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Lionel Catalog Countdown Clock is Running

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Lionel Catalog Countdown Clock is Running
Posted by Warburton on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 11:41 AM
Check the Lionel website, upper right corner for clock. Looks like August 1st is the new catalog release date.
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Posted by phillyreading on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 12:57 PM

Are you talking about the new catalog coming out or the shipping date for the items in the last catalog?

Some of the guys here have yet to receive stuff ordered from last year's catalog.  I ordered something from the catlog avaible this past January and still have no firm shipping date!!  Was told possibly Sept. first it may be shipped, is that this year or next is the way I feel!!!!

Make sure your local hobby shop has it in stock or you will have a super long wait!!!!!!

Lee F.

 

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 1:56 PM
Grrrr... if there is one thing I hate more than waiting it is waiting for the Lionel Catalog!  Or the Atlas, or the Williams, or the MTH... then you have to wait 1 - 2 weeks for them to appear at the stores! Sad [:(]
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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 3:24 PM
Oh, boy!  The countdown begins for more stuff I can't afford!  I can't wait!!!! Sad [:(]
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Posted by magicman710 on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 3:58 PM

 ATSJer wrote:
Oh, boy!  The countdown begins for more stuff I can't afford!  I can't wait!!!! Sad [:(]

Come on ATSJer, cant you use your imagination!!! Kids back in the 50s would look at catologs for weeks before Christmas and imagine the train on there layout. Of course they wanted them, but the could memorize and imgaine them so hard they have the images clear still in their head today. They could imagine that 681 or 397, or even a scout set maybe on their layout, they didnt need the real thing! It was fun just to do that! And Lionel prices now arent very different than what they were back then, a premium set today is around $600, that would be around $80 back then, but in there money, it was our $600. Any kid back then was lucky to even get a scout set.

 

Grayson

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 4:09 PM

Oh, sure I can use my imagination, and I do everytime I thumb through another catalog.  The only difference between me and that child who dreams about Christmas morning is that I know what will and won't be under that tree.  Sigh [sigh]

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Posted by brianel027 on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 6:09 PM

Well I know I can wait. And who knows... maybe I will even be surprised!

I've read very closely the comments Lionel CEO Jerry Calabrese has made. And while I think he has done a good job under the circumstances, I believe Lionel can go much further to the direction he wants to take the company. In his own words:

 "I don't think it's good for our business or our hobby to put out one more $1,500 black steam engine unless there is a really good market reason or demand to create another one. I would rather sell Expansion Packs of three pieces of rolling stock with an appropriate discount incentive for volume, and double the size of our rolling stock business."

Yes Jerry, there are many of us waiting for Lionel to actually do this. I'd love to see the selection of $30 starter cars doubled with the addition of single car TTUX Spine Cars included (since they have the tooling already). More Waffle Box cars and Hi-Cubes included. I'd love to see the single motored conventional starter diesels eliminated in favor of dual motored ones with double the number available, and with a U36B always available since it is the one single traditionally sized loco that vagely resembles a current modern diesel.

 Of course, it would be fabulous if Lionel diverted some attention from the high end to tool up the very first modern 027 diesel loco they've done in over 50 years. Or how about reissuing the Industrial Switcher with a proper die-cast chassis at a $100 price point... they did it with the Docksider and that was from totally new tooling and look at the hit it has been.

And I'd love to see Lionel hold prices down and even drop them on beginner budget items that are being made from tooling and dies that long long ago paid for itself. I think I speak for many when I say when I buy an 027 train item, I just want to pay for that item alone and NOT also pay for tooling and development for expensive high end items that I will never ever buy. Let high end buyers pay realistic prices for items that cost millions to bring to market.

Reality is though, I think it will be a balancing act. Lionel is still officially in bankruptcy and trying to please everyone. Without question, the high end buyers are the most difficult to please and yet Lionel doesn't want to lose them to MTH or Atlas anymore than will happen of its own. But I do believe Lionel can do a lot more on the beginner low end, and still has a lot more to do. The improvements are there, and I'm hoping Calabrese will do as he has clearly stated he wants to do.

And that will be VERY good news for the many train buyers like myself.

brianel, Agent 027

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Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, July 24, 2007 6:54 PM
 phillyreading wrote:

Are you talking about the new catalog coming out or the shipping date for the items in the last catalog?

