That Perrenial Question, Modfied: What do you want MTH/Lionel/etc. to make that they already have the models for?

Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson O scale Premiere with correct details as per subclass

Al

Lionel to make a legacy HHP-8 in both the Amtrak and MARC schemes. They made tmcc versions in 2010 but I think the legacy versions will do good on the market. 

Via Rail Canada set of blue and yellow striped 60 foot passenger cars with matching Alco FA or F7 diesels. 

I would love to see Lionel Re-issue Amfleet passenger cars, fitted with LED lights, and also make a AmCafe variant. 

I’d like to see the vision/non vision gensets reappear. I could use a second road number. 

Looking at the train market, we probably will not see much in the way of completely new designs in the coming years. Using existing tooling to run engines and rolling stock in different colors and road names seems logical.  Having said that I'd like to see more representation of the Eastern Coal Roads....CNJ, LVRR, Lackawanna, Erie, Reading and some of the smaller operating accessories that can fit on a layout better than the standard large ones.

Dennis LaGrua posted:

Looking at the train market, we probably will not see much in the way of completely new designs in the coming years. Using existing tooling to run engines and rolling stock in different colors and road names seems logical.  Having said that I'd like to see more representation of the Eastern Coal Roads....CNJ, LVRR, Lackawanna, Erie, Reading and some of the smaller operating accessories that can fit on a layout better than the standard large ones.

Agree 100%, Dennis.

--John

LED lights in the MTH Railking passenger cars!

Great responses all! Now that I think of it, I’d love to see more small accessories, and it wouldn’t hurt to see Lionel reissue some of the later postwar accessories like that piggyback loading/unloading platform which would go well on both modern and transition era layouts. I too would like to see more Eastern road names out there, especially when it comes to passenger cars and passenger sets. And maybe something Gulf, Mobile, & Ohio? I don’t recall ever seeing a car in their scheme before.

I asked  at York the possibilty of making an 0-6-0 or an 0-8-0 in Legacy for the Buffalo Creek Railway from existing tooling.......Paul

A "Plain Jane" Conrail GP38-2 from MTH.

Atlas O Reissue Conrail MP15, U23B, and paint up a  PRR C424!

MTH Making their DC-3 inspection car into a "Brill doodlebug!"

Hi All,

I'd like to see Amtrak Viewliners in O gauge. There are versions in the smaller scales but none in O. The Superliner double-deckers, used out West where there are no height restrictions, have been plentifully made by numerous suppliers for years, but Eastern folks have to be content with only Amfleet cars. I suspect both semi-scale and scale versions would be popular.

That's my two cents.

Chris

As well as MTH to make Amtrak phase 4b superliners. In the past and now they only produce and rerun phase 3 and 4 , not 4B with amtrak swoosh 

I think Lionel should follow up their modern 66' mill gondola with a similarly accurate 73' centerbeam flat car, the MTH model is very dated from its initial production many years ago and this is one of the most common cars on railroads today. I was hoping this could have been the next new announcement from Atlas as they produce this model in their HO line but with current factory issues it is highly unlikely Atlas will be producing any new models in the foreseeable future. JMO

MTH another run of Amtrak scale Genesis in the current blue and silver. Maybe even a fixed pilot option? 

MTH has the tooling for the SD90MAC-H (Phase II, rather). I think that it can be modified slightly to produce a mostly accurate SD70ACe-T4. I borrowed this photo from Trainz auctions. What MTH needs to do is modify the cab windows to make them teardrop-shaped, and fill in the dip in the bodywork. To be fair, a correct SD70ACe-T4 model would be an inch shorter than the SD90MAC, but  I could live with that. I would much rather have an Ace-T4 with the correct cab, general body shape, and number of radiator fans.

I also wish Atlas would do reruns of their B40-8s and GP60s, as there is a dearth of these models from the big two. 

A scale USRA Mikado lettered for Santa Fe. Yes I know Santa Fe never had one but Lionel's brass hybrid Santa Fe 3160 class was waaaaay out of my budget.  A generic USRA Mikado would fit the bill nicely for me, and keep me from having to paint/decal one myself. 

I was love to see a Lionel Legacy Lionmaster Cab Forward.

I like to see MTH rerun the CNW Streamlined Hudson and passenger cars

I feel like a broken record saying it, but MTH Premier PRR l1s Mikado and PRR I1s Decapod! 

I know that a lot of thinking goes into their plans, but for me it just seems surprising and disappointing that for the newest catalog MTH has not proposed any new premier steam.  It seems like an I1s and L1s would have been good choices this year, or any of the last 5 years probably.  Think about it, a new PS3 I1s and/or L1s would be:

(1) from existing molds,

(2) said molds being PRR which I think always sells,

(3) said molds being molds that nobody else has ever made,

(4) its been at least 10 years since the release of the last version of either of these (I believe), and

(5) the old releases are scarce and expensive on the secondary market.  

I mean I understand wanting to reduce inventory if they overproduced some stuff, but it at least seems that for PRR premier steam they could be compressing their cycle and making money more often.  

*Caveat here is that obviously I don't know the ins and outs of the business, and the MTH guys are business gurus, so take my comments which come from a hobbiest's perspective, with a grain of salt!  Just sharing some thoughts! 

That is EASY!  Have been asking Andy (MTH) for two decades or so.  Premier 36-foot Woodsided Billboard Reefers for two American Icons.  The A&P Company the first grocery chain and Schlitz Brewing Company.

As example:

Also asked for a N&W #2300 (Jawn Henry) since MTH had "span bolster" experience with the C&O M-1.  But thanks to Scott Mann I/we have our #2300's!

