Model Train Journal

Lionel's 2023 Vol. 1 Catalog has some really cool offerings, for those who can afford them. As a retiree living on Social Security and a small amount of investment income (when the market isn't in the tank, as now), Lionel's catalog has truly become a dream book for me. At least I can enjoy window shopping. Anybody looking at ordering something from the new catalog?

http://catalogs.lionel.com/2023/BB/#

The Russian Dec's are very sharp, especially the P&R and the U. S. A. with what looks like deck-railing running along the sides. No interest in burning $1300 to get one, though.

I will probably break down and order something even though I cannot possibly use all the trains I already have in the undetermined (but limited) time I have left. I'm going to wait for the paper copy, check out prices at my usual dealers, and probably cave . What I find remarkable is how most people seem to focus on the high end ($2700 or whatever Big Boy and the even pricier set north of $4000) without noticing the low end stuff. You can get a Thomas set with LionChief (essentially command control) for under $200 at Charles Ro, which is definitely less expensive than Lionel's cheapest set was in the 1950s and 1960s, corrected for inflation, and features. You can get $40 rolling stock at Ro, which is also less expensive than similar low end rolling stock in the 1980s and 1970s and before. I guess the older folks are used to buying high end stuff and the deterioration of buying power with retirement is weighing heavily on many in the hobby.

Sure you can splurge on a $900 ZW-L but how many of you had ZWs back in the day? I couldn't even afford a 1033. So it's a mixed bag. I think the hobby is full of old geezers like myself who are starting to cut back on things other than medical care, fuel and food, given that their incomes haven't remotely kept up with the last year or two's inflation, and whose future earnings are constrained or even fixed.

Remarkably, younger people are not really fazed by the prices, probably because everything that is fun is expensive (travel, golf, fine dining, SUVs) and they have their peak earning years ahead of them.

Enjoy what you have and don't worry about what you cannot afford is I suspect the best mantra.

Terrific catalog with something for most people. Not much New Haven this time, but lots of NYC and BN, for example. Fun to look at, and evidence that the hobby isn't dying by a long shot. Look at the 1968 and 1969 Lionel catalogs if you want to get a glimpse about what a dying hobby looks like. The hobby is getting smaller (see the non-existent MTH catalog and the mostly MTH tooling Atlas catalog, for example) but still apparently doing well if you can put out successive 200+ page catalogs and still stay in business.

I'm looking at a Madison Hardware ad from a 1960 issue of MR. The trains were a chunk of change back then when you factor inflation. People remember what Lionel cost back in the 50's and 60's but forget what wages were back then. Of course it results in the usual "Lionel is pricing themselves out of the hobby" song and dance.

nothing worth 2Ring in there for me.

I found a few items that interest me, no trains, though. The glow-in-the-dark barrels and the brown ones, the Billups crossing and, maybe, a building or two.

I've only had a fleeting look at the catalog so far. If I could afford it, those Decapods would be in my cross-hairs. But I really don't need another and reality says I can't afford another, so that's that. I think the tooling for that model is MTH's from the 2006-7 timeframe. Beautiful locomotive and I'm sure it will run great under Legacy.

Also saw that Lionel is re-running the drive-through accessories from MTH. We actually have a few of the MTH versions ($199 vs $399) in the store.

George

I guess you could set this up around the Christmas tree

gregj410 wrote:I guess you could set this up around the Christmas tree

Rufus, how many of the clown cars are you getting? I think they'd look great behind some traction cars.

George

G3750 wrote:Rufus, how many of the clown cars are you getting? I think they'd look great behind some traction cars.

None. I don't particularly care for that version of Pennywise.

Prefer:



or Capt. Spaulding



or that ever so lovely clown from Terrifier

The Lionchief Mikados appear to be a big bang for the buck. I would guess $575ish after dealer discounts. Shorty Harriman coaches for the UP would be awesome.