It's hard not to be impacted by these facts. He stopped preorders seeing MPC as a dishonest company he would no longer promote. Gramps was an ordering hub, a "basement distributor" who Lionel also sent a couple/few "dealer only" thank you engines (one there are only 6 of period). The quality was so bad I watched my Gramps who had collected and pre-ordered Lionel since the 20s or 30s, cry because "his Lionel was dead". I'm not even sure the can motor had metal, lol. If Marx would have just put boogies on them they would have outsold those the second year.Īround 74-78 one of the Patriotic or Bicentennial Alco preorders was shipped with unannouced can motor and even the preorder folks got a major dissapointment. Even the last Marx sets looked to be thier equal at about 1/6th the cost. (Alas, I couldn't go through with it though I was very very tempted near determined.). the Lionel trains traveled to Richard Kughns Fundimensions in 1973 before. I nearly went HO seeing more quality and better looking equipment for my dollar. Lionel Trains are one of the most recognized model train brands worldwide. So many got returned that k-mart dropped a nice Lionel operating display (I would run it for hours) and pushed Tyco instead.
IMO where the quality perception was (rightfully) questioned by the general public (at least here, only 20 min. It was made to match the SP aluminum cars produced a year earlier and given a prototypical running 4449. In 1983 Lionel modified the N&W bullet nose streamlined 4-8-4 with a new boilerfront and painted in the Southern Pacific RR’s Daylight colors. I wish it wasn't so, but that was the case. Lionel MPC Fundimensions, Lionel Trains Inc., and Lionel L.L.C. I.e., Lionel failed to educate the consumer that these were not 'traditional' and many folks fumed over it. Those DC rtr sets were not labeled well enough and many folks took them home and set them on thier postwar track only to have them let all the magic smoke out.(burn up). Get used to PW up front and MPC to the rear or have the MPC stringlining into derailing on 0-27. Oh, and lead sinkers to keep the ultra light, no-metal cars railed if you use more than 4 or 5 cars in a train.
Lionel of fundimensions upgrade#
(Avoid those or be ready to upgrade it to AC with rectification to DC in the loco( $5) or command or reversing board & metal wheels for some cars. I didn't care for the colors, plastic knuckles, plastic frames, plastic wheels, and DC only can motor rtr starter sets. The problem wasn't collector grade trains from hobby shops. I have ran, owned, loved and hated many many MPC. And cheered when Quaker stepped to the plate.