Is it just me or is anybody else scratching their heads and saying, “What are they thinking?” I would never buy a set of passenger cars or a steam locomotive with a tender that said Luxury Lines.
Williams would be much better off putting a real railroad’s name, if they can’t use Lionel Lines for it’s nostalgic value.
Just my opinion. What do you think.
BTW, I just got the new Williams catalog, and except for this one point…It’s a fine catalog with alot of nice things.
Skip
Skip,
I agree. I’d rather see NYC or even “Williams” instead of Luxury lines. But I guess they feel that since luxury and Lionel both begin with L and have six letters each…
I’d guess that it wouldn’t be hard to eradicate the Luxury Lines text and replace ith with dry transfer or rubber stamped Lionel Lines.
Jim
I dunno - just to be contrary, I don’t mind it. Then again, I can barely see the level of detailing or station stops listed on the rollers on my beloved trolleys…
I too am vaguely bothered by “Luxury Lines.” I can’t really say why. I don’t think “Williams Lines” would bother me nearly as much.
Does anyone know how the “Luxury Lines” stuff sells? I feel a little sorry for Williams when I see it, because I have sort of a negative reaction to it (again for no good reason). But their recent catalogue is absolutely chock full of the stuff, so I would assume SOMEONE’s buying it. Right?
Personally, I don’t care for “Luxury Lines.” Then again, I never cared for “Lionel Lines” either, much preferring either a real railroad (Pennsylvania, B&O, Santa Fe, etc) or a left blank so I could add my own decals or leave generic.
The other two things I am less-than-enthusiastic about are the Johnny-one-note horns and whistles (long-long-short-long sequence only) and the size of their freight cars – nothing in Lionel 6464-series sizes, as I see it; and the catalog is inaccurate regarding at least some dimensional specs. I do like all the road names…
Other than that, I just love Williams, especially the Golden Memories locomotives. They’re relatively inexpensive and they run and run and run and I don’t have apoplexy when a kid touches one of them.
Doug,
You’re always so contrary! [;)]
Jim
Seems to me Williams is trying to look like Lionel on this one. I agree why not Williams Lines, and be your own compny,not try to ct the part of some other company.
laz57
It’s an odd thing. “Lionel Lines” doesn’t bother me nearly as much. My father’s 726 Berk is obviously labeled that way, as is my PWC bay window caboose (the latter is kind of nice, because as most know it’s a pretty cool looking caboose that works with almost any consist).
I guess my disquiet is because “LUXURY LINES” is so cleary intended to evoke “LIONEL LINES,” yet equally clearly does nothing of the sort.
I love seeing Lionel Lines on cars and tenders. But Luxury Lines just seems weird to me. I’d just cover it over if I had any.
I’d also agree with the Truesounds comment. I’d much rather have an air whistle or old style horn in the Golden Memory series. One that will sound as long as the button is pressed. The same sound every time gets old after a while.
Jim
Luxury Lines doesn’t really bother me. Obviously, they are trying to evoke Lionel Lines and I guess they thought Williams Lines didn’t cut it, for some reason.
I’ve got Luxury Lines on my Williams UP Set And Lionel Lines on my Great Lakes Express.
It doesn’t bother me either way… Both are toys, Probably made in the same factory[;)]
Luxury Lines always struck me as truly weird, evoking nothing meaningful except that Williams had a failure of the imagination. Maybe they thought “Williams Lines” would put people off? I think “Williams Lines” would sound much prouder and more accurate and I would suggest they go ahead and do it. Williams has been around a long time, and should be justly proud of their history and product, just as Lionel should be.
When Williams was blatantly ripping off Lionel postwar advertising copy in recent years, without permission or acknowledgement, I thought they might want to relabel those cars “Larceny Lines :).” I didn’t buy any Williams during this period as a form of protest, however modest.
In recent ads, Williams has acknowledged the origin of their reproduction toys as Lionel’s products, and ceased using advertising copy that properly belonged to their competitor, Lionel, a change that is much to their credit. They’re back in my personal good graces and I recently purchased some Williams for the first time in a few years. I’d be much more likely to buy cars marked “Williams Lines” than “Luxury Lines,” for the reasons mentioned above.
The words " Luxury Lines " , were on Lionel 0-27 passenger cars and tenders. Also, on some Lionel aluminum passenger cars. Those words have been around for quite some time. Personally, I have no problem with them. As the saying goes…" If you don’t like it, then don’t buy it ".
Are you SURE about that, Chuck?
Chuck is 100% dead on– Luxury Lines can be found on some Lionel Post War passenger cars.
Kevin T.
Get outta town! I don’t believe you guys!
I’m not from Missouri, but to believe this, you’re gonna have to show me anyway.
“Luxury Lines” on post war stuff? What cars? Numbers? I never saw any like that!
Why doesn’t Williams just put “Pullman” on the passenger cars? That’d work.
I was born at night, but not last night. Is April Fool’s Day just now making its way to Alaska?
first I 've heard of that myself