Lionel Trains - Lionel Train Forum - Model Train Forum

General Lionel & Model Train Discussion => General Lionel Model Train Discussion => Topic started by: Caliyo on November 15, 2020, 02:38:14 pm

Title: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: Caliyo on November 15, 2020, 02:38:14 pm
In June 2019 I was excited to order the transcontinental hybrid set. The set was to include two engines and two coach cars made to order as advertised. They also offered different sets of the coach cars at the time of the sale.  I did not purchase any thinking I was going to receive two with the set.  Fast forward to November 2020 I received a phone call stating the two coach cars were not going to be included for the reason they did not produce the quantity that was requested.  So they offered me a discount of 221.00 dollars off the sale price even though the ad specified a savings of 299.00.  I excepted that offer.  I was just on Lionel store and saw the pair of engines at even more of a reduced price of 1999.99. I can not even express how disappointed I am at Lionel for the way this entire sale has been handled. As a long time loyal Lionel hobbyist this will definitely make me rethink future purchases.
Title: Re: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: djacobsen on November 16, 2020, 12:28:53 pm
Caliyo
Hello & Welcome to the Forum!

l am sad to hear of your experience with the pre order of the trains.
Unfortunately, pre orders often fail to reach the required number for
production to be profitable.
ln this case my suspicion is that it has more to do with Mikes Train House - MTH,
ending its' association & production of tinplate for Lionel.
If you have to have the coaches THERE ARE originals available on the market.

Happy Rails!
dave
Title: Re: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: instanttim on November 17, 2020, 01:20:51 pm
I just received my set, without any coach cars as well! I got no phone calls or emails and the product page doesn't mention the cars but photographs of them still exist! (I can't attach a picture of the product page, but you can look at it yourself)

To charge me the price and deliver something less than the page included at the time of purchase has got to be fraud. The coach cars are where the railsounds come from, so this really diminishes the product quite a bit!

Caliyo, $1999 was the pre-order price afaik, are you saying they offered an even deeper discount because of the missing cars?

Title: Re: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: instanttim on November 17, 2020, 01:49:10 pm
Okay, maybe I was wrong the the cars included the railsounds, because the specific cars that were supposed to be included were the ones with detailed interiors and no sounds I guess. I'm not sure if that was clear when I ordered over a year ago, since they seem to have changed their pages. The photo on the sold-out product page do appear to look like the Woodruff cars though.

"Lionel Trains" Facebook page posted this video just last month (Oct 16th): https://www.facebook.com/135645573344/videos/671975310415705

A little after 34 mins into the video the narrator says: "For those who ordered the 2-pack, or the special deal from Lionel Store, you'll be getting a set of the Woodruff sleeping cars along with the two locomotives..."
Title: Re: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: instanttim on November 18, 2020, 06:43:27 pm
Check out this still frame from the launch video...

(https://i.postimg.cc/FK3hgGqz/launch-event.jpg)
Title: Re: 4-4-0 transcontinental hybrid set
Post by: instanttim on November 18, 2020, 07:04:35 pm
Here's the product page... (https://i.postimg.cc/WprfNCZh/webpage-shows-cars.jpg)