We are looking at buying "The Girls Train" on line.
Our choices are a 2010 Lionel reissue(New) vs a new Williams by Bachman version.
The Lionel is more expensive. Which one would you buy??
I am not loyal to one brand or another but I would choose the WBB. The price is right and the quality is great. Lionel is over priced on most of their trains. WBB is reliable and runs great.
Kev
Can't stop working on the railroad!
since they are both forigen produced, I'd go with the price. I have a WBB N&W J, and aside from the Seuth smoke unit that I don't care for, it's a great engine.
Dave
It's a TOY, A child's PLAYTHING!!! (Woody from Toy Story)
I bought the Williams steam version mainly because of price bur shop artound theres deals on them off and on I got mine for like $375 including shipping not even a year ago
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
Detailing is about the same on each brand. My Williams will out pull my LIonel. I know they are not the same model but the Williams with 18 cars hooked up will take off even on a slight elevation. The Lionel will spin for a bit before going. Both are brand new.
I ran your question past Lady Firestorm. At the very MENTION of the name "Girls Train" her upper lip curled so much it tickled her right eyebrow!
So, what she has to say is this: "If you're getting it for yourself as a collectors item get whichever one you like, but if you're getting it for your daughter for goodness sake get her a REAL train, not that 'pink and pastel' abomination!"
To say she has very little good to say about the "Girls Train" would be putting it mildly! Quite the feminist is Lady Firestorm!
Runs in her family too. I showed a picture of the "Girls Train" to her sister and niece, The look of horror on their faces was priceless!
We are buying it to run at our local museum.
We are having a Train exhibit in July and thought it would be of interest given the history and the novelty.
I know a lot are opposite on this than me but I do not care for a pink GG-1 sorry grew up in PA and never saw one pink. I know never saw a pink loco either but it wwas an original by lionel serries back in the day so thats where I can accept it I know being picky but maybe I've been a deisel/electric type person most my life but do like steam to but more for the deisels/electrics
4Roberto We are buying it to run at our local museum. We are having a Train exhibit in July and thought it would be of interest given the history and the novelty.
Lady Firestorm says OK, as a museum piece that's fine! She also advises you to tell the whole story of what a marketing disaster the original was, which is an interesting story in it's own right.
I say if this is the case save some money and go with the Williams. Aside from the anemic smoke units the Williams locomotives are good runners, you won't be disappointed.
You know, the really ironic thing with the "Girls Train" and Lionel trying to tap into that market: Around 1950 Lionel put out a promotional film called "Iron Ponies" in which a little boy gets a Lionel electric train for Christmas, his slightly older sister gets the usual girl stuff. During the film there's a shot of the sister looking at the toy train (pulled by a Santa Fe F-3) with a wishing, wistful look on her face. It took Lionel almost ten years to get the message, and when they did, boy did they get it wrong! A little girl that wanted a train wanted it to look like the real deal!
We want to Thank you all for your advice.
We went with the Williams set.
Amazon price was actually cheaper than any on EBay.
Thanks again.
You're welcome Roberto, and have fun!
PS: See how many women's lips curl when they see the "Girls Train"! Should be interesting.
Most women I've known that like trains like them for the same reasons the guys do. Nearly every one of them was more than willing to put a good hundred miles (or more) between themselves and the Lady Lionel set. That was probably THE WORST marketing blunder ever in Lionel's history.
Dr. Frankendiesel aka Scott Running BearSpace Mouse for president!15 year veteran fire fighterCollector of Apple //e'sRunning Bear EnterprisesHistory Channel Club life member.beatus homo qui invenit sapientiam
jeffrey-wimberly Most women I've known that like trains like them for the same reasons the guys do. Nearly every one of them was more than willing to put a good hundred miles (or more) between themselves and the Lady Lionel set. That was probably THE WORST marketing blunder ever in Lionel's history.
I would say only second to the nascar sets that at the end they were basiclly giving them away so instead of one set you had 2 and seven ( I think) addons sets to go with them that no one really wanted but on the flip side of that the original lionel girls set is now worth a few thousands from what I see them selling for on ebay in original boxes and set box.
Oh certainly, an original "Lady Lionel" set is worth thousands now, it's their scarcity and notoriety that gives them the value. Many of the originals were sent back to Lionel for repainting when the dealers couldn't move them. Also many were reboxed as well, as the "Lady Lionel" came in a pink box.
