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Post by harborbelt70 on May 13, 2020 11:47:46 GMT
In addition to the Lionel Trump diesel mentioned in another thread, which is uncatalogued but being offered by multiple dealers, I had an email circular from Nassau Hobbies yesterday offering a Lionel GE Evo #2010 in the original color scheme:  Apparently this is a limited run of something like 2 dozen models. At first, unlike the Trump model, there was no description of the feature set in the circular or Nassau’s website. Now one’s appeared and confirms that this has a standard Legacy, sound, light and smoke package. I noticed that the artwork in the circular appeared to be Lionel’s but unlike the VL version of this model did not include the prototype’s charging light feature, as shown in the VL catalogue entry:  Sure enough, that feature is not listed. MTH has done that feature to death in its version of the Evo Hybrid but I really don’t get the point of a model priced at nearly $500 that does not include it. The Lionel version has more prototypical bodywork than MTH and the Evo color scheme is impressive to say the least if executed correctly (as both Lionel and MTH have done in the past). But this offering does not grab my interest and I don’t understand the thinking behind it. Don’t get me wrong, I think that special runs are a very good thing but there are more appealing ones out there including from Lionel. Example: Mr Muffin is offering a Legacy UP E9 A-A set with both units powered and the bodywork done to model the UP #949 and #951 that have been restored for museum/excursion duty:   |
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2020 12:40:50 GMT
The new limited release of a Lionel Legacy GE EVO is a good idea in my opinion. The paint scheme and colors are awesome!! Too bad it will only be a couple of dozen models. They really should install the charging lights on it as well. I would like to see Lionel issue some rolling stock the way MTH did for their version as well. As for the U.P. E9's they would be welcomed as well.
Gary.
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Post by harborbelt70 on May 13, 2020 12:54:11 GMT
The new limited release of a Lionel Legacy GE EVO is a good idea in my opinion. The paint scheme and colors are awesome!! Too bad it will only be a couple of dozen models. They really should install the charging lights on it as well. I would like to see Lionel issue some rolling stock the way MTH did for their version as well. As for the U.P. E9's they would be welcomed as well. Gary. Yeah, MTH did a lot of EVO-themed rolling stock, some with LED features, that went very well with the engines. I should have nabbed more of it at the time!
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Post by Country Joe on May 13, 2020 14:36:28 GMT
If MTH can put charging lights on a Railking model there is no reason that Lionel couldn't put them on a Legacy model.
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Post by harborbelt70 on May 13, 2020 15:17:56 GMT
If MTH can put charging lights on a Railking model there is no reason that Lionel couldn't put them on a Legacy model. Fair point. Lionel created this feature but has never issued any model with it since the VL Evos. I would guess that they are not willing/able to include it in a very small production run. I can't imagine that there is any doubt that the current version of Legacy control boards can support it - although I suppose it might require a PCB that Lionel doesn't currently produce. Equally likely this relates to the price point/profit margin at which Lionel and the dealer are intending to sell these. Anyway, much as I like the Evo scheme this version has no appeal.
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2020 15:28:42 GMT
If MTH can put charging lights on a Railking model there is no reason that Lionel couldn't put them on a Legacy model. Fair point. Lionel created this feature but has never issued any model with it since the VL Evos. I would guess that they are not willing/able to include it in a very small production run. I can't imagine that there is any doubt that the current version of Legacy control boards can support it - although I suppose it might require a PCB that Lionel doesn't currently produce. Equally likely this relates to the price point/profit margin at which Lionel and the dealer are intending to sell these. Anyway, much as I like the Evo scheme this version has no appeal. Sure would have been nice if they made the darker blue and green Legacy version a die cast VL version. Those two together would have looked FANTASTIC!! Would have been the logical step to take. Gary.
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Post by harborbelt70 on May 13, 2020 17:26:28 GMT
I agree again but the fully featured VL version was comparatively early Legacy (2009-10) and they don’t use the same boards any more, which were actually largely TMCC-based rather than the current all-in-one models. I would not expect any more die cast ES44ACs or any re-issue of the VL sound and smoke features (so the fact that you and I both have the VL Evo is very fortunate for us).
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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2020 1:33:01 GMT
The original VL GEVO is an amazing model especially since its diecast. I have 5 of those locos and I love them all. The plastic ones Lionel has done just dont do the originals justice. Lionel must have lost the ES44 diecast tooling or wore it out
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Post by rockymountaineer on May 14, 2020 3:19:43 GMT
I agree again but the fully featured VL version was comparatively early Legacy (2009-10) and they don’t use the same boards any more, which were actually largely TMCC-based rather than the current all-in-one models. I would not expect any more die cast ES44ACs or any re-issue of the VL sound and smoke features (so the fact that you and I both have the VL Evo is very fortunate for us). I have two of those early die-casts models... the BNSF #6431 and the Canadian Pacific VL hybrid. They're great models, but I'm wondering if the technology treadmill hasn't obsoleted them by now -- as cool as they were. Are spare "older" electronic boards available anymore? As folks are noting, new Legacy boards are now quite different from the electronics in the earlier models. Gives one pause to think -- especially how expensive those earlier models crept WAY into the stratosphere. I wouldn't get caught up in that price game anymore for those models -- no matter how "great" they were in their day. Too many alternatives out there today that are better price/performers. And I say that owning two of the earlier diecast models. They're good... but not $1,500+ good. Just keepin' it real, folks.
If I'm not mistaken, I recall reading a couple of years ago that Nassau Hobbies purchased the remaining inventory of die-cast ES44 shells from Lionel, when Lionel liquidated its older parts supply.
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Post by harborbelt70 on May 14, 2020 9:33:51 GMT
You're right about Nassau scooping up many of Lionel's diesel shells, which they announced just over a year ago. Looking at what was disclosed as available at the time (you can't access the inventory online and had to call), they included die cast VL Genset and Evo shells, but which ones was not said. The shells are of no interest to me personally - unless of course I had a disaster with one or the other of the two VL Evos I have.
Electronics are more of a concern. Certain of the parts like the Railsounds power board are "universal" TMCC and more specialized parts like PCBs are still shown as available on Lionelsupport.com. Not all of these are available without calling Lionel first.
Unfortunately, one of the parts that is shown as unavailable is the RCDR radio board, shown as Code S02. That is a bummer; it's a part that might fail and I am not sure how repairable it is.
I still think that the VL Evos are the finest model diesels Lionel has ever made or probably will ever make. They were half the cost of what they came to command in the secondary market.
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