Lionel Website

[jefelectric]

I have had no problems with sight.  The only thing that does bother me is ordering new parts, every time you put in proper numbers the site pulls up every thing that starts with those numbers.  Then it a fishing trip to find it.

laz57

Laz, I agree.  Why when you put in an exact cat. no. it doesn't give you just that item is a puzzle to me.  Some of the stuff it selects isn't even close.  Makes no sense.

Just my

[traindaddy1]

Not so much the 'navigation' BUT

Sometimes........When I look for a product.... Example: "New Haven Engine", I get everything that has the word "New" which includes New York Central etc.

Sometimes........It takes a long time to download a part or manual page.

Sometimes........I guess I'm just too impatient  

 

 

[johnandjulie13]

...As my eyesight is pretty good, could it be some of you guys have the browser fonts really big if you're not seeing the sea of wasted white?

 

To some it may be a wasted white area, to others it may be a clean, easy to navigate home page.  Another descriptive word for Lionel's home page could be "spartan."  This has positive and negative connotations.  For some, spartan would mean the site is lacking in information.   While others would argue it is easy to use.  On the other side of the coin, both MTH and Atlas have information going all the way to the edges of their pages, but, in my opinion, those sites are much more difficult to navigate since the links are not in close proximity to each other. 

Regards,

John O

[Ohio]

No.

[dwiemer]

PS  Could the fact that these guys have less than stellar sites mean they're spending their money where they should--on trains? 

I think they are spending too much on Lawyers that could help with trains and the web sites.  I don't want to start another ugly thread about the battle, just responding to danrunner's comment.

Dennis

[dwiemer]

Personally I find the MTH site when working even worse.  I guess I have been using the Lionel site long enough I know where to go.  It has been a few years since a major update so maybe it's time.

I agree with Marty.  I have had to "Think" my way through Lionel's site, but I have had trouble finding things on MTH's site.  They could both use a user-friendly overhaul IMO.

Dennis

[Anonymous]

An interesting discussion, and I am glad it has been so civil.  Roy, I use ie and mozilla, and both show the lionel home page as a sea of white, useless space with a smallish rectangular box with hot links to the places you want to go.  It's smushed in the middle and wastes all of the space at the corners that could add further links and or options.  As my eyesight is pretty good, could it be some of you guys have the browser fonts really big if you're not seeing the sea of wasted white?

 

Anyway, Lionel's sight isn't so horrible it should be banished, I just started this thread wondering if anyone else thought their site was hard to navigate around.  It's obviously a matter of opinion and there are NO right answers.  But, it's been fun reading all of the opinions.  MTH is really taking a hit here.  They really need an overhaul badly. Williams and Weaver could, too. My favorite is low-tech, low-budget Thor's.  It takes some scrolling, but what a labor of love, and he's one of our own (forum).  I'd love to meet him for a beer.

 Thanks, all, for the interesting discussion.

 

Dan 

 

PS  Could the fact that these guys have less than stellar sites mean they're spending their money where they should--on trains? 

[johnandjulie13]

Hello Dan:

It is interesting that you find Atlas' site acceptable but not Lionel's.  Could it be your browser?  I agree that newbies will most likely visit Lionel first, given its name recognition.  However, I would say that for newbies, Lionel's site is pretty well laid out.  The "getting started" link stands out pretty well and leads to some useful information for those who have no background in the hobby.  In any event, I still believe that Lionel, MTH and Atlas sorely need freshening up.

Regards,

John O

[johnandjulie13]

Roy:

Well said.  In addition to the slow response of MTH's site, it is also much harder to navigate than Lionel's.  While I agree that Atlas has much quicker response, I do not believe the site is very intuitive.  Trying to get information on any product is next to impossible.  In any event, when it is easier to consult the manufacturers' catalogs rather than the website, then you know that the website needs to be improved.

Regards,

John O

[wrmcclellan]

Dan,

I agree that Lionel needs an update and new look. I do not understand what you are seeing. At the top level I get a pretty full page with the left side set up for navigation down into key areas (nice size text - no different than any other sites I use), nothing squished up like you indicate. All the areas one would want to see are there (ie products, cust service) and a big link to the latest catalog. Banners across the bottom with recent news (although this needs to be freshened more often than it is). I agree with LAZ that finding replacement parts can be a challenge. I have found that it is more effective to search on an item key word (ie a recent search for parts for the modern era bascule bridge yielded NO results on the part number, but when I searched on "bascule" I got everything I needed).

When I drill down, each new page has clear links to the areas under that page. Now I would agree that on some of those pages, what you get is the text framed in something like a boxcar door. Maybe that is the area where you say the text is squished.

