Post by firewood on Jan 22, 2023 20:27:48 GMT
Our family Christmas tree has had a Lionel 027 Polar Express set trundling around it for over ten years. I don't know how much life that little motor has left, and my family must have heard me mumbling. Two of them decided to decided to forego sweat pants and/or socks as a gift, and surprised me with a Lionel battery-powered Hogwarts 4-6-0 set - "Something new for around the tree," they said. 
Well, leave all the high-end BTO aside - these sets are sold everywhere, including Amazon, bookstores seeking extra revenue and elsewhere. They're under $100 USD on sale from Lionel's Amazon store. In comparison, their O Gauge starter sets are around the $400 mark.
To be honest, I was impressed. Would these be good hobby entry sets? They're not O Gauge, they run on plastic sectional track, plus they need six C batteries plus batteries for the remote...hmmm...
Well, from a family point of view Lionel has produced an affordable train set... good.
The box is highly portable...good.
No multiple styrofoam packing pieces (that always go back together badly)...good.
All the instructions are printed on the box, no paperwork inside to lose....good.
Inside is a plastic main box with a clear plastic cover that fits over it - that's all, it slides out with no unpacking struggle whatsoever.
In the main container is a remote control, a track bundle, a locomotive and tender plus two passenger cars.
I realized that the whole premise was the KISS principle - open box, take out trains, run them, done.
These sets may be a really positive experience for first time train buyers, and a decent alternative to the cheesier discount store battery sets. As Lionel states, they are indeed "Ready To Play".
The Hogwarts locomotive is a compressed representation of a British Great Western 4-6-0 as seen at Platform 9 3/4 in the Harry Potter movies. The passenger cars are also styled in a British pattern.
So what's the track gauge? Well, I tried G scale/Gauge 1 45mm...no good, too narrow.
I have some old Standard Gauge track so I thought Lionel had resurrected SG track in plastic.
Almost but not quite - the plastic track is Gauge 2. That's 2", NOT 2 1/8" Standard Gauge tinplate.
I checked some Standard Gauge pages on Facebook, and several of these Ready-To-Play sets have been neatly converted to Standard by Mr. Steve Eastman.
Good food for tinplate-runner thought - but why yet another track gauge, Lionel? 2" gauge was used by the antique Carlisle & Finch and Voltamp brands, but that's comparing apples and oranges.
The batteries are loaded in a cartridge that slides into the boiler through the hinged boiler backhead. Two switches, one on top of the boiler and one on the remote are turned on. The track is connected and laid around the tree, then you're off and running. You're sitting comfortably in your easy chair, remote control in hand. (If you can get it from the kids...
)
I would seek out rechargeable C batteries, however. What the longevity might be on these sets I don't know, but the tinkering possibilities are there. I'm even kicking around an idea - can I cannibalize these cheaper sets for their battery remote control systems and fit it to O gauge? See how this starts?
Lionel likely has some brand recognition with the sets, even as a licensed movie product. It'll be interesting to see if any future hobbyists will have these easy-to-use trains as their hobby entry.
Dave
Lionel Hogwarts battery set.
Old Lionel Std. Ga. track with Hogwarts car.
Lionel plastic 2" gauge with Hogwarts car.
Old Std Ga vs. new Lionel 2 Gauge track comparison.
Well, leave all the high-end BTO aside - these sets are sold everywhere, including Amazon, bookstores seeking extra revenue and elsewhere. They're under $100 USD on sale from Lionel's Amazon store. In comparison, their O Gauge starter sets are around the $400 mark.
To be honest, I was impressed. Would these be good hobby entry sets? They're not O Gauge, they run on plastic sectional track, plus they need six C batteries plus batteries for the remote...hmmm...
Well, from a family point of view Lionel has produced an affordable train set... good.
The box is highly portable...good.
No multiple styrofoam packing pieces (that always go back together badly)...good.
All the instructions are printed on the box, no paperwork inside to lose....good.
Inside is a plastic main box with a clear plastic cover that fits over it - that's all, it slides out with no unpacking struggle whatsoever.
In the main container is a remote control, a track bundle, a locomotive and tender plus two passenger cars.
I realized that the whole premise was the KISS principle - open box, take out trains, run them, done.
These sets may be a really positive experience for first time train buyers, and a decent alternative to the cheesier discount store battery sets. As Lionel states, they are indeed "Ready To Play".
The Hogwarts locomotive is a compressed representation of a British Great Western 4-6-0 as seen at Platform 9 3/4 in the Harry Potter movies. The passenger cars are also styled in a British pattern.
So what's the track gauge? Well, I tried G scale/Gauge 1 45mm...no good, too narrow.
I have some old Standard Gauge track so I thought Lionel had resurrected SG track in plastic.
Almost but not quite - the plastic track is Gauge 2. That's 2", NOT 2 1/8" Standard Gauge tinplate.
I checked some Standard Gauge pages on Facebook, and several of these Ready-To-Play sets have been neatly converted to Standard by Mr. Steve Eastman.
Good food for tinplate-runner thought - but why yet another track gauge, Lionel? 2" gauge was used by the antique Carlisle & Finch and Voltamp brands, but that's comparing apples and oranges.
The batteries are loaded in a cartridge that slides into the boiler through the hinged boiler backhead. Two switches, one on top of the boiler and one on the remote are turned on. The track is connected and laid around the tree, then you're off and running. You're sitting comfortably in your easy chair, remote control in hand. (If you can get it from the kids...
)I would seek out rechargeable C batteries, however. What the longevity might be on these sets I don't know, but the tinkering possibilities are there. I'm even kicking around an idea - can I cannibalize these cheaper sets for their battery remote control systems and fit it to O gauge? See how this starts?
Lionel likely has some brand recognition with the sets, even as a licensed movie product. It'll be interesting to see if any future hobbyists will have these easy-to-use trains as their hobby entry.
Dave
Lionel Hogwarts battery set.
Old Lionel Std. Ga. track with Hogwarts car.
Lionel plastic 2" gauge with Hogwarts car.
Old Std Ga vs. new Lionel 2 Gauge track comparison.
