I can speak to the matter of Lionel's more-recent full-scale/proportions
freight cars in O scale. The Chinese have mostly (a few exceptions) come up
with properly-proportioned
cars with good detail at the top of the Lionel line; I have bought a couple
dozen of them and converted them with decent trucks and couplers. Alongside
them, however, Lionel
continues to sell toy trains that are good for nothing else (but, then, Atlas
does that too). And some of the Lionel locomotives, such as the Alco S-2 and
S-4 switchers and the B&M
2-6-0, are so good they are worth the considerable trouble of converting to
scale. On the other hand, in spite of the usual list hopes and complaints,
Lionel has never factored in
a scale two-rail product right out of the box (nor even necessarily facilitated
conversions, the way Atlas and MTH have often done): their market is the toy
train operators, a significant proportion of whom now will pay for something
that looks more prototypical.
Perhaps what will happen in S scale depends on the situation in the PRC, both
in sorting out the mess the financial criminals have made and the international
exchange rates--and the
labor/wage increases there.
Jace Kahn
General Manager
Ceres & Canisteo RR Co./Champlain County Traction Co.
> I viewed the short video, too, and have long wondered about whether Lionel
> would produce a product with a more prototypical appearance. From what I have
> observed in the world of O-gauge three-rail products, the items do look more
> prototypical. No more truncated Bershires and turnbne steam engines. Instead,
> the stuff appears to be scale. Lionel could comfortably scrap most of the old
> AF dies and come up with something new. They might keep the ALCO PA dies
> because those units look pretty good, and they might keep the gondola but
> possibly change the ends and forget that cast-on body detail with all its
> crudity.
> So maybe that will happen. Then again . . . .
>
> Tom
> Dave, If you viewed the you tube video from the Lionel's new products
> you probably saw the new track they're introducing. It looks a lot like
> SHS's. I don't recall them saying what rail size it was, but that it
> wasn't going to be T rail from the Gilbert or K-line days. So they
> might be 'inching' their way to a more scale like appearance--I think
> the market might be demanding something new and better.
>
> Bob Werre
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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