2010 Lionel Catalog

Coincidentally the Lionel catalog (from Lionel the LLC) came out last week as well. It isn't loaded with tinplate however it is loaded with Postwar goodness. I actually cracked this catalog (Signature) readying to be heavily critical and mildly irritated. I wasn't. I was really impressed at the style and content of the catalog.

Again, while not loaded with prewar excitement, Lionel under Jerry Calabrese has really found its' niche and hit its' stride. The two items that struck me most was the 700e and the jet powered passenger train. Lionel also did a great job of integrating some new accessories and K-Line items. Check out the above.

Marc

New MTH/Lionel Tinplate Catalog

Impressive, yes. Do I need to have every item in it? Probably not. But I have to say this is one of the strongest toy train catalogs to come along in almost half a decade. The Brute was a huge step forward in 2009 for MTH/Lionel. The addition of the scale State Cars, some really unique American Flyer sets and the addition of the Blue and Silver Streak are substantial offerings for any company, especially in a fragile economy.

As always, when I see an offering as strong as this one I hope that the catalog has legs beyond us tinplate toy train nuts. I really hope that others will adopt some of the outstanding products offered inside the catalog.

As I've said on this blog before, the opportunity to open a brand new Blue Streak and run it with your son and daughter or grandkids will only happen once in a lifetime. That's one heck of a catalog MTH.

Marc

Interesting way to run O gauge...

I have to hand it to Bluecomets, he's a hoot. He figured out a way to run O gauge track over standard gauge. Ultimately he's probably right, it is probably one of the best ways to run O gauge trains with standard gauge track. Check out the Youtube.



Marc

MTH Ready To Run Catalog

MTH's new Ready to Run catalog is out. While not earth shattering from a Standard Gauge perspective, it's not a bad place to start for a Christmas set. Take a quick look and start holding your breath for the new Lionel Corp. catalog. With MTH saying that most of the catalog will be brand new tinplate, 2010 should be a great year for standard gauge!

Marc