Hopefully BLI will make a decent version of this unit (I’m surprised they haven’t being that it is a popular steamer)
Bachmann has dibs on the GS-4. The Spectrum version was going to cost $200 and was supposed be out in 2003.The release date has been pushed back to summer 2005 and the price will surely be higher.[V]
Hello AggroJones,
Good to read from you.
I don’t understand how these agreements work. Bachmann has dibs on the GS-4–How does that work? Will it be sound equipped? Does the manufacturer get permission and licensing from the railroad and then go from there?
I’m just thinking that BLI would make an excellent model compared to Bachmann. Perhaps I’m being too judgmental but so far BLI has done a remarkable job on their steamers, in spite of a few problems here and there. (I guess in this case Union Pacific—oooh boy! I can see the shivers going up some people’s backs!).
I forecasted this exit way back before Lionel produced their first HO locomotive. I said then that they couldn’t make in the HO market because of the competition. Would they listen, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
If I have the story straight, the lawsuit filed by MTH against Lionel (and won) was for stealing proprietory data, like locomotive designs and market assessments. It is possible that Lionel based their entry into HO on less than accurate data. Also, a company the size of Lionel will stagger under the burden of paying the 40.7 million dollar settlement to MTH and this might have influenced their strategic withdrawal from the small train market. Those directly involved with the mess covered in the lawsuit are not longer with Lionel, they did get their walking papers. I just hope Lionel is sufficiently financially solvent to withstand the enormity of the settlement against them
Tom
I bought my first Lionel at a estate sale about 10 years ago. It was a GS-4 SP Daylight. Being a SP fan, I was so excited about buying this locomotive, I went home ran it a couple a times, then it started making noises in the motor. I took it apart, and I can’t believe Lionel put this tiny little slot car motor in it, it’s not a square open motor or cheap can motor, but a side motor inbedded in the weight of the locomotive! I was going to buy a bowser pacific and modify it, but it was cheaper buying a Bachman Plus SP GS-4. And when I received it, What a difference! Real Motor, much better pulling power! The Lionel is almost identical, except for the mouse motor, plastic tender wheels and no pickups on the tender. I still have the Lionel box and locomotive.
No. There is no real agreement. Its just that if a manufacutre does somthing accurately and sucessful, then other manufactures might leave it at that. Unless they feel their version can beat it. Like BLI announcing the N&W J even though Bachmann Spectrum released 2 versions recently. Hardcore N&W fans bitched about the red stripe being the wrong tone. And apparently somthing is whack with the tender draw bar. I guess BLI thinks they can beat the Spectrum version.
No one else is going to come along with another C&O Allegheny. The Rivarossi one is too bomb.
I didn’t hear anything about the Spectrum GS-4 coming with sound. I hope not. If I’m still around I’d like to be able to afford one.
lionel is a toy train maker, all of their “o” gauge trains are toys. i have one of their old alco fa’s, and it’s a toy. they’re getting out of “ho”? YAY !!! good bye !!
MTH will be successful in HO where Lionel failed. MTH HO products are 100% compatable w/NMRA DCC standard (I read the brochure). If what MTH has done in the
very competative O gauge market is any indication. They will eventually OWN the majority of the HO locomotive market and everyone will benefit from it. Just watch.
Lionel picked two engines that did’t have wide appeal. A group of USRA patterned locomotives like a Pacific,Mikado,0-8-0 … would of been a lot better. Blame it again on Lionel arrogance.
I hope Mike decides to get into N.
By the way, the Lionel HO GS4 manufactured in the 70’s was a sister engine to the Bachmann model. Both were manufactured by Kader ind. in Hong Kong. Kader is a major manufacturer of model trains today. They own Bachmann, Mainline, Spectrum,
Liliput among others.
MTH has its own factory in Korea and the fit an finish of the Premier and Railking engines I have are flawless. We are talking beyond brass quality/detail at a good price.
Why pay 300.00 dollars for a locomotive when you can get the same Model for just under 100.00 Dollars at some place else! Common sence.
Good entry loco- a scale USRA 0-6-0 or a Mike (hopefully $100 & $150 respectively)
Scotty4,
Although Lionel has and still does produce their fair share of toy train locomotives and rolling stock, comparing your 50 year old engine to one produced in the last 5 years isn’t quite a fair comparison. Lionel has produced some excellent full scale models in that time period, so nice, in fact, that two rail O scale publications are now publishing articles on how to convert them to two rail O scale. Their recently released F-3s(newly tooled, not the ones that have been made since 1949), GP-30s, Milk Cars, flat cars, and high end steam locomotives have almost the same level of detail available on the very highly regarded Atlas locomotives.
First of all, BLI started out with highend models of some of the less modeled roads,
N&W and NYC. Yes they do produce some of the jillions of up and sp models now,
but most discrimanate to the more less manufactured prototypes. In the HO market there is room for only two high end companies, these are BLI and Rivarossi.
MTH will be releasing it’s K4 at the same time BLI is releasing it’s K4.
MTH will go the way of alco in the HO world, just like lionel.
BLI is nice! But come on…[:p]
Rivarossi high end??? Like 30–40 year old tooling and 25yr old noisy drives. How can one compare that to Marklin,Fleischmann,Kato,Atlas,Lifelike Heritage…
I know first hand what MTH did to the O gauge world. He will eventually own the HO high end market, he has his own tooling and manufacturing. [:D]