Rant about new Lionel UP Ca-4 Caboose

Perhaps Lionel changed producers. Your caboose needs to go back to Lionel.

i recommend you look for the CA-4 cabooses produced several years ago. I had four and

they were terrific.

 

Scrapiron

I have this caboose also, same problems.  I have had issues with their products before. QC seems to be slipping.

3 strikes and you are sent back. If they are all like this they will be on the super blow list in 6 months.

 

   Bill T.

Sinclair,  a call to lionel is in order and or return to whomever you purchased from.

 

sounds like a possible recall if more surface with same results, I would mention this to lionel as well if they will cover cost of shipping both ways.

 

I wonder if there really is a QC at lionel or any other manufactures of train items prior to delivery?

 

am sure lionel will make it right.

 

 

IMO recent Lionel rolling stock lacks the  overall quality fit and finish of years past.

 

I have one of the polar RR milk cars, had to bend the truck sideframes inward to keep the axles from falling out as well as adjust the uncoupling mechanism as it was dragging and shorting on the center rail.

 

Lionel has made dozens of steel reefers over the years, I own 30 of them.

 

I've had no "operational issues" with my VL reefers but they feel "cheap" in hand when compared to previously offered steel reefers. I'm not sure if its a lower quality/brittle plastic or what.

 

Additionally, they missed painting the edges of the door hinges black to match the rest of the hinge. Its not terribly noticable at first, until you compare it to one of the previously offered PFE reefers  from a few years ago.

 

The axles on these also have more "slop" in the trucks.

I purchased the Lionel UP CA-4 some years ago when they first came out. My disappointments were:

 

1) No marker lamps, illuminated or otherwise, on either end of the caboose.

 

2) They went to all the trouble to put the electrics inside for smoke & lights, but NO MARKERS????

 

3) As a 3-Rail SCALE modeler, I immediately removed the big couplers and up-graded to Kadee #805 couplers, so I never experienced any "big coupler issues".

 

4) The road number on the model was a five digit number, and the lettering didn't seem to be in the correct locations, for the era that I model. Plus there was that "Blt by Lionel and date" on each side, so I had the model repainted and re-decaled correctly (back when Champ O SCALE decals were still available).

 

5) Added Tomar illuminated marker lamps to one end of the caboose and removed the smoke unit.

 

 

She is now a great looking early to mid 1950s, Union Pacific steam era caboose. 

Just curious, what was the price of that caboose?

Oh dear... this sounds like the same crew that Lionel used to produce the Berks that were delivered late last year with pilot bushings/bearings that fell out as soon as the locomotives were removed from the box... all at no extra charge, of course.  

 

At least Lionel responded quickly and made that right for folks who brought the issue to their attention.  Should be interesting to see if the same problem occurs with the batch of Berks due in a month or so for the 115th Anniversary chrome Berk and Charlie Ro's black P/E Berks.  Let's hope not -- especially since folks are shelling out $2K for that 115th Anniversary Berk.

 

QC is definitely slipping on certain products.

 

David

Return it. Frustrating after waiting all that time.  These were originally due out in NOV 14. 

 

Find an older one on the secondary market.

 

Mine hasn't arrived yet, so I'm hoping this is an isolated incident.  If not, I'll return it.  I have plenty of UP cabooses anyhow.

Mine had some of the same issues. At first two of the axles wouldnt spin at all. They were just sliding. I havent tried to add smoke. I will have to look into that.

 

I have 5 Lionel smoking cabooses and I just add about 4 or 5 drops of smoke fluid down the stack without removing the smokestack. A little bit seeps onto the roof at the base of the stack but I just wipe it clean and operate the smoke unit without any issues.

Poor quality sure is hurting Lionel's credibility. It seems obvious that there is no one in China overseeing what is put in the box, 

I think they were about $80 MSRP, way back when they first came out some years ago. I believe the MSRP is now about $95.

 I noticed in the catalog that it also said it has an on-off switch for the new LED lighting. Is the switch missing also?

switch for the lights and smoke is on the under side

Re-confirming why I don't personally buy Lionel any more without seeing it first in person to check all is working.

 

Too bad,  love the brand name............  Legacy is still in my future as much as I like DCS and TMCC.   But it's gonna be in person and I will need to see it works first.

 

Most likely means I will be waiting a LONG time,  but that is OK......

 

Mark

Water,

I bet she's a real "Beauty"! Any photos? I am very familiar with the added expense and the amount of work involved. In all honesty, Sir. I feel pride in what you're saying, however, I also sense a little disgust with the manufacture. I've admired your work in the past. This is the reason I ask.

