Does anyone know what Lionel S Scale "Scale" is going to be like?

[LittleTommy]

Lionel has been offering some freight cars as "Scale"   In O gauge that seems to mean cars with more detailed trucks, slightly smaller flanges and truck mounted couplers that seem to mate with traditional Lionel.

Now Lionel is offering "scale" rolling stock in S Scale.

Heretofor, all other manufacturers in S  have used the following terminology

"tinplate" to refer to trucks with wheels with very deep flanges and truck mounted traditional American Flyer couplers( i.e. the kind of truck on American Flyer trains up until this year)

"Hi Rail" to refer to scale detailed trucks with wheel flanges that are less deep than on AF trucks but deeper than on scale trucks and truck mounted couplers that are American Flyer Compatabe

"Scale" to refer to scale detailed trucks with very narrow flanges that will not run through traditional American Flyer Switches or through track labled as "Hi-Rail" and body mounted Kadee style couplers.

The last American Flyer Catalog by Lionel states that their "Scale" items will run on all American Flyer track (this is not the case with any product that I know of produced by any other manufacturer which is labled as "Scale") and the illustrations seem to show their scale items as having what look like truck mounted American Flyer compatable couplers with what look to be Hi Rail flanges, but those illustrations are just artist's renderings which may not be in conformity with what rolls out of the factory.

So, does any one know the wheel and coupler arraingements are going to be on the Lionel "Scale" items? 

Little Tommy

[LittleTommy]

Well 68 people have looked at this so far and no one seems to know the answer, so I'll send the message above to Lionel and see what they have to say.  I'll post what they have to say, if they get back to me.

Needless to say, with over 80% of the current operators in S gauge operating on traditional or hi rail track, Lionel will have big trouble if folks are not ordering their "Scale" products until they find out if they will run on their present layouts OR worse yet, if folks buy the products and they return the items because they can not negotiate traditional American Flyer track. 

Little Tommy

 

[David Barker]

I first acquired American Flyer in 1952, when my parents bought me an American Flyer Silver Streak passenger set, to replace my Marx trains.  Over the years I built quite a nice empire, before going back to O in 1998. 

Lionel acquired Flyer in the late 1960's and has never even remotely tried to keep the quality pace A.C. Gilbert did.  Of course those who replaced A.C. Gilbert  after he died did not keep the pace either. 

In my opinion Lionel puts out a nice catalog but minimal information to the dealers.  I go to the dealer in Portsmouth who is quite knowledgeable and he tells me Lionel has not given him any information updates on any of the newer products, only the new catalogs.

 

I hope Lionel has not fallen off the turnip truck

[rrlineman]

Lionel means that all the new scale items are to scale like the S-Helper stuff was. no more approxamation of the old Flyer tooling which was close but not exactly 3/16 to the ft. Also the level of detail is more precise then Flyer's was.  but I think they will have trouble selling the new stuff because They are all modern lenth cars and engines. If it won't make the curves of Flyer sectional track, or even the switches, then people won't buy it or will return it.

And there is already new Steam engines and PA's on E-bay for sale as used because they don't work on the owners layouts or want to invest into a whole new control system to get all the electronics to work.

[Andrew Falconer]

You are supposed to buy the new track systems from Lionel and MTH if you are operating S Scale equipment.

Andrew

[LittleTommy]

Now that is where it gets confusing.  The MTH track is the former S Helper (Showcase line) track and the turnouts handle "Hi Rail" wheels better than they do "scale" wheels.  The new lionel track does not yet have turnouts on the market BUT most turnouts heretofor that accomodated American Flyer Traditional flanges would not accomodate "scale" flanges. Allegedly, the Lionel fast track will handle both.

It will be interesting to see what develops.  I did email Lionel on 3/24 asking for clarification and no one has gotten back to me yet.  They probably started to celebrate Easter early and have not come down from a Jelly Bean induced sugar high. 

Little Tommy

 

 

[stebbycentral]

Over priced?