Model Train Journal

I pre-ordered the Lionel 82442 set in Feb....going to open and run it on 25th with my daughter. From Internet pics. I've seen, everything looks good but wanted to see what you guys think of the gold parts.....that were painted bright yellow.

Chinese mess up or purposely done? Either way, if I would have known this would have taken a hard pass

Are those parts painted, or molded in yellow colored plastic? I wouldn't be shocked if there's no paint at all on that engine. I note that there are no brass boiler trim bands. Odd, that the engine is numbered 1872, but the tender is marked 1862T.

Looks like all molded plastic, no paint. My experience has been that stuff doesn't take paint well.

healey36 wrote:Looks like all molded plastic, no paint. My experience has been that stuff doesn't take paint well.

Yes and yea. Proportions are a bit funky, too.

healey36 wrote:Looks like all molded plastic, no paint. My experience has been that stuff doesn't take paint well.

It depends on the specific plastic, but I have Generals with paint that have no adhesion problems. Some thermoplastics bond very well with paint. It's just cheaper to mold in color. Don't ask me why they went cheap on this unit. Another thing is the tender drawbar. It's longer than the ordinary electric Generals.

As for your comment on it's funky proportions, Rufus, they are the same as all Lionel Generals. The wagon top area of the boiler, and the cab, are blown up. The rest is 1/4" scale. I know this, as I'm rebuilding one to 1/4" proportions all around.

Roy wrote:Don't ask me why they went cheap on this unit.

The cost of manufacturing in China is rising rapidly, while commodity prices remain depressed. A trade-off in the quality of materials to offset the rise in offshore manufacturing cost is a logical progression.

Pretty soon we'll see Lionel and MTH trains manufactured in Vietnam and Malaysia as the search for cheap labor continues.

healey36 wrote:Pretty soon we'll see Lionel and MTH trains manufactured in Vietnam and Malaysia as the search for cheap labor continues.

There's always these guys:

Looks like candy corn sticking out of the boiler.

Well they probably messed up this run then. An 1872 with an 1862T tender, no gold bands and the "General" emblem is blank. Basically, what was shown in the catalog pictures & description, dealer literature, and website don't match what is being produced.

The good news is that these yellow pieces (regardless if they are painted or un-painted) can be purchased separately....1862-92, 1862-95, 1862-96.

You guys remember the CC 2343s with the flat red paint? I had to work with them and get the "replacement" shiny shells.



My last time with the pre-order process. I really wanted this to work out because the LionChief system is great......but deep down inside, I knew I just should have gotten a complete postwar piece.

You can also buy, or make, the boiler bands. Another thing you might try: get the domes and bell parts electroplated with brass

As for your comment on it's funky proportions, Rufus, they are the same as all Lionel Generals. The wagon top area of the boiler, and the cab, are blown up. The rest is 1/4" scale.

Same as - they were always a bit funky - stretched in one direction, compressed in another. I have several brass ones and an SMR 4-4-0. SMR also did the General; worth looking at the scale model: http://smrtrains.com/sold_out_page.htm

Roy wrote:Another thing you might try: get the domes and bell parts electroplated with brass

Or just replace them with brass parts from PSC,

Roy wrote:Another thing you might try: get the domes and bell parts electroplated with brass

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Or just replace them with brass parts from PSC,

I was just thinking of a snap-in replacement. The Lionel General handrail stanchions are made integral with the bell hanger and sand box. Does PSC make such Lionel direct replacement parts?

Sorry man, that just doesn't look right. I'd be PO'ed too. They seriously published a photo with the 2 mismatched pieces (1872, 1862T)??

Apparently, shame doesn't exist any more.

Roy wrote:

Roy wrote:Another thing you might try: get the domes and bell parts electroplated with brass

Rufus T. Firefly wrote:Or just replace them with brass parts from PSC,

I was just thinking of a snap-in replacement. The Lionel General handrail stanchions are made integral with the bell hanger and sand box. Does PSC make such Lionel direct replacement parts?

No. Individual brass castings for the most part although some parts are/were available in plastic (styrene).

I guess I'm in the minority, but to me, it looks like a colorful toy because it is a colorful toy. Sort of like the Phantom, the radioactive waste cars, the Allis- Chalmers cars, the Area 51 stuff, and so on. I kind of like the crazy colors, but then again, I'm a toy train guy, not a model railroader.