NEW 2004 Lionel Catalog on Lionel Website!!!

[FEClionel]

Hey everybody the 2004 Lionel Catalog 1 is on the website and check out the premium Postwar Celebration Set! i won't ruin the suprise but its amazing and so is the bershire premium set! Plus lots of other cool stuff! Check it out-NOW!

[Anonymous]

Re-issue of rolling stock and locomotives that won't smoke...NO THANKS.


...Keep the rails polished...

[FEClionel]

Wow - thats why people get burned out in this hobby! Nothing like encouraging new or returning toy train lovers the hobby. The good news is now there are many companies to choose from so everyone has their favorite manufacter.

Lionel fans take a look - some interesting new items and a great marketing tool to newbies!

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by hobo102



Re-issue of rolling stock and locomotives that won't smoke...NO THANKS.


...Keep the rails polished...

Set the jumpers to 8 ohms from Lionel's 3. What's the problem?

[brianel027]

Just from a quite glance at the on-line catalog (I didn't go through every page) I didn't find many surprises. Once again, while Lionel forges into the future with operating features, the roadname selection is firmly planted in the postwar era as there is hardly a modern roadname to be found on any basic/beginner item outside of the Amtrak RS-3. I was disappointed to see the WP U-36B has remained a sub-quality single motor unit - especially after last years UP GP-20 which was 2 motors. I had really wanted the Conrail U36B from 2 years ago, but it was a single motor unit. Maybe I'll still get lucky and find one for the $50 it is really worth so I can invest the extra money to put a second motor in it and make the RIGHT way Lionel should have made it to begin with.
I was please to see Thomas the Tank back in the 027 line up. But since there was no mention, I can assume once again it is a plastic frame unit instead of die-cast, so once again it will have no pulling power outside of the couple of cars it comes with.
I was pleased also to see more expansion of the $25 starter cars. No current roads. once again, but I do like the IC waffle box car.
I suppose for me, once again, I'll be waiting for the blowouts on the poor sellers to make it worthwhile for me to buy and then do the necessary stripping and repainting so I can have a few cars in CSX, Norfolk Southern, Conrail, CPR and BNSF: lines that have been nearly totally ignored in any kind of affordable starter product. Well, outside of the Conrail U36B, they have been totally ignored.
Which is all the more interesting when one considers how much more popular HO scale is and that you don't have to look hard or long to find all of the current class A railroads represented in every imaginable car and engine style in HO. When I see all rolling stock and locos available in HO in Conrail, BNSF, CSX and NS, it sometimes makes me wish I had gone with HO.

[Anonymous]

I have to admit that the "Polar Express" set has my waller trying to hide. :)
Not to be too anal about it but the engine matches the movie and not the one in the book. The book has a 4-6-2 and not a Berkshire as in the Lionel set. A minor detail that won't matter much when one looks at the "big picture." That being the jump in numbers of young people who will want a Lionel for Christmas - something that ( IMO) has not been seen for decades.

I've been in the very (repeat... VERY) slow process of making my two boys a custom "Polar Express" set. By using a post war Lionel 2025, Railsounds 4.0 (replacing the pw tenders air whistle) and repainting the engine, tender and three 027 Madisons I'm hoping to really do it right and create an heirloom for them.

Ken

[dphusman]

Seen the new 2004 catalog at my LHS today. Some more neat items and roadnames in the Standard O rolling stock line. I will have to take a hard look at some of the new buildings that were in this catalog. I really didn't see any diesel locomotives that I will need this time. I guess this catalog had a few things that I will buy.

[brianel027]

I've taken a little more time to go through the on-line catalog and found this first opening paragraph of the catalog introduction by Lionel's CEO to be interesting:

"Welcome to the first Lionel catalog for 2004. With the economy beginning a sustained comeback and experts planning for better times ahead, 2004 will be a year of opportunity. We are planning a number of very exciting new projects to coincide with this rebound."