I also agree that of all the toy train manufacturers, Lionel has the best site. MTH is the worst (they claim they have fixed it, but I see no difference - very SLOOOOOOW and sometimes nevers loads the page - how can one tout superior technology and not have a well functioning web site?). Atlas's site works better for speed but much of the info is useless to me.

Obviously a site's usefulness is keyed to what you are typically looking for in the site.

[Anonymous]

John O,

 

I agree that Mth's is worse, but newbies probably would only go to Lionel because of its brand recognition or would start there.  Atlas' O site is better than the other two and is acceptable to me.  But yes, all three could use an update.  I remember a book call "Webpages That Suck"  at the local B&N.  I nominate these two.

 

Dan 

[johnandjulie13]

Hello Dan:

I think Lionel has the best website...of the three train manufacturers that are on my layout.  Lionel needs an overhaul, but as stated above, MTH is far worse.  Not too far away is Atlas, their site is also awful.  You would think that companies that cater directly to its customers would have easier to navigate websites.

Regards,

John O

[Andrew Falconer]

What is interesting is that the people at Lionel used to have surveys sent out on their products, but there has never been a survey about the website. There is a suggestion, Put up a website survey. What needs to be improved?

Some of the product searches yield strange results in the Product Navigator. Searching the words "Grand Trunk" without "Western" tells the search engine to list everything for "Rio Grande".

Andrew

[DCmontana]

I don't find either the Lionel or MTH sites all that easy to navigate.  On the Williams site you can't even read their sale bulletins.  The Weaver site is easier to get to the catalog offerings, in my opinion.  I confess, I have not been to the Atlas site in some time and I really miss the old K-Line pages.  All in all, it does not look like a high priority for these companies!

[laz 57]

I have had no problems with sight.  The only thing that does bother me is ordering new parts, every time you put in proper numbers the site pulls up every thing that starts with those numbers.  Then it a fishing trip to find it.

laz57

[Bubba]

I realy think lionel hurts it buisness a little with the diffacult web site. People have told me they get frustraited with it and give up.

[Warburton]

Danrunner -- don't be so sure you're not losing your mind anyway! As for the Lionel site, I think it's way past time they gave it an overhaul. It's been years since they have. That said, I really DO like the fact that they update their shipping schedule (it's under "Products") on a fairly regular basis. That's the place I check most often.

[Anonymous]

I remember a few months back when I first started looking at starting my model train building, and of course I went to the Lionel website, and I too found it non-NooB friendly.  In fact I remember getting a little frustrated with it and I started searching other places, and ended up at Thortrains.net, and I actually learned a LOT more about trains there than I did at the Lionel site.  Unfortunately the Thortrains page is a bit difficult to navigate as well; too much stuff and not enough organization. 

Oh well, what really counts is that I found this place, because this is where I learn what I really need to know about trains and the hobby!

[MartyE]

Personally I find the MTH site when working even worse.  I guess I have been using the Lionel site long enough I know where to go.  It has been a few years since a major update so maybe it's time.

[Anonymous]

Thank you so much.  I'm not alone.  I really thouight I was losing my mind.  I'm also glad that some people think it's fine.  But the fact that it's been discussed before--didn't know--tells me I'm not losing my mind...just the hair on top of it.

 

dan 

[Buckeye Riveter]

In a word -  YES!

Many have complained about the Lionel website on this and other forums for the last three years.   I have always gotten a kick out of the pages with the train crossing the Hell's Gate Bridge.  Look closely at the bridge.  The train runs beneath the deck.  The deck is located at the bottom of the vertical cables.  The top of the cable is attached to the arch.

[chuck]

No.  I've never had any trouble finding stuff on the web site other than when the item isn't available, aka Service Supplements thta haven't been updated in 2 years?  I can always find the owners manuals and often reference them when someone posts a question.  Main page is fine, most of the secondary pages are pretty well organized.

[Roger Bielen]

In a word -  YES!

[Anonymous]

I was just wondering if other people find the Lionel website difficult to navigate.  I mean I think the website could be made a lot more user friendly.  Every time I'm there I have to re-think HOW to get to the pages I really want to get there. 

Why I bring this up is that if I find navigation difficult for me, imagine what a newbie feels trying to find out about the hobby.  I'd like to see a site more user-friendly for  people new to or interested in our wonderful hobby.

 Please understand that I'm not trying to be a jerk or  nit-pick, but I've never found their website easy to use.  Their front page is probably 50% blank with the rest of the info/links squished into a centered rectangular box.

 

I wondered if others find their site less than easy  or user-friendly.

 

Dan