Some of the guys here have yet to receive stuff ordered from last year's catalog.  I ordered something from the catlog avaible this past January and still have no firm shipping date!!  Was told possibly Sept. first it may be shipped, is that this year or next is the way I feel!!!!

Make sure your local hobby shop has it in stock or you will have a super long wait!!!!!!

Lee F.

 

I know how you feel! I'm still waiting for my UPS GP-38 and caboose. They were to ship in May...then June...then July......ITS ALMOST AUGUST!

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Posted by phillyreading on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 2:29 PM

prriscool,

I have called or visited my local hobby that I ordered the stuff from and he keeps giving me a new delivery date every time it is past the new expected delivery date.  This is NO way to run a business and expect to keep customers coming back.

The item in question is K-Line's Super Stree track, which was in production right before K-Line went out of business, so you would think that the product should have beeb made already and waiting for payment by Lionel to ship to potential customers.   All I have is either 5 inch or 10 inch straight track sections, awaiting shipping of curves sometime this century!!

This is one of a few reasons why I am buying used Lionel or new Williams trains, they are already made, NO waiting for production!!!

Lee F.

Interested in southest Pennsylvania railroads; Reading & Northern, Reading Company, Reading Lines, Philadelphia & Reading.
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Posted by Andrew Falconer on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:42 PM
 phillyreading wrote:

Are you talking about the new catalog coming out or the shipping date for the items in the last catalog?

Some of the guys here have yet to receive stuff ordered from last year's catalog.  I ordered something from the catlog avaible this past January and still have no firm shipping date!!  Was told possibly Sept. first it may be shipped, is that this year or next is the way I feel!!!!

Make sure your local hobby shop has it in stock or you will have a super long wait!!!!!!

Lee F.

Notice that many items in the 2007 VOLUME 1 are artistic renditions of the coming item. In 2007 VOLUME 2 hopefully there will be actual item photos. That way you will be more likely to know what you are buying.

Andrew

Andrew

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Posted by Andrew Falconer on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 4:50 PM

Things that must be done in the next Catalogs: 

Seaboard Coast Line and Chicago & North Western actually did have single unit Spine Flat Cars for Trailers. SCL and CNW have yet to be run as paint schemes for Single-Unit Spine Flat Cars in the O Scale K-Line Line and the O Gauge Lionel Traditional Line. Long overdue. Die-Cast Trucks for the time being on the Lionel Traditional Spine Flat Cars.

O Gauge Waffle-Sided Boxcar and High-Cube Boxcar with the Die-Cast Trucks only.

Southern Waffle-Sided Boxcar and Grand Trunk Western High-Cube-Boxcar have been left out of O Gauge production line for at least a decade.

Andrew

Andrew

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Posted by LS1Heli on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 6:02 PM

I have been waiting for this for awhile! Can't wait to see new PWC sets, hopefully some more Prewar Celebration sets.

Since I am one of "those guys" that buys $1,500 engines, I can't wait to see what new scale they have as well.

08/01 could not come soon enough! This is great!

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Posted by prewardude on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 6:29 PM
 LS1Heli wrote:

... hopefully some more Prewar Celebration sets...

Amen to that! Smile [:)]

 - Clint 

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Posted by Big Walnut Railroader on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:34 PM
I can't wait for the new catalogs. Although it sucks that it comes out in the early morning. Oh well at least there is always nice things in the catalog (even if the cost is way out there, its fun to look), and its something to look forward to next week while i recover from having my wisdom teeth removed.
Craig Tomastik (Big Walnut Railroader)
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Posted by billbarman on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 8:48 PM

cool! it comes out on my birthday, Augast 1st!

"No childhood should be without a train!"

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Posted by RR Redneck on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:12 PM

 ATSJer wrote:
Oh, boy!  The countdown begins for more stuff I can't afford!  I can't wait!!!! Sad [:(]

I hear that.

Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.

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Posted by RR Redneck on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 9:12 PM

 ATSJer wrote:
Oh, boy!  The countdown begins for more stuff I can't afford!  I can't wait!!!! Sad [:(]

I hear that.

Lionel collector, stuck in an N scaler's modelling space.

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Posted by otftch on Wednesday, July 25, 2007 10:52 PM

I've been waiting for Lionel catalogs since the fifties.I think its worse with a countdown.Now I just sit and wait.It was easier when you didn't know when it would come out.

                                                                                   Ed

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Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, July 26, 2007 10:10 AM
 RR Redneck wrote:

I hear that.

You can say that again. Wink [;)]

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