Ron

i continue to wait for a Lionel Legacy Scale PRR T1. Hopefully they will do it before I stop buying new engines as my collection gets full.

JohnB

I second the legacy PRR T-1 duplex with whistle steam. 

JohnB posted:

i continue to wait for a Lionel Legacy Scale PRR T1. Hopefully they will do it before I stop buying new engines as my collection gets full.

JohnB

I have been hoping Lionel would do a Legacy version of this engine since 2006.  Unfortunately we may never see it because this engine was part of the MTH lawsuit and for some reason Lionel can't make it.  Maybe when the new T-1 (#5550) is finished there will be enough interest in it for Lionel to figure out a way to make it.

Nothing fancy, just a simple tinplate (latch and/or box type) to modern claw coupler transition car that will allow tinplate to run with some of our modern equipment.

I'd like to see MTH to do a re-run of their C&O Kanawhas

LIONEL NEEDS TO OFFER THIS HUDSON AS A VISION LINE OFFERING.

ITS MUCH MORE WORTHY, AS IT IS SUPERIOR IN DETAIL AS WELL AS ACCURACY TO THE 700e

(DON'T SAY THERES ALREADY TOO MANY HUDSONS. THE ORIGINAL VL ONES ARE LONG SOLD OUT AND THE FEW THAT POP UP ON THE SECONDARY MARKET TYPICALLY FETCH AT OR NEAR THE ORIGINAL $1400 PREORDER PRICE. MTH OFFERS THE J1e EVERY FEW YEARS THEY ALWAYS SELL TOO)

(We've had far more Lionel Berkshires and Mikados offered in the last 10-15 years than anything, and now a second round of VL challengers)

I PRESENT THE 6-38041 J3A HUDSON OFFERED IN THE  6-31705 50TH ANNIVERSARY SET FROM 2002:

( THIS HUDSON "TRUMPS" ANY OTHER UNSTREAMLINED HUDSON LIONEL HAS EVER OFFERED)

*****RYAN AND DAVE ARE YOU LISTENING??????*******

Redshirt214 posted:

Could be a new paint scheme of an existing engine, a modification of an old mold, a reissue of an older item where the mold still exist but with improved features... whatever you’d like to see from your manufacturer of choice.

In my perfect world, these would be re-released:

3rd Rail:  Brass PRR BM70M

Atlas:  F3 ABA Phase 2 engines in PRR colors.  I wouldn't care if the A's were not correct since I only want the B to go with my 3rd Rail F3s.

Lionel:  Scale PRR T-1.  This assumes the molds are still available (see 3 posts above).

Lionel: PRR DR 4-4-15 ABA (freight sharks)

Lionel: ALCO PRR S-1 switcher.

Since we’re talking about existing tooling, I’d like to see the Coaster commuter passenger set. 

I had a conversation with Mike Wolfe at York about producing it. MTH has already done the Bombardier passenger cars and the F40ph and F59 locomotives that operate on the Coaster. 

UPDATE: ADDED PICTURE

I would like to see MTH paint up the following demonstrators:

EMD SD80

EMD MP15

EMD F7 465 test A-B unit( they announced a RK version this new catalog.

ALCo RS11

ALCo FA-2 ABBA set

ALCo AEGIR

Most of theses paint schemes are what MTH refers to as "dip jobs" and doesn't think they will sell.

I wonder what they are waiting for at MTH and LIONEL. 

They both have avoided putting the original 1960's SOO LINE scheme on their GP30 and GP35 locomotives.

At least MTH is finally about to deliver the SOO LINE Bicentennial GP35 by the end of the month. 

Andrew

Lionel finally has put the short ACF Center Flow, 3560 Cu Ft., 3-bay covered hopper back into production with the LionScale line. Now they need to get around to making the real railroad schemes of ARR ALASKA , C&O for Progress, DMIR MISSABE, ICG ILLINOIS CENTRAL GULF.

Andrew

Falcon Service

LIONEL C&O F19 pacific. and C&O streamlined hudson.  

MTH- Unshrouded J"s  

I would love a Lionel Legacy New Haven EP-5. I believe they have the K-line tooling from when the made a scale TMCC version about 15 years ago.

What would I like to see from Lionel? More Lionchief plus locomotives. Why were there none in the most recent catalog? Anyway...

FT AA in Pennsylvania, NYC, or Milwaukee Road

GP38 in Wisconsin Central, UP, or CN

GG1 (postwar scaling)

Lionel has the ex-Weaver 50' box cars with plug-doors.

LionScale plug-door 50' box cars in the Minnesota, Dakota & Western MD&W schemes. 

One 6-car set of White 50' box cars with a green plug-door.

One 6-car set of Green 50' box cars with a white plug-door. 

Andrew

Falcon Service

Great thread. Hopefully manufacturers are listening to the many ideas here.  My thoughts for MTH RK steam that could be done with existing or slightly modified tooling:

PRR I1s with short tender.  Better yet, with long tender modified with 8 wheel trucks from the PRR S2 tender

PRR H10 tricked out as an imperial model. Minor tooling mods required including full valve gear, and headlight and smokebox markers from the imperial K4s/L1/I1 series

PRR Challenger.  Simple marriage of their challenger engine paired with the PRR S2 tender would be an intriguing fantasy loco.  Especially since there will never be RK models of PRR duplex steam

Lionel Veranda 

Legacy small- to mid-size steamer in Polar Express (not Polar Railroad) to pull all the PolEx freight cars I have accumulated while the 1225 Berk pulls the passenger cars. 

Polar Express Scale RPO

Scale Santa Fe F whiskers or yellow bonnets

Small (scale) Santa Fe steam (with the swinging bell!)