Has anyone actually SEEN or purchased the K-Line Superstreets system? My nearest dealer says that he has only recieved a couple of add ons and has yet to see a basic set.
Just bought/received some track. Ordered from local hobby shop, Monday; received 21" curves and 10" straights Wednesday (yesterday), curve to straight transitions still on order…expected by first of month.
3/16" thick, first glance seems flimsy, but seems durable after it’s down. I just bought track to run a birney, traction car on a simple oval. I’d buy it again.
Kurt
Boonter, check out the thread on “K-Line Heritage” and you’ll get your answer. The stuff hasn’t even been made yet… no one has it. Dealers are advertising it, but it isn’t out yet. The TrainWorld ad says the K-Line by Lionel NH Freight Set and ATSF Alco’s are “hot.” Must be on pre-orders, because they are not available yet.
For whatever reason, Lionel has basically blown-off the holiday buying season with the K-Line by Lionel products. Most of the stuff has been pushed back several times, and much of it has November/Decemeber shipping dates… meaning you won’t see on dealer shelves anytime soon. Even the stuff with November ship dates from Lionel hasn’t been shipped yet - and it’s the end of November now.
We’ll see how the Vol. 2 products fare, since most of them are scheuduled to go out in March '08. Since most of the Vol. 1 products have been delayed and are still not out, I have little hope that date is accurate.
We’ve only received Superstreet track and are already out of straights. Folks’ve been buying it for trolleys. As to K-line, we’ve received all of the catalogue people packs and a number of cars, most recently the two TOFC circus cars, in addition to the Porters and small diesels.
We’ve finally received enough HP and Great Western (LIncoln Log) sets to have covered pre-orders and have some for the store.
Roger, I’ve been checking the shipping schedule frequently. A small spattering of cars were shipped early fall, like the two log dump cars and the box car 4-packs. I know the building kits and people packs have recently been shipped, at least from Lionel. Whether all dealers now have them is another issue. Mine doesn’t.
Same for the prior-release Train-19 cars which have just been marked as shipped in the past two weeks - but I don’t see them out yet. Same for the other two spring style coal dump cars, also marked as shipped in the past couple weeks. I have yet to find anyone who has any of the Alco FA’s, the S-2’s or MP-15 in stock, if these are the small diesels you refer to. Those have been pushed pack several times, with December ship dates listed now. I know the Porter and Plymouths have been shipped and are available at dealers, as well as the Plymouth set.
Brian,
I received some new, pre-ordered K-Lionel freight cars about 2 weeks ago. One is a Santa Fe boxcar and the other is a Rutland box car. $19.95 each. They are awesome!
Jim
Brian, we also received the buildings, bottom dump hoppers, some tankers, B&O 4 car passanger set, military set, volt meter car and a few others. The diesels are the docksider types, nothing on the larger units. As far as Lionel itself, nil on engines and very few cars with the last few shipments.
I’m new to this forum. And I was surprised to see this much discussion about Superstreets. (There’s a couple of current threads). I haven’t really considered them. Since I do a more village-type setting, they didn’t seem to fit. Also, from the pictures in the K-Line catalog, I didn’t think they looked very realistic. But from reading the posts on this forum, it looks like I was mistaken.
LocoPops
Superstreets can be weathered and painted to look more realistic. Just be sure to clean any paint off the tracks.
Jim
Well LocoPops,I can understand BUT if you happen to have kids or kids as regular visitors, SuperStreets would probably be a huge hit with them. During the early 1960’s I recall there were some trying to combine the then popular slot cars with trains.
The original K-Line could have had a big hit with SuperStreets had they done it sooner, rather than putting so much undue emphasis (and money) into too many scale products, which helped lead to their demise.
I guess it’s like some of the novelty operating Lionel cars… hardly precise prototypical railroading, but a heck of a lot of fun for kids… and those of us STILL kids at heart.
Brianel,
My kids are grown. But I had about 60 kids come thru last Christmas. So I guess I better re-think Superstreets! Thanks.
LocoPops
Just received a call from Rider’s Hobby, and the transition pieces are in…(1-week from order to delivery) So it looks like the basic track is available.
Kurt
Here’s a photo of the Superstreets, with the Woodland Scenics foam roadbed I’m using for the vehicle traffic. Roadbed is the same thickness as the Superstreets. Sound is about the same as tubular, with audible clickity clacks.
Note: The center connecting pins are removable, and need to be relocated when attaching the transition pieces.
Kurt