What Locomotives Are There Too Many Of

IMO, the manufactures have a fairly nice cross section of locomotive offerings. 

But we should expect Lionel to offer their icon locomotives often (Hudsons and EMD Fs).

One thought for us 3-railers: offer some 3' narrow gauge track and appropriate locos and cars.

Bobby Ogage posted:

This post is a message to train manufacturers that there are too many of these locomotives, so some new locomotives not offered in the last 20 years will be highly appreciated. There are too many of:

> Steam locomotives with Belpaire fireboxes;

> GG1 & EP5 electrics;

> New York Central Hudsons.

 

Agreed!  The first category means essentially Pennsy.  And I would add FT/3/7/9s and all their ilk.

The biggest offender of this is the Pennsylvania Turbine. There was only ever one though you wouldn't know it looking at a toy train layout

The ones that there are too many of are the ones that are not selling. But I'm pretty sure the manufacturers have a better handle on this than most hobbyists, many of who are biased by personal likes/dislikes. 

Why does it matter?Just because something is over exposed does not mean people have to buy it.They buy what they are interested in.

rockstars1989 posted:

Why does it matter?Just because something is over exposed does not mean people have to buy it.They buy what they are interested in.

It matters to the OP because he's trying to sell trains nobody wants to buy (presumably, in this case, because there are too many - or newer and better versions - on the market).  He previously fretted on this thread nobody wanted to buy his trains because shipping costs were too high. 

What, me worry?

Never too many  turbines, F's,  or GG1s !!  I would like a nice Atlantic by Lionel and for O narrow gauge you have On3, track, switches, engines etc but not 3 rail.

Ever try and find a scale size plain black NYC Hudson (not NYC lines or system) with spoke wheels and regular three axle truck tender ?

Come to S Scale, where there's never too much of ANYTHING and not enough of everything.

Rusty

clem k posted:

Ever try and find a scale size plain black NYC Hudson (not NYC lines or system) with spoke wheels and regular three axle truck tender ?

Clem, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of these. Williams did a few (J1, J3), as did 3rd Rail (J1a, J1d), K-Line (J1e), Lionel (1990 and vision 700e J1e). MTH alone may have done a dozen with the short tender and a more than a few with the PT tender. 

I used to say you can't have too many Hudsons but now I say uncle. Rather than everyone rerunning the same-o, same-o how about some different prototypes?

MTH has announced another run of NYC Mohawks. Formites and auction sellers can't sell the previous run without giving them away. Enough of the old stuff already.

Pete

Big Boys.......scale, hi rail,  everywhere. They're driving me mad !!   (joking)

I thought l was the only one crying in this wilderness.  However, while it astounded me, l have seen several requests posted on here asking for deja' vu all over again. My thoughts are not printable.  But, with pre-order, I would bet somebody?? orders it.  You'd think those 1940's dies would be worn out by now.

Norton posted:

clem k posted:

Ever try and find a scale size plain black NYC Hudson (not NYC lines or system) with spoke wheels and regular three axle truck tender ?

Clem, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting one of these. Williams did a few (J1, J3), as did 3rd Rail (J1a, J1d), K-Line (J1e), Lionel (1990 and vision 700e J1e). MTH alone may have done a dozen with the short tender and a more than a few with the PT tender. 

I used to say you can't have too many Hudsons but now I say uncle. Rather than everyone rerunning the same-o, same-o how about some different prototypes?

MTH has announced another run of NYC Mohawks. Formites and auction sellers can't sell the previous run without giving them away. Enough of the old stuff already.

 

Pete

 

Yes they all made them especially MTH now try and find an MTH in the plain ordinary most common hudson, I prefer to buy new and found one MTH but had to buy it with Passenger cars. So I bought it and then wanted another and found one at York two York's ago new or used  Vinces trains had an old one again in a set with Railchief cars.

There is only one MTH scale Mohawk for sale on forum now,

Only reason that doesn't sell is was listed after the new release was announced.

I was looking for those also, wound up with two Lionel's

 Clem

There's too many locomotives that are defective or full of errors out of the box. The percentage has climbed way beyond an acceptable level for the consumer.

There have been too many Belpaires of the same wheel arangement .

But be careful.  GN had some steamers with Belpaires!

PRR, NYC & N&W "J"....

Union Pacific (my favorite) has been way over done....Enough Big Boys, Challengers, FEFs & 9000 class.

Now, a Heavy Pacific, 2-10-2 TTT, or "Sport Model" 4-8-2 would get me to bite! BTW, none have been produced in 3R. And, I'm a 2R modeler now.... 

Marx 2-4-2 numbered 666!

All of these over done models are probably train manufacturers best sellers. I don't think they would keep making them if people weren't buying them

I would say the GG-1 electric is way over produced! The other one that there was only one engine painted for is the Chessie Freedom Train, there was only one engine ever painted in Chessie colors although the engine was a Reading Lines T-1 steam engine with a repaint, was not a real Chessie engine just used for the freedom train.

