Lionel released in the last years 2 wonderful HO metal locos, with QSI sound, the Challenger and the “unique” Gas Turbine Veranda, with their particular prototipical sounds. [[:)]:)]When will release more HO models?
Doc, they have washed their hands of the HO bug. No more HO models from them, at least not without some serious cash investment, which I understand they don’t have, and not without a burgeoning market for higher-end scale models, which we disagree about on this forum.
If you want one of their models, you will have to look on ebay or get one privately from someone you know who is willing to sell it.
I consider myself fortunate to have bought one of the Challengers, one of the last two or three available from retailers as far as I know. It is a really solid runner, and can pull the turntable right out of its hole.
I agree. I have 2 of them, one freight, and one passenger, and they are great runners. VERY smooth and quiet.
They stopped production on all HO models and have done this twice before after starting up and pretending to woo us with their new locomotives. They could not sell the Challenger after many of them had drive problems, and lost the lawsuit to MTH just when the Veranda’s came out. In what appeared to us as an attemp to recover some money, they simple sold both models for less than Two hundred dollars in the final sales and stopped production leaving many of their loyal dealers stocking the Challengers at full list with no market. I know one dealer that still has five on his shelve.
If Lionel announced some new model in HO today, good luck in finding one to buy locally, maybe on Mars. You guess is as good as anyone here if they will ever start up again, but I for one will wait to buy when they stop again.
If you want a new veranda show me model railroad company[www.showmelines.com], has one left. list is 500.00, I bought the other one he had today, runs great but makes your layout look small. Chuck