Ususally this kind of acknowledgement is not even made, or certainly placed at the end - not at the very beginning. Typically, any company will put a happy face on even the hardest of times. And there have been instances recently where companies that eventually went under, issued outright lies right up until the end.
Now don't misread that observation. I'm not saying that about Lionel. But I did find the honest acknowledgement of the current bad economy interesting. Maybe last year wan't a banner year for train sales.

The introduction continues: "In O gauge we’ve just completed a fantastic holiday season for train sets, rolling stock and accessories—not to mention FasTrack. Perhaps no introduction in recent memory can match the excitement surrounding FasTrack, which started out in O-36, and is expanding into O-48, O-60 and O-72."

I find this interesting too, as train sets are certainly not top line scale items. Rolling stock and accessories could be either premium scale items or less-than-scale traditional items. I usually equate holiday season to more toy like items. But that could go either way.
I did notice the list prices on 027 track were marked down quite a bit... manual switches went from $19.99 to $11.99, electric ones went from $34.99 to $19.99, 027 section track went from $1.29 to 89¢. I noticed no other price reductions like those of 027 track. Could this be a sign of the elimination of the 027 track line? Certainly FasTrack is being pushed, but given some of the differing comments here on this Forum on the topic of FasTrack, I'd say the jury is still out on that one.

Now in addition my previous thread comments, I was also pleased to notice a die-cast Dockside switcher with a list of $99.99 No doubt in answer to the competition. Still nice to see some new offerings from Lionel at an affordable price point.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget the new wide-selection of operating accessories. Clearly this is geared towards the new comers who want some action.

Personally, I found some of them to be quite interesting: Rover's Revenge, Rub-A-Dub-Dub, the Tire Swing (interesting considering the latter are based on animations from where I work). I shall definantly be buying the ballon one, because is a neat way to occupy the space overhead of the display.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Well, I've gone through it cover to cover twice, and I can honestly say that there is nothing in there that I cannot easily live without. There were a couple of engines that I liked, and a few cars, but I would never pay list price to get them.

Maybe I have been doing this for too long. I do remember a time when the new catalog was a cause for great excitement, but for at least the last 10 years that just hasn't been the case for me.

After the closing of the mall display (see my profile) I changed the focus of my collecting.
My new requirements are: no steam, only modern diesels with western roadnames, all TMCC and only scale size cars. This cuts the catalog down to just a few items.

I still love trains, I guess I've just lost a lot of love for Lionel in particular over the years, and I'm not exactly sure why. Maybe it has to do with the fact that they have so many catalogs each year, or the fact that the trains are made in China, or simply the price.

[brianel027]

Big_Boy, I do know what you mean. It's been awhile for me too since I got real excited about anyone's catalog. I think Williams and Industrial Rail were the last couple that I was eager for. I actually like the K-Line S-scale cars, but I remove the trucks and put 0-scale ones on them. That was the last thing in a K-Line catalog that sparked my interest. The majority of today's offerings are scale-sized stuff. And what isn't scale is usually an expensive rehash of previous offerings. The great one-in-a-while something is offered that I can afford and want, it usually ends up being sub-par quality and I can't buy it. The single motored U-Boat comes to mind. The $25 starter gon for Conrail was another, but it was translucent unpainted blue plastic. The $25 Erie Lackawanna box car was another, though it was painted, the grey was entirely too dark. I used to watch the EL roll by my house and I know those cars. The little 9000 series MPC-era Erie Lackawanna box cars are far more correct with the right color than the recent LTI one.
And everyone knocks MPC?

[Anonymous]

Lionel new catalog Pg 51 Does Any one Know the difference With Two New York Central J3a Hudson #5418 And 5422 ?

[Big_Boy_4005]

I think the difference is 4.[:D]

Seriously, I don't see any except the number. I can't imagine Lionel trying to market road numbers on $600 locomotives, like other manufacturers do on box cars and hoppers.

[MTsteamfan]

Looks to me like there is a difference in the lettering on the tenders. Other than that, (and the number), they seem identical.

[Anonymous]

I'll admit it I'm new to Lionel, I've only been involved for 6 months, but I have catalogs dating back to 2000. To me this is one of the best. I count 9 items on my wish list. It's going to be an interesting wait until the rollouts.

