cars have arrived back in Pennsylvania and look great. I could even smell the fresh paint job
Marty: I dug out the 2021 Signature catalog and noted the discrepancy on the scale white-roofed PE cars. Hopefully Lionel caught this, regardless I will send an e-mail to Talk to us at Lionel and suggest others do the same...I don't know the production schedule on these.
I'm pretty sure I already emailed. I don't remember a reply but I'll follow up as well.
It's funny, I kind of recall sending them an e-mail as well...but I couldn't find anything in my out box...so I sent one this morning tagged onto my thank you for the color corrected RPO cars.
Thanks to Bryant for starting this thread and to everyone who contributed. There's only been a handful of people on this thread, but it stands to reason there's been others who don't read the forum and contacted Lionel about this...then again maybe not, hard to say.
FWIW I did get an answer on my inquiry about the Polar Express lettering above the windows on the latest white roof sleeper catalog offerings.
This was intentional to play more off of a traditional Pullman car lettering arrangement as well as make room for the car name. While it's different, I'm not all that put off by it. These are fantasy cars, not in the movie, on a fantasy train. I'd prefer them to match but I can see the reasoning.
I appreciate the reply from the Lionel Folks!
@Rider Sandman posted:Marty, I agree the colors of the hobo cars match very well. What doesn’t is the clear windows versus the green ones from the prior releases. I need to take the time and figure out which parts to order to convert all my green windows. The clear ones look so much better.
I would also like to convert all of my original cars to LEDs when I have them opened for the window swaps. I know GRJ makes a nice LED - would be great to know how the color/warmth of his kits match the factory lights of the new cars.
Question did you ever find a part number for replacement windows, either green or clear? Thank you
Maybe this has been addressed in a different thread, in the catalog it said the hot chocolate car would play The Hot Chocolate Song. Have I just not figured out how to trigger it or is this just another one of those "didn't happen moments" !
Not yet. I’ve also been trying - without success - to determine which LED solution would most closely match the new LED cars.
Converting all the windows (including the doors) will be a lot of work, but the new cars with clear windows and LEDs are very nice and certainly make it seem like it would be worth the effort and cost.
I agree, I have a first-round observation that would be nice to have matching LEDs in and I would be just fine putting green windows in the hobo car. Thank you for your reply
@shasta posted:Maybe this has been addressed in a different thread, in the catalog it said the hot chocolate car would play The Hot Chocolate Song. Have I just not figured out how to trigger it or is this just another one of those "didn't happen moments" !
Its another one of those "didn't happen moments". Lionel couldn't get the song licensing. You will have to "create your own"
For those of you that have received your replacement RPO car, how long did it take for it to arrive?
@Big Jim posted:For those of you that have received your replacement RPO car, how long did it take for it to arrive?
About a week if even that.
Correction maybe a little more than a week from my postings above but less than 2 weeks.
It took about ten days from when I shipped it. Unlike Marty’s experience, I didn’t have to sign for mine. In fact, I didn’t even know it had shipped. It just showed up on the front porch.
One of the ladders was loose in the bottom of the box - an easy fix with a little CA. Otherwise, it was a very seamless process and the car is really nice.
Thanks for the info guys. An email to Lionel has hopefully cleared things up.
A word of caution to anyone that may have moved to a different address since they first bought their car. If you have provided Lionel with a bill of sale that has your previous address listed, your car may get returned to your old address.
