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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 21, 2019 5:48:19 GMT
Just received an email alert that Pat sent me a package due to arrive on Monday. And when I checked his website, it appears his special-run Lionel Legacy Black Bonnet GP-35's are "in stock". So that must be what's enroute to my doorstep next week: two powered units and one non-powered, which should make a sweet black bonnet triple-header. This latest shipment fills out my roster this year of "Black Bonnet" exclusives from Pat, as I also snagged his special-run MTH Premier black-bonnet Alco PA ABA's; the MTH Railking black-bonnet MP-15DC switcher; a string of matching MTH Premier black-bonnet boxcars, and two black-bonnet steel cabooses. The midnight black along with Santa Fe red plus yellow trim is quite an eye-catching paint scheme. Can't wait to see how these GP-35's turned out.
I will update this thread once the GP-35's arrive, and I'm able to capture a few photos of these black bonnet gems on my layout. Stay tuned....
David
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Post by ptc on Sept 21, 2019 15:40:32 GMT
Patrick has done very well with his Blackbonnet line. Nice to see one of the good guys do well with some innovation.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 21, 2019 15:43:21 GMT
Let the listing of the defects begin. Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist. May this be the first engine to be defect free. Good luck and hope it's everything you wanted.
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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 22, 2019 0:59:08 GMT
Patrick has done very well with his Blackbonnet line. Nice to see one of the good guys do well with some innovation. When we think about it -- especially with Lionel's BTO missteps ranging from incorrect colors to locomotives forgetting their engine ID's to poor performance, dealers needed to do SOMETHING to bolster their pre-orders. So I suspect these exclusive, limited production special-runs were the answer... and a good one at that. Steve Nelson (Mr. Muffin's Trains) also jumped on the special-run bandwagon pretty heavily. So I gave both dealers some business along these lines.
In the case of the GP-35's, I would have normally just waited for them to arrive before making pre-order commitments. But with each SKU only produced in a limited quantity of 25 units, I figured I'd at least put my name in for one early on. Didn't require any deposits, so it seemed worth the gamble since these were something I knew I'd enjoy.
I suspect we'll see more of these dealer exclusives next year too. But I'm really trying to tighten my belt when it comes to new purchases. If existing roster sales can't fund new purchases, then there simply isn't enough room anymore to keep buying new stuff every year. I hate when the layout looks "too crowded" with trains, and the display shelves can only hold so many trains.
David
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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 22, 2019 1:04:59 GMT
Let the listing of the defects begin. Sorry Dave, I couldn't resist. May this be the first engine to be defect free. Good luck and hope it's everything you wanted. I talked to Pat about this, and our biggest concern was whether these locomotives would be prone to forgetting their programmed engine ID's. The black bonnet paint-scheme is tried and true, and Lionel isn't exactly reinventing the wheel with a GP-35 locomotive. So we're keeping our fingers crossed that these midnight beauties won't be susceptible to forgetting who they are!!! I plan to check that out fast as soon as these gems hit the layout. Stay tuned.... We shall see.....
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Post by Country Joe on Sept 23, 2019 17:52:49 GMT
Good luck with these new Legacy locomotives, David. I hope they are not just problem free but better than you expect.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 23, 2019 21:37:02 GMT
David, I have faith in the GP35's that will land on your doorstep will run the way they should. I am not at liberty to say who but I have been told that a certain manufacturer is trying very hard to eliminate some of the issues they have been having.
Best of Luck.
Gary.
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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 24, 2019 19:46:42 GMT
Well folks, the GP-35's arrived yesterday afternoon, and I just unpacked them to give them a test run on the layout. These Black Bonnets LOOK fabulous.... BUT unfortunately, Lionel must still be of the ilk that we unpack these puppies and just place them on a display shelf and stare at them all day long, gooing goo-goo, ga-ga over them. WRONG! We do actually OPERATE what we buy nowadays. And given Lionel's quality problems lately, I test EVERYTHING nowadays before the dealer's return window expires.Bottom line... I've been unable to re-program the engine ID's on these GP-35 locomotives the way I normally would. The road numbers on these locomotives are 2333, 2334 and 2335. So I planned to reprogram the powered units to Engine #33 and #34, respectively. And then create a Legacy "TRain" (lash-up), so I could control both locomotives as a double-header with the CAB2. But no matter how many times I tried, I was unable to reprogram EITHER powered unit. Not a good sign, indeed. If I could re-program one but not the other, I'd write it off to a bad switch or bad board. But the fact that BOTH locomotives couldn't be reprogrammed smells like the "addressing problem" has reared its ugly head again on these GP-35 locomotives. BTW, locomotive #2335 is a non-powered unit, and Lionel has made it as dumb as they could get away with nowadays. These dummy units don't even have pick-up rollers for interior lighting or circuitry to allow the dummy to participate in a lash-up with proper headlight/taillight operations. Also no smoke and no electro-couplers either. So these Black Bonnet dummies are truly $300 boxcars. All I can say is I'm SO glad I didn't pre-order ANYTHING from Lionel's latest catalog. How many different locomotives are gonna have this addressing problem, before somebody at Lionel takes it seriously? I can understand this problem happening ONCE with ONE production-run of locomotives. But this is not a new problem for Lionel. And let's be real... reprogramming engine ID's has been around since the first days of TMCC. So why can't Lionel get it right in 2019? Sorry, but there's just no excuse for this kind of shoddy production. I've been so disgusted by this experience, I haven't even photographed these locomotives yet. I find it strangely ironic that I was just able to re-program a simple motorized unit like Lionel's TMCC Trackmobiles last week without any problems. Yet with these GP-35's, it's like we're living in perpetual Groundhog Day. And Lionel just doesn't know how to get things right anymore. David
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2019 20:21:16 GMT
HOLY CRAP. Sound like the switch either isn’t wired, connector not plugged in, or in the wrong socket.