HotWater, 

I'd like to see it also.

This should be the caboose in question.

 

 

definitely return it to the place where purchased. Let them deal with Lionel. You don't need any more frustration.

romiller

I think there was a tech note or something about a caboose stack instructions being incorrect and the stack was glued in. It has a tilt top stack or something with which to add smoke fluid. Don't remember if I saw that here on the forum or read it on Lionel's site, but it was in within the last few days where ever it was?

 

I realize that doesn't address your other problems though. Not even sure it was the same caboose, but I got the impression is was a recently released caboose.

I have a Wabash CA-4 from last year and it had a piece of paper in the instruction manual with the new smoke stack procedures. I fortunately had none of your other issues. I think a call to Lionel is in order!

For what it's worth, the is no such thing as a "Wabash CA-4". Only the UP had those series/models of cabooses.

The caboose production line must have been forced to another factory in China that assembled it just close enough to instructions.

 

The people at the Lionel Headquarters did not check on the progress.

 

Andrew

The super low coupler is a big problem unless Lionel has another truck / coupler that can be installed.

 

   Bill T.

Are you sure it's not an LED? They would be in warm white, instead of bright white.

Edit: The catalog description has "Interior Illumination" French for incandescent.

 

Having to tweak the brake shoes is not uncommon.

 

The coupler issue is definitely a problem.

 

The Lionel website sucks. Can't even find this product or the manual. 6-82202

Sinclair - was this the 6-81840 from the 2014 Signature Edition Catalog?  $89.99 MSRP.  I am still waiting for mine that was due a year ago, too....

 

If so, it does say "Smoke with ON/OFF switch" and "NEW Feature!  Interior LED illumination with ON/OFF switch!"

 

And I had to go back to a hardcopy version of the catalog, as I can't find the catalog or the product anywhere on Lionel's new website.  I can find it in a product list for the catalog, but no photos, etc!

 

 

Yes, it would appear Lionel hired rookies to develop their new website.    Hopefully, management will find them new jobs in the company -- but please NOT managing the online shipping schedule!!!  

 

In all seriousness though... Before this latest website "update", we could just use Google to get what we needed... Just look up "Lionel 82202".  It always worked like a charm.  Now we get dead links.  Brilliant, Lionel.    Another lovely way to frustrate folks who are trying to spend money.

 

David 

David

 

You are correct. The new website is worse than the prior one. Lionel use to put the manual on the website before the item was release so one could read and decide whether to buy or not. Now you have to write to them to get it put on the site. The Shipping schedule well  it is not what they promised.

 

Tom

There is a "catalog" link which is a few clicks in. You have to start with

http://www.lionel.com/

and then position your mouse or whatever over "Products", but don't click. Just reposition your pointer over the word "catalogs" at the bottom of the choices that come up and then click. That brings up all the catalogs from 2010 to 2015 including the latest one that you can click on.

I think that caboose is in '04 Signature Edition.

Whew!!!

The big problem with this is that...if you click on "Products" first, you loose your chance to ever find the "catalogs" link. I think that it's a mistake not to put the link on every page.

"Yes, it would appear Lionel hired rookies to develop their new website.    Hopefully, management will find them new jobs in the company"

 

GOSH NO!

Wouldn't it be better if like bad CEO's they give all involved in this fiasco some cash and show them the door rather than mess up something else?

By all means, if Lionel hired an outside agency then YES, just part company.  OTOH, if they were employees of Lionel, I was trying to be kind by suggesting Lionel find another job in-house better suited to their real skills.    Hate to see anyone out of work these days.

 

David

 

Yes, that is the caboose in question here - No. 81840 shown on p. 9 of the 2014 Signature Edition. 

I must be missing something. The word "catalogs" doesn't appear on the list of choices that I can see.

 

And what happened to the catalogs going back to 2000 that were available on the old website? Did they delete those? I can't find any sign of them on this lousy new site.

 

That would be a real pis_er -- used those older catalogs all the time.

Yes. When you Google a Lionel product no. and click on the Lionel page reference, you now get an error 404 page from Lionel saying "It looks like you're heading the wrong way," with a picture of an engine coming at you through a tunnel. So you can't find the Lionel product at their site anymore!

The older catalogs were probably a different digital format I'm thinking. How did they appear? Like the newer ones?

I don't know if they're like the newer ones, because I haven't found the newer ones. As I said above, I can't find the reference to finding the 2010-2015 catalogs at the new website.