Has MTH missed out on a great opportunity by not reissuing this set?

Yes they should have re-released it. Keep in mind the license may have been out of reason. On the reissue they should change the engine color--they should have painted it like the rest of the set it would have made a better looking set.

Scott Smith

I'm thinking it was a licensing issue.  Now that Lionel is offering Frosty-themed sets, I'm thinking the Rankin-Bass characters have been switched over to Lionel if it's a package deal.

But my main thought is that MTH had it licensed for only a short period of time, and when it was time to renew, it may have been too expensive or not enough sets sold to offset the licensing fee.

Very true, it may not have been a long term agreement.

As an aside regarding licensing, I believe that all Ranklin-Bass films made prior to 1975 (which would include the Rudolph film in question) are now owned by DreamWorks Animation, and everything after 1974 are owned by Warner Brothers.  So in general, depending on the era, the licensing requirements will most likely be different between the two.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was produced by Rankin/Bass Productions and is currently distributed by Dreamworks Classics. It first aired Sunday, December 6, 1964, on the NBC ttelevision network in the United States, and was sponsored by General Electric under the umbrella title of The General Electric Fantasy Hour. Since 1972, the special has aired on CBS, with the network unveiling a high-definition, digitally remastered version of the program in 2005. Rudolph no longer airs just once annually, but several times during the Christmas and holiday season and on several cable channels (including ABC Family). It has been telecast every year since 1964, making it the longest running Christmas TV special in history.

I would have bought the train set, but the blue color dominance  just thru me off. Should have been red & green, with a blue car thrown in for our hanakuh friends.

Thanks for sharing Scott.  I would certainly buy a re-issue.

The Rudolph set is one of my personal favorites. I actually like the lengthy audio clips that are included. I like the blinking red light on the front of the locomotive. Recently, I purchased a second engine and tender from a forum member as a back up in case the one I already have ever fails. 

I rember watching frosty the snowman as a kid.I loved that show when they got on that train.Watching the steam locomotive spin off.Most likely ice on the tracks.Ranklin bass was kicking tail when it came to holidays.Years later they had another big hit on their hands.Thunder thunder thunder thundercats hooooo!!!!Those were the days!!I wouldn,t mind having a boxcar with frosty on it.

I would have bought the train set, but the blue color dominance  just thru me off.

The blue in the cars goes with the blue that the elves wore in the show.

When Target sold the B&O Capitol Freight set and the G-Gauge A Christmas Story set a few years ago, I think it was a pretty big failure.  Tons of the sets left over marked on clearance for weeks after the holidays.  And Target has not sold Lionel since.  But I think it was a problem of the consumers not understanding what Lionel was.  And sitting next to $20 toys, a $200 train set was not very attractive.  Had the set been up running on a small layout, I know they would've sold a lot more.  I can't see MTH ever selling a set at Target because their prices are even higher.

But this is a great set.  If this was released today, I would be buying it.  The locomotive colors are uninspiring, but I agree the sound is great and of course, the great MTH smoke.  I really hope MTH releases more Christmas-themed sets in the future as the market seems to be increasing for these.  Look at how many more guys are posting theirs here each year. 

Towdog, it's not fair and equal to compare the past sale during the holiday season of a B&O Capitol Freight set with the potential selling of a Rudolph set. The Rudolph set would likely appeal to all demographics benefitting from both strong holiday and nostalgic sentimental favorite factors that the B&O set obviously could never capitalize on.

As for the failure of Lionel's G gauge Christmas Story, let's be honest about that set. Like it's Polar Express and Harry Potter Hogwarts G gauge cousins sets, they all suffered from numerous quality control factors and being all plastic it looked cheap and toylike to consumers, placing it in the eyes and minds of customers in the same category as other plastic but less expensive battery operated  large holiday train sets. Also, while having a holiday connection, the holiday appeal of a Christmas Story train set would be mainly for adults rather than children, and generally adults would likely prefer an O or HO size set over the larger (and in their minds,) more toylike appearance of a G scale train.

Yes! MTH should have re-issued this set!

Our Rudolph set is a family favorite and it runs around our Christmas Tree every year, without fail. I was hoping that MTH would re-issue the set for the 50th anniversary. I was going to buy a second set just in case something happened to our first set.

When was the Rudolf set first sold by MTH?  Somehow I missed it the first time around.  The first time I saw it was Scott's video on this forum.  I would buy a re-issue.  I would especially like it with PS-3.

I must say, however, that speciality sets seem to be high risk venture for the manufacturer.   I don't know anyone in my local TCA group that has a collection of Christmas cars or trains.  I seem to be the only person collecting and running O gauge holiday trains.  A couple of guys have LGB Christmas trains for around the tree.   The few members who run trains around the tree run their regular trains.  

Joe  

I would definitely buy it. 

I'd even settle for downloading the Rudolph sound file to my MTH Christmas Express.

I thought I read somewhere that you can add the sound file to an MTH Proto-Sound 2/3 train. I think you need DCS though.  

