Lionel packaging strikes again

Jim,

I could hear the parts rolling around when I started opening the box. Had that funny feeling I wasn’t going to like what I would find when I opened it.

Definitely check.

I dropped an email to Lionel asking if they could supply a new pilot assembly. Not much hope in that, but worth’s try...

Tom

I would say higher prices and lower quality. Lionel has elevated to my s*** list.

Tom,

Sorry you had this happen, really sucks the fun out of buying a new loco.

With Lionel, poor quality and unboxing disappointments have become a regular occurrence over the last few years, it seems to be getting worse not better. Over the last few years Lionel has screwed up regularly, in almost every way possible.

For the last few years I haven’t ordered any new Lionel, and I won’t until I stop hearing of these disasters.

There is no lifeguard on duty over at Lionel, enter the water at your own risk.

I've had a similar experience but in my case I am pretty sure that the fault was not in the packaging itself but how the item was put in it at the factory. I grant you that Lionel's new packaging for things like passenger cars is undoubtedly cheaper and less effective than what they used to provide but broken parts when there is no sign of external damage to the shipping carton or the packaging within it smells to me like some factory flunky just jamming the model in the box. Once it's sealed no one is the wiser until it gets to the consumer.

In my case there was also damage to/breakage of a pilot but also internal parts floating around in the box. So I am pretty sure that this originated at the factory. A year or so back, Ryan K. solemnly pronounced that Lionel was getting a grip on issues like this but obviously they haven't.

Well, yes - Atlas is still around in O scale and produce some good stuff but frankly for what I want (and have space for) in the rolling stock department, there are still nice K-Line products to be had on the usual auction sites. Dunno about Williams but the market is a shrinking one.

Thanks for all the input guys.

I bought this engine as I like the looks of it. I have the K-Line version, but I figured I would go with an upgraded version. I tested the engine on my test bed and it performed flawlessly. It make the most smoke of any engine I own. The whistle steam is very impressive too.

One good point that Brian made, was that the dealer should inspect the engine before shipping. I suppose they would have done so, if I requested it. I never considered that.

I contacted Lionel and MrMuffins via email last night. I will give them a couple business days before I call them as John suggests. I wasn’t sure if Lionel would sell me parts for a locomotive still under warranty or if they would want me to return it for repairs. I don’t mind fixing myself.

Finally, the tank engine is out of the body shop. I used JB Weld to reattach the ladders. I would rather solder them back on as there isn’t a lot of surface area for the epoxy to hold onto. But they are on and solid for the moment. When I get a new pilot, I will try soldering the old one back together, just to see if I can do it...

Tom