Lee Fritz

There is way too much Pennsy stuff being catalogued. By now everyone who models PRR should have enough engines to last the next thousand years. How about giving some other roads a chance?  I have been waiting for  MTH to make Southern 2-8-0s 630 and 722 in Premier (in black freight paint), but every catalog has a full page of PRR 2-8-0s.

Has any O-gauge manufacturer made an ACL diesel that wasn't purple?

i know one thing

lionel needs another military set

SouthernMike posted:

There is way too much Pennsy stuff being catalogued. By now everyone who models PRR should have enough engines to last the next thousand years. How about giving some other roads a chance?  I have been waiting for  MTH to make Southern 2-8-0s 630 and 722 in Premier (in black freight paint), but every catalog has a full page of PRR 2-8-0s.

more chessie system and family lines would be awesome

And there are more Hudson's than k4 Pacifics.

As another poster stated -above, enough of these common overproduced locos, let's see a usra 2-10-2.

Probably way too many versions of the E-33 (which started out as the Virginian 2329), EP5's ( NH Lionel)l 2350 being the first, 736 variants, engines that look suspiciously like 2055's and in my view, everybody makes each of the modern diesels (GE ES44's, EMD SD70 variations) in small medium and scale versions. The good news is that at some point, almost everything under the sun has been produced. Getting harder to find the ones that were only done for a short run over the past 30 years. Can't even imagine the number of items that MTH has produced (I'm thinking they hit the 10000 number somewhere back in 2000).

Jim

I would like to see anything new and different diesel or steam with the smaller road names,,,,Like EJ&E. I think there is only one Lionel offer on a power unit in EJ&E.

One of the points of this post is that manufactures could be spending their design, development and tooling money on locomotives not done before instead of rehashing Pennsylvania, New York Central, and so forth locomotives that are so common place.

Interesting thread - I personally think there are too many of any number of models.  Take the Lionel GP-7/9, every road name under the sun has been made and reproduced as new technology emerges, there is even some new classic throwbacks in total "conventional".  I think the same is true for the Lionel SD-70xx platforms.  They run great, but there has to be 20+ different schemes out there.

I think one of the big issues is that each technology platform spawns a new generation of the tried and true schemes.  We all still buy them, so the manufacturers keep making them.  Case in point, anyone need another Santa Fe F-3???

Steam!!   

I'm a modern diesel guy.

If those who complain about "too many" of a particular engine  you should consider that more than one RR sold or leased out  locos, including steam, that were in excess of their needs. Yes, lots of  GPs were made, there were a lot made in the real world and most RRs had some at one time or another.  I have a bunch of 2065s, turbines, and a 736 that is a great runner all post war Lionel. I go for good runners more than road names. My LHS has a bunch of brand new models that are  customized with local RRs names  such as the B&LE,  P&LE, CSX, B&O etc so that is an option. To expect a MFR to tool up for a specific loco for a smaller RR used is sort of ridiculous.  the PRR, NYC, UP,SP and others built and bought them by the hundreds.

I will note that some roadnames run into legal difficulties; recall the Union Pacific debacle of a decade or so back, and a lot of NYC subway models are missing NYCTA markings. 

More recently, the Arkansas and Missouri has put the kibosh, at least temporarily, on this:

http://www.lionel.com/products...-locomotive-6-84094/

Personally, I think there are too many high-end locos on the market.  Us bottom feeders and scroungers don't stand a chance!  ;-)

Mitch

I think one was enough for these. I have no idea why I bought a set. Don

M. Mitchell Marmel posted:

 

Personally, I think there are too many high-end locos on the market.  Us bottom feeders and scroungers don't stand a chance!  ;-)

Mitch

Gi-raffs can't be "bottom feeders"   

Apples55 posted:

Gi-raffs can't be "bottom feeders"   

Mitch

But still there's no RK NH I 5?

If I had the money, I would buy ALL the New York Central Hudsons so I had as much as the real railroad.

Bill Benson said it best: "There are enough locomotives for everyone to go their own way, but there's only a certain number of what is considered real popular locomotives."

These engines don't grow on trees, and they have to sell enough to keep in business. My advice to the manufacturers is to make an engine that hasn't been done that is very popular. I know many guys who would love a Strasburg No.90 and Frisco No.1522.

Has anyone bothered to write to the manufacturer directly?  Might be a good idea to send a copy of that petition of names and contact info who also want the same engine you desire.

Otherwise, I fear the manufacturers will continue to approach this hobby as a business, trying to make products that will sell in quantities to offset the costs of mfg and tooling, etc and still make a profit.  They're really ornery that way.

I giggle when l get back on and read the additional comments on this post.  The first Lionel COMPATIBLE loco l bought was the Williams brass USRA Mikado. I own NO Lionel Hudson's, Berkshires, or Pennsylvania power.  The list of those l don't own and won't buy includes an awful lot of stuff that has been produced (some repetitiously).  Like others, l have books full of ones l want, many produced in HO, or even On3, but not in the three rail desert.  They just don't want my money.. ..That's fair....L don't want their trains.

Too much of the same old, same old stuff, i.e. Union Pacific big steam, NYC Hudsons, everything Pennsy and generic incorrect anything engines painted up in every which way.