I know this is gonna sound kinda dumb, but....
I went to a train show today and for the very first time since I learned of Standard Gauge's existence, (in 1989 when I saw CTT and Chuck Brasher's layout for the first time) I saw a 400E Blue Comet set and a crackle black 392E with State cars together on the same table for the first time. MTH versions if anybody's interrested. There was also a Williams 9E and State cars over on another table and assorted 500 series freights throughout the hall. But this is the first time I really saw the differences between the Comet and State cars and compared with what I have at home, two 35's and a 36! The two 35's would fit inside one Comet car and a second one could swallow up my #8 and the 36! Then the State cars could eat the Comet cars with room leftover for most of my 500 series collection! LOL
So it just got me wondering whether anyone has any similar stories. Anything you saw in the catalogs that you were dissappointed with when it arrived? Any moments were you said "I can't believe how big it is!" or "how small it is!" (Keep it clean) Or maybe the revrerse is true, did it look better than the catalog?
And in case anybody's interrested, I walked out with a cream and maroon 655, a red Bosco 6014 and a Flyer 605 log car. The 392E may be my favorite engine but it's pricetag has always kept it out of reach to me! I'll stick with my 259 and scout cars!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Probably the biggest disappointment for me was the Lionel Northern Pacific 4 Aces Northern steamer. At the time it was Lionel's big buck steamer for the 1992 catalog, great looking but very poor operational. Lionel had a lot of problems with that series of northerns.
Bill T.
Becky, I have to admit, the titles you apply to your posts force me to click on them just out of curiosity alone! You should be in advertising if you aren't already.
My experience with a modern accessory is an example of an item that far exceeded my expectations. When I first started building my mining and logging layout about five years ago, I purchased the Lionel Operating Lumberjacks. I really was not exactly sure how the two lumberjacks moved. When I hooked it up and turned it on, I just sat and watched it while thinking how ingenious the design was. For those who are not familiar with this accessory, there are two lumberjacks holding a two-man crosscut saw. The saw is attached to an arm hidden by a pile if sawdust. This arm moves the saw back and forth. Since the two figures are made of soft rubber, they move with the motion of the saw, giving the appearance that they are actually sawing the log. I know this is a very small and simple item for a person to be impressed with, but sometimes it is detail items such as this that have the greatest impact.
Karl
The Post War engineering is what intrigued me about the trains and got me hooked. The simplicity of the motors, and the use of celenoids to make the operations in all the lionel products.
The ultimate suprise was from the operations of the Lionel 182 crane, and the celenoid system used to shift the worm gears into operation.
Good question.
Kurt
Probably it would have to be the MTH freight transfer station which was a mixed blessing when it was wired in. I liked the workers going back and forth but the loud racket the thing made was annoying to say the least, and so it is now lighted but the workers are laid off due to noise complaints due to railroad management.
Another was my own error. I had a pair of K Line Rock Island .FA's that pulled the expanded "Rocket" cars but wanted a Geep. I bought the Williams version. When I matched it to the cars, the cars looked so out of scale, ( squashed )it looked like the early Talgo train. Hmmm, now what?
One item I was very pleased with that exceeded my expectations was the K Line set of seated passengers. They were affordable, well done and had enough of them to fill six passenger cars reasonably without going nuts and packing every seat.
.
Nothing is more fairly distributed than common sense: no one thinks he needs more of it than he already has.
aaaaahh, but you did! lol
Well, close..but the real problem is that railroad management can't find porter or conductor personnel to put in the cars, so we never make any money. To solve this, the doors don't open at stations and we force the passengers to ride in circles. When someone asks to sit in the dome cars, they are told the PRR had no domes so this is not allowed. Seriously, I wish there were some ticket takers to put in the MTH or K Line cars. The Lionel cars are so unpopular with passengers that we had to resort to painting silhouettes in the windows. It would make a great Twilight Zone episode.
Firesteel Becky, I have to admit, the titles you apply to your posts force me to click on them just out of curiosity alone! You should be in advertising if you aren't already.
Yes, I find that humerous subject lines are always effective! lol
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