Steven Crawford

[Anonymous]

I looked through the catalog and loved it! I ordered three operating accessories the next day, the L24173 Derrick Platform, the 6-19895 Santa Fe Horse Car w/corral, and the L24174 Icing Station (which by the way is a great value this year since it include an Ice Car). The ATSF tank engine is also on m list.

George

[brianel027]

George, I see you are new to the CTT Forum... welcome! Are you also relatively new the hobby? Obviously those who have been running and buying trains for some time can always have a different outlook from those who are brand new to the hobby. Also those who are new to the hobby are too busy building collections and layouts and may not have the time to post their preferences and opinions. Those who are familiar with the hobby are usually more vocal on what they like and know where to say so.

I don't think I'm alone in wishing that Lionel's quality was consistantly on the same par with what their name means - and what the compeition is offering. Pricewise too. But Lionel is still the most recognized name of 3 rail trains. I think most of us have a softspot for what the company, their product and name has meant to us. Glad to see you found things you like George and are getting them. I'm sure the folks are Lionel are glad too. They know you had other choices.

[Anonymous]

I got into the hobby after my wife bought me a Lionel NYC starter set for Christmas/2000. Looking through a toy train magazine (O Gauge) I read an article which talked about the Virginian Rectifier sets form 1958/59 which really stimulated my interest in the Lionel Postwar trains from 1955 to the early 60’s. I’ve come to really enjoy the color, variety, and play value from this era. As luck would have it this is about the time Lionel came out with the Postwar Celebration Series which makes items form this period both available and affordable. I enjoy original items too, where they will not cost an arm and a leg, and items from the MPC. At the moment I’m getting ready to build a 4x8 layout based on plans in one of the Lionel Postwar catalogs. As a side note I’m collecting cars made by Industrial Rail, I thought I had all the cars I wanted, from the road names I’m interested in, before I realized they made cars with different numbers printed on the car for any give ID part number, a rather inexpensive way to collect nice cars with variants at an affordable price. I think Industrial Rail will become more collectable as time goes on, sad that they are gone as they were some of the highest quality cars made in the Postwar O Scale.

George

PS

Take a look at the 2004 L24174 Icing Station, it’s a great deal this year!

[brianel027]

Hi George, yes - the Industrial Rail cars are very very nice. The caboose is the only real clinker of the group... can't believe I'm saying this, but it was just too small! I really wi***hey had done their first box car in a more modern style, minus roofwalk with shortened ladders and lower brakewheel. That would have been real nice - something different for us folks who want and need the smaller traditiionally sized cars. BUT they did include some modern roadnames in their selection, something Lionel and K-Line simply don't see fit to do in smaller sizes. Lionel hasn't figured out there are actually other railroads other than the NYC, PRR and AT&SF. Chessie is the one quasi-current road that gets on smaller starter items.
People knock MPC, but I give MPC a lot of credit for being very contemporary with roadnames - much more so than the current Lionel. Which is why I own almost every Industrial Rail car - with multiples of the modern roads.

I guess Lionel and K-Line wanted me to buy something else. Guess what. I did. Too bad Industrial Rail has stopped producing 3-rail cars. A very major loss in my book.

[Anonymous]

All,
Went to a Train Swap Meet this weekend and a Lionel Rep. was there showing off a few pre production locomotives for 2004. The one that caught my eye was the little Tank Engine, at $100 MSRP it has a fantastic amount of detail, with smake and sound!
I'm pre ordering one today. It will look great on my 4x8 pike.
Geroge

[guilfordrr]

Hi everyone.

I have to say that the $99 Docksider tank engines are- dare I say it- cute, but nothing else seems too exciting. The starter sets from last year have been slightly enhanced- a tractor trailer truck and some HO-junk fodder plastic signs, as if they are that important. Some nice premium sets.........but I think the Acela came too late. The prototype is doing quite poorly and is not a big deal anymore. A good set none-the-less. These plus the same items from last year adds up to a so-so catolog: hopefully Lionel can do better next printing time.