What happened to 'Lionel Lines'?

I suspect most folks want real railroad names on their equipment nowadays.

Rusty

It's because the folks wit' da' money talk the loudest, and they all want "scale" gear with whizbang features.  Fortunately, for the rest of us, there's plenty of Lionel Lines equipment out there on the secondary market.  Like these:

Pete

There are still a few Lionel Lines items in the current catalogues. There also the 'Lionelville & Western' items.

Lionel Lines is alive and well. 

Something about Lionel Lines.  I always liked the name.  The 2500 series passenger

cars (Post War) are at the top of my list.  Reason, they look good, and go with any

road name Steam or Diesel that power's the cars.  To answer your question, there

is no lack of this road name at the train meets I attend.  They are out there, look 

for them when you attend a meet.

Many thanks,

Billy C  

Even when I was six years old (that was in 1954), I hated "Lionel Lines."  I didn't -- and still don't -- care about the locomotives and rolling stock being to exact scale, but I wanted to see real road names, not Lionel Lines.

I always loved the Lionel Lines name on train sets. I remember at one of the LCCA conventions they had a Big Boy touring engine, UP I think with Lionel Lines painted on the tender. That was totally cool.

It was the Northern #844, not a Big Boy.

Rusty

Big fan of the Lionel Lines livery.  Here's my motive power, less the Centennial GP20, which decided to go silent after I upgraded to electrocouplers and is in for repair right now.  I upgraded the C420 to TMCC.  The Geep is the bomb.  I wouldn't trade the Hudson for a Vision line version in a million years.  Great engine, but to be honest, I love 'em all.

I have some Lionel Lines stuff, I like it.  Heck, since no one makes too much FEC stuff, I can't be too picky.

I am growing to like PRR, after 30 years of living in PA, I should! 

There's no shortage of "Lionel" or "Lionel Lines" in my favourite era.

I was bumbed when they canceled the Lionelville & Western GP-30's. I like the idea of a fictional Lionel railroad and I buy all the new whizbang scale stuff I wish they would do more.

BTW.. The new stuff in the Christmas catalog is very cool IMHO. I think we need an SD-80 to haul presents around

The caboose in 'The Scout' starter set is still "Lionel Lines".

I love the Lionel Lines stuff.  Can't go wrong with the orange and blue paint job they use on the more modern LL stuff.

A few favorites.

Well, not quite LL, but close enough

lionel lines is my favorite road name...bar none.. i also love the RR's back east.i have very little equipment from the midwest RR's

the other day i saw someone who purchased the lionel lines 4-6-2 in blue and orange color's.

that is one LL product i have to get.just have to see if i can find one though.

terry......

Oh boy, where's CandO Keith 

I assembled the full 1980s Circle L set a while back. Seriously one of my favorite MPC sets.

Was probably me, as this was my last engine purchase.

The Lionel Scout from the recent starter set is also pretty sharp looking.

One of my favorite roadnames as well. Do they still have the Lionel Lines caboose at the Caboose Motel in Pa? Wife took a photo of me in front of that years ago.

Still love the old orange and blue!

Maybe Norfolk Southern will add Lionel Lines to their Heritage Fleet. I would buy a model of it!

Was still there in April.

ed h..didnt know lionel made the orange and blue scout.beautiful loco as is your 4-6-2.

chris lonero...beautiful tin plate car(think its tin plate??)

i have the LL sd 28 in them colors and also 7 or 8 of the matching cars.a fun train to run!

thop..

Thank You Rusty.

LIonel LInes as one of the Norfolk Southren heritage fleet is a model that would sell to me in a second. But, I doubt if Lionel can be considered a Fallen Flag of the NFS line.

I find it hard to believe that any railroad can make that stretch. Though they could do it for the fun of it. It would be fun to see if a major railroad would pay Lionel for the rights to the name.

That scout is a 2-4-2.  In my picture I have the 4-6-2 # 2000.  It is TMCC and a honey.  Can motor and runs like a champ.  I have been toying with the idea of changing her sounds to an Atlantic ERR sound board, because I have a same genre NYC Pacific with the same sounds, and right now she's giving me the silent treatment.  Last thing to fix for a while I hope.  Still looks cool (cute was my first word choice) pulling a string.

I guess its a generational thing.  I will never buy a piece without a real roadname.  To me Lionel Lines means toys from the 50's, not scale models.  I'm a modeler and operater.  The reason these things cost so much is all the scale detail and semi accuracy to the real thing.  If Lionel just produced the stuff they made in the 50's with that low level of detail and accuracy their trains would be a lot cheaper, but more for toys at Christmas, not scale modeling.  I like the modeling and detail of trying to replicate the real thing on my layout.  Lionel Lines I think is more nostalgia.

Chris, I love that 2814 blue-and-orange boxcar.  Is it by Lionel or MTH, and when was it made, please?

Well, OK.  It's not real, (it's not even O Gauge!) just an incredible simulation that exists in my computer...

Rusty

Did somebody say Lionel Lines?

I just picked up the 256 Electric Loco along with the 710 Passenger 3-Car Set. The cars all feature
"Lionel Lines."  Obviously these are repros of vintage Lionel tinplate but always loved the LL signage.

Some more orange and blue with a little green and white thrown in.

LL is better than the roadnames AF placed on their steamers and Alco's.

I think there could be a whole Greenberg's book devoted to Lionel Lines?

VIVA the Lionel Lines! 

My first caboose...sure to be my last....always closest to my heart.

I've always liked  Lionel Lines as a roadname. I also regret not buying the 2000 pacific loco. I'm thinking really hard about the Jersey Central heritage unit-- I look at that blue & orange scheme and I see "Lionel Lines" on the sides. Maybe, just maybe Lionel will make it. otherwise, i'll get it reflagged!!

Lionel Lines and the American Flyer Railroad Co. are the two railroads which operate on my layout. They both have a shortage of equipment, due to the economic boom in and around Plasticville, so they are forced to get equipment from other railroads on loan.

Perfect setup to allow me to run whatever the heck I want!

I'm right here

Nice looking set, Nick.  Surprisingly, out of all that Orange & Blue you're hauling, I only have the tank car.

Matt,

Good post.  I am hoping for more Lionel Lines to pop up in current catalogs.  It is one of my favorite roads.  I enjoy running the orange and blue scheme items.  The Lionel Steel items are also fun.  Lionel released a slew of orange & blue items for the millennium.  It's time for a diesel with Legacy.  Joe's (JC642) #2000 is sweet...I wish Lionel would apply that scheme to a LionMaster diesel.

Here are some of my favorites from my collection...

Here is a tinplate item...

If they haven't put "Lionel Lines" on the items you want, then you can do it yourself...

LionMaster Cab-Forward lettered for Lionel Lines...

M

My favorite orange & blue rolling stock...smoke fluid tank cars from a Service Station set...

Right on Michael, we RR tycoons have to make do with the equipment we can get. That's why the MJM runs nuclear powered steam along with our modren AC Prime movers. Shhhhhhhh, don't tell the NRC.