I would not have purchased the set because it would have made me think about the Abominable Snowman character.  He scared the living daylights out of me when I was a kid ... and he kinda still does.

Steven Serenska, under his desk right now.

My wife would buy it.  Rudolph is her favorite Christmas show.  We just saw this is the 50th year, and both said we probably saw it when it was first released.

Not to Hi jack this thread....but Lionel has a good chance to take advantage of the Peanuts Christmas Special 50th Anniversary in 2015. Maybe a gold peanuts Christmas set?

rat

I remember the Original Rudolph in front of the Robert L May home in Skokie, IL. The Original Rudolph is now property of Dartmouth University. I went to school with his youngest daughter.

The B&O CAPITOL FREIGHT SET is a set where people look at it and say "Is that all there is?" The set needed a covered hopper and an open hopper. It is the B&O after all.

The themed sets would sell better at Target, provided there are 4 freight cars and caboose in the train, with matching figures.

Andrew

I would say that MTH absolutely missed out. Just like the Polar Express has been a perennial favorite for Lionel, the same should hold true with this set. They further missed the boat in not selling this set combined with the 50th anniversary DVD included in the box.

Just my $0.02

Gilly

The Rudolph set sold for $349.95 and was in the 2006 RTR catalog. The add-on hopper car was supposed to have a snow load but when it shipped the load was coal. It's always a hit when I run it for kids at Christmas time.

http://mthtrains.com/content/30-4173-1

Scott Smith

I really hate to say this there are hints that it didn't do that well.  It appears that the set was repackaged to include a passenger station. Then later on that package was discounted. You can't pay license fees and not get an expected return. Too bad it's a great set.

Scott Smith

These Christmas Show themed sets need matching figures of all the characters to have a wider appeal.

Andrew

The cars are fine but the engine is heidous. They should have done better.

Is the set PS-1 or PS-2?   Joe

 The Bumble scared the C**P out of me as a kid too! But today he takes a place of honor every Christmas on top of my mountain next to the Lionel revolving beacon.

Jerry

The cars are fine but the engine is heidous. They should have done better.

I agree the whole set would have sold better if the engine would have been painted like the cars. I didn't pre-order otne because the engine was ugly, I did buy the set anyway later on from Ebay.

Scott Smith

After some time I think the sounds from this would become extremely annoying.

I went into a hobby shop in NJ where they had MANY carnival rides complete with music and people screaming. Same effect, really cool for the first 5 minutes but then it was so good when they turned them OFF...

After some time I think the sounds from this would become extremely annoying.

The sounds are the MTH Passenger/Freight Announcements, if they annoy you don't activate them. The bell sound is the Santa "jingle sleigh sounds'. I find those far less annoying than the normal bell sound. Most of the time I ran the engine at the VMT I let the bells ring.

Is the set PS-1 or PS-2?

The set is a Protosound 2

Scott Smith

Totally agree on MTH's poor paint color/design for the Rudolph "locomotive (should've continued w/ the consist & tender blue).  IMO, MTH continues to offer cheap looking graphic designs w/ its current holiday car/engine offerings As compared to what they previously made and especially what Lionel offers.

I also especially like the audio clips that were used directly from the show. I downloaded the Rudolph sound file to put in the ps2 engine that I run w/ my other Christmas & Rudolph cars.

Gilly, I think that would have been a good marketing plan that MTH should have explored 4 yrs. ago to provide sufficient lead time for planning, ordering, production & shipment to get the product to market 6 mos. before the 50th holiday anniversary.

So true!

I have the Peanuts Christmas train & 3 car passenger set and just received the Frosty lionchief set.  Both sets look great!  But both Lionel sets would be so much better if they included sound/music clips from their shows (like the Polar Express set).  The Peanuts engine is basic air whistle only and would've been fantastic w/ clips from "A Charlie Brown Christmas".  The lionchief Frosty set has good control features, but the announcements & music should've been from the show (Jimmy Durante) & not the fast paced generic song set that was included. To paraphrase falconservice, character figures would be the cherry on top. 

If MTH were to re-release it they should make some changes.

1) Change the engine color. Color counts for a lot when it comes to Christmas set, the and Rudolph the Red Faced Engine didn't work and may have cost MTH a lot of sales. The engine needs to match the cars(which were magnificently done).

2)Re-release it with an Railking F-3 to keep the cost of the set down. People shopping for Christmas sets seem to be overly sensitive to cost.

3)Offer one of the 19th Century engines painted in the Rudolph blue scheme like the cars as an add-on. I for one and I am sure several others would buy one to go with their current set. Anyone buying the the new set can add-on the steam engine.

4)Offer more add-on cars--many of us would still buy some more of these. Reindeer Games car, Gondola with misfit toys in it. Maybe a HO sized train with square wheels on the caboose on a flat car. Rudolph car with blinking nose.

This set could be a big seller however it is just wishful thinking to believe it could ever be anywhere near a big seller like the Polar Express. The PE the movie was about the train-Rudolph isn't since there are no trains in the TV special.

Scott Smith

There have been quite a few Rudolph "junk sets" over the years;

Scott Smith