I need some opinions here…I am a marklin train hobbiest and have a HO scale set up. My son is turning 10 next month and wants to start the hobby for himself. He originally asked us for the Marklin Hogwarts Express Digital train set for his birthday to get started. Now that Lionel has offered an O scale Polar Express set up he has changed his mind and is asking for that one if we can find it. After reading the posts here I am not sure if this train would be the best for him to start off with if he is going to run into problems with the operation and become disinterested in the hobby. For those of you who have this set, if a 10 yr old boy was to get it and try to set it up himself with some guidance from me is it going to hold up and will he get years of enjoyment and be able to add to the set in years to come. I received my first marklin set back in the 70’s and it still is going strong so I personally feel the marklin quality is great, but I want my son to get the set he really wants. He may change his mind again if he know there are problems with this train.
My son is 10 years old and he loves playing with our new Polar Express Set. The only problem with the set is the ornamental whistle that comes with the locomotive. It is small and fragile. Mine broke off the first day. The set still looks good and works fine. Only on close inspection can you even notice the whistle is gone.
I talked to Lionel this week and they will be shipping me a new whistle soon (It is currently backordered).
The set has nice track and a great transformer. The articulated people can be attached to the locomotive or to the tops of the cars. These figures add nice additional play value for a passenger set. The coloring of the engine and cars match well the colors in the book. With the movie coming out tomorrow, these sets will probably disapear fast.
Regards,
Tim Pignatari
If you don’t mind the minor things breaking off, it should be nice. As for the availability issue, i bet there will be a drop in demand after the movie hasd been out for a while, so that is the time to buy. Dealers will restock for christmas if lionel produces more of them.
P.S.[#welcome]
Looking at previews of the movie, doesn’t the train fly through the air and go into water? I hope the kids don’t try to copy the antics of the train with their own set.
I just read a couple of very unfavorable reviews of the movie. The one on the CNN website (http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/Movies/11/10/review.polar.express/index.html) is titled, “‘Polar Express’ a creepy ride/Technology brilliant, but where’s the heart and soul?”
I just want the set because you get a full-fledged steam passenger set, a nice transformer, ect
Well, movie reviews are certainly subjective - Roger Ebert positively glowed with enthusiasm about PE in this morning’s Sun Times. I’ll read the Trib tonight. And can’t wait to see it. It would be fun as others noted to experiment with some of the movies effects - ‘hiding’ the track in snow - some kind of crazy helix for its ‘179 degree grade’
I hope to see the movie this weekend. As for the book, the train travels through a dark forest with wolves and over a mountain on the way to the North Pole in addition to running down the middle of your street. No water scences. I would imagine the writers had to add a lot to make a full lenght movie out of such a short book. It will be interseting to see where they added on. My Polar Express set came with four charactors, two of which I recognize from the book (the boy and conductor). I will have to wait for the movie to identify the other two charactors.
Regards,
Tim Pignatari
Roger gives the movie four stars.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041109/REVIEWS/41006005
What a great American!!!
My wife just dropped a few hints yesterday that she would like this set for our tree layout this year. Unfortunately if you want one for this Christmas it will cost you a bundle. I can’t believe the prices they are going for on E-Bay. I haven’t found any dealers that have any in stock. C’est la vie. [censored] Hope the couch isn’t to lumpy.[(-D]
They are being offered on Ebay for the low low price of $499. Doug take the money and buy a new couch so you can sleep better.
Go to Lands End. Their web site says they have it in stock and it is still only $249.00
Put POLAR in the search field and it comes right up. Hope you (the reader) get one !
Merry Christmas!
It’s my understanding that the last of the production run is in transit from China. However demand, I assume, has been much better than anticipated, I was told that a second production run is being geared up for delivery when the movie is released on DVD.
P.S. I am not about to pay an outrageous premium price for anything. MSRP only no additional markup !!!. [|(]
To Algonquin
You mentioned in one of your posts that your (and just about everyone elses) whistle broke off the Polar Express engine. You also said that you called Lionel and that they were going to send you a replacement. Did you just call them and tell them that it broke off and ask for a replacement?
Obviously mine broke off too. I think the “lift out” ribbon was placed right over it and it broke as I was taking it out of the box [:(!] I got the set for my sons room and would like to fix it.
On another topic, did your engine take a long time to start smoking??? When I first got the set I set it up on my dining room table and got it running. I let it run for about 20 minutes with just the engine and tender car and there was no smoke (yes I put in the drops). I put a New York Central engine (first time running it also) on and put in the drops and it started smoking almost immediatly. I started getting concerned that the smoke unit was broke. I looked down into the smoke stack and could see what looked like a piece of rope down inside. I thought that maybe it had soaked up all the fluid I had put in so I added more. Still no smoke. I wasnt sure if that piece of “rope” was supposed to be there so I stuck a toothpic in to see if it moved but it didnt. While looking in the stack I noticed that it looked dry again so I added some more fluid and set the engine up on just the terminal section and proped up the front of it so the drive wheels couldnt reach the track. I started it running at about 80% for about another 10 minutes and finally it started to smoke from the stack and a little bit from under the smoke unit (i guess I added to much smoke fluid).
Just wondering if anyone else had the same trouble. I dont have the set running yet. Im getting the track for the setup this weekend (about 40’)
Matthew
babalouie76,
My engine took awhile to start smoking too. It seemed really reluctant to do anything so I put it on my big layout with about a dozen Christmas freight cars behind it and let it run at a pretty good speed for about 15 minutes before I saw any smoke. Now it smokes on the set’s loop of track pulling only the 3 cars, but it’s not a lot - I have to look carefully to see it. The smell tells me it’s working though.
Hi Mathew,
I initially contacted Lionel by e-mail through their tech support link on there web site. I explained it just as I stated above in my first repy to this topic. Lionel has been very good replacing parts that break on new production pieces. I am sure they will replace yours also. Note that the part is on backorder and Lionel will ship them out as soon as they get them.
The smoke unit needs a good deal of voltage for the smoke to really get going. Running the engine slowly with only the three cars attached does not require much voltage. I like to set mine in neutral at high voltage for about a minute and then start her and I get some nice smoke. This is similar to what I do with most of my postwar and MPC steamers also.
Regards,
Tim Pignatari
I just ordered this set from Lands End for 249.00. I believe they still have them.
I ordered my set months ago from Charlie Ro, payed around $200 for it. If it runs well it will be worth the money. I don’t buy much Lionel now, Williams trains are my first choice.
I can’t believe anyone would pay nearly $500 on ebay, talk about a ripoff. I also can’t believe that Lionel didn’t gear up for a large production of sets for sale at stores like Toys R Us. In fact I stopped by a Toys R Us last weekend and they did not have a single Lionel set, talk about missing the boat (from you know where). Maybe they didn’t want to sell many sets so they wouldn’t have the money to pay Mike Wolf for ripping him off. Anyway enjoy the set, I have to wait for Christmas to get mine.
douellet
mmmmm,crunchy trains![:P]
Brio seems to be on top of things.
http://www.latoys.com/brio/images/32501-polar-express-set.jpg
I wonder if they are having trouble meeting demand.