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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 24, 2019 20:36:53 GMT
Exactly, Gary. This is precisely the same problem exhibited with Lionel's Alco PA's earlier this year. And it's rumored to have been THE reason Lionel held the VisionLine Challengers for an extra round of inspection in North Carolina this Summer. Those are just two examples off the top of my head that I can name. Don't ask me how I can make jokes about this, but I suppose things could have been worse here.... at least these boxes did NOT have Lionel's "quality inspection" sticker on them!!! No kidding.....
This does not bode well for products still due out later this year. When is Lionel gonna get their act together? Or do they even care anymore?
David
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Post by laz57 on Sept 24, 2019 21:00:03 GMT
Sorry to here about the problems you are having with the Black Bonnets. I hate hearing about things like this, I just hope they start getting things right and stop cutting corners if they are. I am looking forward to the NYC Hudson’s but I will have my fingers crossed. Hope you get Lionel to resolve this for you. Good Luck DAVID.
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Post by MichRR714 on Sept 24, 2019 21:43:59 GMT
I'd like to know who at Lionel is responsible for production control in China?
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Post by Pennsy484 on Sept 24, 2019 22:55:39 GMT
Well, that is disappointing. getting RA's and sending stuff back for repair is so annoying. Good luck.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2019 23:01:22 GMT
This afternoon I was reading John Roland’s comments an another forum about his luck with Big Orange. His tales defy belief except he mentioned the amount that he had spent.
There is a way to prevent this nonsense. We have done it with one exception and Steve Nelson said that he would check that product before it goes out.
Just do not buy Lionel. And if you buy from Scott Mann there is a much smaller storage problem since his engines cost more. You kill two birds with one stone and can enjoy it.
David I wish you the best in getting this taken care of. It has got to be disappointing and a tremendous waste of time.
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Post by rockymountaineer on Sept 25, 2019 0:45:30 GMT
Thanks to a comment Gunrunner John (GRJ) made over on the MTF when we were discussing the programming problems I encountered earlier today with the Black Bonnet GP-35's, I believe the issue is now behind me (for now)... but I still don't understand EXACTLY why the reprogramming procedures weren't working earlier.
When I mentioned that regardless of the position of the RUN/PGM switch, the locos would fire up with their Railsounds, John seemed to think that might be a TMCC signal issue.... which got me thinking.... those GP-35 locomotives were on the same mainline track as about 16 illuminated (LED) passenger cars. Aside from those passenger cars, that loop of track was clear, and the parallel mainline track was powered down. So I removed ALL the illuminated passenger cars from the mainline loop, and then re-attempted the reprogramming procedure. VOILLA!!! With the illuminated passenger cars removed from the track and the GP35 RUN/PGM switch set to PGM, the GP35 was quiet as a mouse until I hit the SET button on the CAB-2 after entering the new engine ID... at which time I received the confirmation horn toot. I then slide the RUN/PGM switch back to RUN, and the locomotive responded to its new Engine ID. After reprogramming the other powered units engine ID, I was subsequently able to create a Legacy Lashup using the CAB-2. And all is well now.
Again, I'm still puzzled as to why I ran into trouble reprogramming the engine ID's with all those lit passenger cars on the track with the new locomotive. And I've certainly reprogrammed engine ID's before with rolling stock on nearby track. But for some reason, these GP-35's seemed particularly sensitive to being re-programmed in the midst of a crowded track. I recall DCS having some sensitivities when introducing new locomotives into the DCS handheld, but I had never run into this kind of issue with Lionel Legacy or TMCC. Some guys would even have a standalone piece of track on the layout, where they would introduce a new locomotive in the DCS environment on that special track -- void of all interference on the main layout. In my case, I have one simple loop of track on the layout, where I often introduce DCS locomotives. But I've never had to do that with Legacy/TMCC -- until now. So perhaps I'll reprogram Lionel Legacy engine ID's on that simple loop of track from this point onward too.
I know I've reprogrammed new Lionel Legacy locos on a "busy" layout with lots of rolling stock before... and been successful doing it. So this was a first for me as to why these new GP-35's seem so sensitive.
We shall see.... stay tuned.... I'll keep you all posted if I find out any further information.
David
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