It's the scarcity that led Williams and then Lionel to reproduce the set. It allows collectors to fill a gap in their collections at a reasonable price. When you can't get or afford an original, a repro works quite nicely.
thats what I was getting at. I have the williams remake in steam and its all I want so I can display it really lol. It will probably go on the shelf under my 2231W set only thing missing is set box to it saw one on the bay but wasn't going to pay $300 for a box that looked like it went thru the wringer lol by the pics.
There's people reproducing Lionel boxes. I don't know if a "Lady Lionel" box is available but it might be worth you while to check.
In the end, the original box is a "nice to have" item, I wouldn't go nuts or flatten the wallet for one.
Oh, and thanks Jeffrey-Wimberly, I'd forgotten the real name of the set was the "Lady Lionel!"
2231w is the southern set with a-b-a 2356 f-3's
Here's some thing everyone may find entertaining. Go to www.train-station.com, it's the website for "The Train Station", a model railroad shop in New Jersey.
Scroll half-way down the home page to a block of blue-lettered titles stating with "Auction Center" and ending with "Store Hours". Click on "TV Commercial". It's a 30 second commercial for the shop with a very lovely young lady looking at one of the trains with a big smile, and it's NOT a "Girls Train" she's interested in!
Seems to be a lot more girls than boys in that commercial but hey, what's wrong with that?
When the commercial's finished another block of toy train videos will pop up. Wait for it and enjoy!
In general, conventional (as compared to TMCC / Legacy) locomotives made by Williams run just as well as, if not better than, Lionel counterparts and they sell for significantly less money. Downsides of the Williams conventional models are the sound system is not as advanced (there is a single "grade crossing sequence" horn and a bell) as the Lionel Railsounds or the lesser Lionel sound packages for that matter. Also, up until very recently, Williams locomotives did not have the ability to be locked into neutral they way a Lionel can, thus if you wanted to park them on a siding you would either need to insulate the siding or install a "lock-out" for the electronic E unit (which can be done but voids the warranty).
These issues aside, we have the Williams version of the NW2 switcher, an Alco FA A-B-A set, an O-27 Alco set, and a SD45 that is about 30 years old and they are terrific trains -- solid, smooth runners that will pull stumps. And generally the construction is far heavier than the Lionel equivalents of today -- comparable to the post-war trains, not the lightened, cheapened versions that the various corporate iterations of Lionel will produce from time to time. To be fair to Lionel, my experience is that the "post war celebration" trains are the equivalent to the post-war trains in terms of solid construction, but they are more expensive than the Williams trains. Then it is a choice of what you want to spend. HTH. Good luck.
rtraincollector jeffrey-wimberly Most women I've known that like trains like them for the same reasons the guys do. Nearly every one of them was more than willing to put a good hundred miles (or more) between themselves and the Lady Lionel set. That was probably THE WORST marketing blunder ever in Lionel's history. I would say only second to the nascar sets that at the end they were basiclly giving them away so instead of one set you had 2 and seven ( I think) addons sets to go with them that no one really wanted but on the flip side of that the original lionel girls set is now worth a few thousands from what I see them selling for on ebay in original boxes and set box.
I agree RT that the NASCAR sets seem to be a stupid consist because they are using streamer engines to pull them. If they were pulled by late model diesels they would be more desirable in MHO.
Steam power just does not fit with NASCAR. What are they thinking???
Joined 1-21-2011 TCA 13-68614
Kev, From The North Bluff Above Marseilles IL.
Kev I was talking about the first run of nascar with GP-40's ( I think) they made so many they flooded the market and it got to a point no one wanted them you still can find them on evil bay here and there but over priced as I bought the complete sets for like $100 each and the add on sets for like $19 each. I forgot about this second run of them you would of thought they got the message the first time like 7 years ago lol
Yeah RT, Seven years ago I was still chasing the stupid brass ring. Did not know what was going on then. I was talking about the ones in the 2012 Volume 2 Catalog offering. I have never seen the old offering but bet these are no better. I would prefer a GP-40 to a steam engine.
The original had a single can motor in the front truck I think it was and if you bought a add on pac of 3 cars you where taxing what it could pull but they sold like 7 add on sets to see these sets goto ebay and search nascar in O scale you will get a nascar set and a dale jr set
Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.
Get the Classic Toy Trains newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month