There are statistics on the number of ‘O’-gauge Lionel Polar Express sets sold, but no statistics on the percentage of railroaders that actually have one. So I thought it might be a nice time of year to take a poll.
Please state whether you do or do not have an ‘O’-gauge Polar Express set.
I have one.
Earl
My husband has one.
I have the original set, that I bought new in I think 2005.
i also have the 10th Anniversary FT diesel passenger set.
I have add-on cars for each set.
Sorry, but I haven’t bought one.
I’ve bought multipe Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends sets though.
I don’t, but I think the Polar Express trains, movie, etc. is fantastic. My nephew has an ‘O’-gauge Polar Express set, and adds to it. Thinking of the Polar Express if nothing good is on TV tonight maybe I will watch it. Our Catskill Mountain Railroad will soon begin running their Polar Express.
I don’t have one either. Loved the book, left me in tears, didn’t like the movie, I thought the computer animation was poorly done and downright creepy. I’d have liked it better if it was done live-action with Pere Marquette 1225 playing itself.
With all the other stuff I’ve got I just don’t need the “Polar Express” set, although I have to admit Lionel hit a home run with it.
Polar Express never did much for me. I bought one for the Berkshire locomotive for the grand-kids side of the layout and sold the rest off on e-bay to cover the cost. Ended up with the locomotive for free.
Now my uncle has given me his set to keep for him since he is moving into a senior living place…
Good evening all,
Got one the first year it came out. Should have bought two because they were so in demand I could have sold the second for enough to pay for both of them. Great set and I have a few add on cars. Could not give me the Lion Chief version. Ugh Ugh Ugh. I hope everyone has a good day.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
I got one in 2007 or 2008.
It is the thing that got me back into toy trains. One was sitting in the local hobby shop window that I drove past on my to and from work. Just kept whispering at me until I bought it.
Since then, we’ve developed a 6’ by 9’ Polar Express layout that we put up every year at the KATY museum for a very popular Polar Express kid’s open house. We also set it up for the yearly train show/swap meet in November.
We’ve gotten most of the add ons, as well as a spare Berkshire to swap on and off the layout to provide cool down periods during our all day exhibits.
No, but I did put together a MTH 2-8-2 engine with a 7 car set of Pennsylvania Madison cars for my Granddaughter who was in love with the movie. She loves it.
No, but I have thought of buying one for each of the kids. Back in 2000 Lionel came out with a North Pole Central Berkshire, then they came out with the reindeer add-on cars, I have them all. I also have a bunch of other NPCL stuff for under the tree including the NPCL Zepher. Hope to finally have enough space to have a train garden at Christmas for them all when we move into the new house next year.
bought the LionChef set in 2014 set it up under the Christmas tree every year
Bought the original for my daughter and all the add-on cars. I have a couple of standard guage passenger cars that were disassembled and stripped by a previous owner and will be painted to match just because I liked the one near the end of the movie.
I like the new Bluetooth LionChief PE set with the snow covered passenger cars - very nice! [Y]
You can give a young person an iPad with the LionChief software loaded and BOOM - you just bridged a generation gap!
Happy Holidays!!!
We got the PE set in 2004 and the diesel set about 3 or 4 years ago. It runs around the tree each Christmas season. Everyone who sees it likes it.
At the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis, we build a holiday toy train display every year which features a large S gauge layout and a large G and O gauge layout, plus smaller layouts. For 2018, we’ve added an O gauge Polar Express setup, 5 ft. square, in which the train circles up the mountain three times, then disappears inside and circles back down to the starting point. The upgrade is 3.4 percent, and the downgrade is 5.6 percent, with smooth grade transitions in between. We use a Lionel Type 1033 transformer, which allows two voltage ranges on the same throttle setting. Higher voltage on the upgrade, lower voltage on the downgrade. Hands-free operation, and it works perfectly.
I have the original version with the Trainsounds tender and the add on cars. I still set it up every year. I am thinking about getting the Lionchief/Bluetooth version though. I do like the snow covered roofs and the better looking window detail.
I made my own using a postwar 2026 and modern era 2400 style streamliners. I wouldn’t mind doing one with a Marx loco (clearly a Marx wedge tender) similar to the one in the film. Toy train scene starts at 1:45:
Probably Lionel 600 series cars would look right.
I have the original transformer controlled set, which very rarely comes out, that is for my Princess and her family when she is ready.
I have also the LionChief set. This set sees regular duty every Christmas and once the new layout is up, will see regular duty during the year. I love the fact that it has all the sounds from the movie, fan smoke and chuff. It really was the best bang for the buck when I bought it. Almost sorry I didn’t wait for the 10th Anniversary set.
I do have all the cars, save the disappearing Hobo and the new Skiing Hobo car. I had been toying with getting the announcement car for the conventional set, but I’m too cheap…lol
Finally got one last year when there was the blow out sale at Kohls on-line sale. Also bought the 2 add-ons they offered, even though they didn’t match the new snow-on-roof variety. (announcement car and diner)
Bought the diner and disappearing hobo with the new snow roofs from a recent catalog, but I am not trying to buy all the add-ons. Way too many cars to pull all at once with that starter set engine, I think.