Polar Express Train by Lionel

[Disney1998]

I need some input for this. Does anyone have a set? It looks like the price range is around $250-$300. Is this true? I have a son that loves the Polar Express and loves trains. Am I better off getting him just a plain Lionel set or should I splurge on this set for his bday in February? I know nothing about trains other than Lionel is a good name and that it and O gauge as oppose to HO.....I appreciate any feedback! Thanks!!!!

 

[tnhillbilly]

My son got the Polar Express train for Christmas, with the 2 extra cars. No not spoiled at all, what would you like to know? We have a couple of trains and some tracks. We also started him out on Lionel because they had been around for some time and did not know where to start. Word of advice it can be hard on a budget when you start. You will find little things that would make it so much better, and then something else.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

Grandsons got one for Christmas...it was a great gift...they loved the movie and the train is a dandy....Go for it...we are buying a coach for his birthday this week...Yes with tax it was around $280.00 at the hobby shop...They had only 3 left the week before Christmas....We are crazy about trains........

 

[spoon full of sugar]

We don't have this set, but I can tell you that 300.00 for any Lionel set is not a bad price. It's the only train stuff my son will use.

 

[marthachick]

This will probably be collectible someday, so be sure to save the boxes, etc. And remind him to take great care of the train. DH has his Lionel train engine only from when he was a kid. If he had the whole set w/ box it would be very valuable today not only monitarily but sentimentally to our DS.

 

[Disney1998]

Great, thanks for the replies. So, the $250-$300 is a valid price I guess. Now, this is where I appreciate your help. I thought it was a complete set. What extra pieces are there to buy???? Thanks.

 

[marthachick]

Extra pieces? How long do you have? And how much $$$? The basic set is usually the train engine and 4 or 5 cars with the small oval track and the transformer (what makes the train go.) You can spend as much as you want to expand the set with longer track, more cars, buildings, people, trees, etc. You can go to www.lionel.com to see their website.

 

[princessjv]

We bought the Lionel Polar Express Train for our son last year as a gift from his new baby sister. What a hit it has been, plus it is something he can have to pass down to his children. You will not be displeased with this purchase!

We purchased additional Lionel track, so that we can display it around our Christmas Tree. Most hobby type shops in your area will sell these peices.

Enjoy!

 

[disneyfor3]

My son's birthday is in December. Last year my husband bought him the Lionel Rail Sounds train since they were out of the Polar Express set and we were on a long wait list for it. Well, just before Christmas we got a call last year that they got a last minute shipment of the Polar Express train so my train-obsessed son got both sets! My son loves both equally and loves the Polar Express movie. While the Polar Express set doesn't come with rail sounds, he still loves it. My son just turned 5 this year and we do watch him carefully with both sets as there are some fragile pieces on the Polar Express set (mainly just the bell). I think if your son loves the Polar Express movie he'll be thrilled with the set as it comes with the Bell and the 4 figures. Both sets were about $250 - $300 each. Since my husband still has the train set his father bought him as a little boy, we think these are something my son will still have as an adult.

Oh, the Polar Express set came with 3 cars last year. This year they came out with two additional cars that run approx. $50 each. We bought them and put them away until next year.

 

[Firedog]

Any decent starter Lionel set will run you that much money. They have recently started selling cheap "junk" sets at places like Toys-R-US for much less, but you will get what you pay for.

Even the higher priced sets are not the same quality of 30 years ago. Plan on spending more than $500 for a better grade set, and again, that will only come with your basic cars and accessories.

Do a search on the web for Lionel Polar Express sets, there are a lot of online hobby stores that will give you a much better price than your local hobby store. You can also check if there is a Greenburg railroad show coming to your area. This is a toy and train show with lots of vendors, many with good prices.

 

[tnhillbilly]

Pages 20 - 21 The Polar Express

The Polar Express

The Polar Express, the classic children’s story written by Chris Van Allsburg in 1985, comes to life on movie screens around the world beginning Thanksgiving 2004 in a film by Robert Zemeckis, starring Academy Award® winner, Tom Hanks. Using ground-breaking, motion-capture animation, the story of a young boy’s struggle to solve the mystery of Santa Claus plays out on a train called the Polar Express. Led by a massive Berkshire locomotive, the train transports wide-eyed kids on a hair-raising adventure to the North Pole.
Now, you can own the Polar Express train featured in both the best-selling book, and this Christmas season’s sure-hit movie, as only Lionel can create it. Painstakingly designed to be true to the original, this exclusive Lionel train set features a die-cast metal Berkshire steam locomotive with a new, larger pilot, headlight lens cap and unique whistle. The engine and tender are painted in a dark, matte finish to complete the image.
Following the locomotive and tender are two lighted coach cars. The observation car features a new rounded observation deck, just like in the movie! Silhouettes in the windows depict scenes from the movie including the scary marionette car, and the joyful coach car where the kids get their fill of hot chocolate and candy.
The main characters from the movie are included as articulated figures with turning heads, movable arms, bendable waists and jointed knees. They can be posed and placed on areas of the locomotive, tender and passenger cars to replicate your favorite scenes from the movie.

There is no better children’s book, no better movie director, no better actor, and no better train company to bring you all of the fun, excitement and drama of the Polar Express. Do not miss out on this Lionel O gauge exclusive. Do you believe in Santa? We do!

Includes Four articulated action figures!

CW-80 Transformer
SET INCLUDES:

2-8-4 Berkshire steam locomotive and tender, two passenger coaches, one passenger observation car with rounded deck, three straight FasTrack track sections, eight curved FasTrack track sections, one FasTrack terminal section, CW-80 Transformer, articulated movie characters, smoke fluid
LOCOMOTIVE FEATURES:

Transformer controlled forward, neutral and reverse operation

Air whistle in tender

Operating headlight

Operating coupler on rear of tender

Powerful maintenance-free motor

Two traction tires

Puffing smoke

Die-cast metal locomotive body and frame

Separately applied metal handrails

All-new pilot and headlight lens shield
PASSENGER CARS FEATURE:

Interior lighting

Decorated drumhead on observation car

All-new, rounded observation deck

Silhouettes in windows

Gauge: O Gauge
Minimum Curve: O-27
Dimensions: Length: 63 3/8”
Layout dimensions: 40” x 60”
(6-31960) $279.99
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Polar Express Diner
Polar Express Add-on Cars
For even more excitement, add a baggage car and a diner to complete your Polar Express train.

FEATURES:

Interior lighting

Silhouettes in windows

Minimum Curve: O-27

Gauge: O Gauge
Dimensions: Length: 12”
(6-25134) $54.99
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Polar Express Baggage Car
Polar Express Add-on Cars
For even more excitement, add a baggage car and a diner to complete your Polar Express train.

FEATURES:

Interior lighting

Minimum Curve: O-27

Silhouettes in windows

Gauge: O Gauge
Dimensions: Length: 12”
(6-25135) $54.99


http://www.lionel.com/Products/Findex.cfm

this is the link to the catalog page.
lionel 2005 train catalog, vol. 2
click on pages 20-21
the pictures did not load here but will on lionel. This is direct from there catalog. Shop around but yes 250. is about the lowest I have seen.

 

[Disney1998]

Yikes!!!! So much to learn. Thanks for all your great replies. I'm still a little confused about the gauge though. I think the Polar Express is an O scale which is a little bigger than normal Lionel std train sets? Does this mean it would be harder to find pieces for if something breaks? Are there disadvantages/advantages of the O scale vs the HO scale? Thanks again for all of your help!

 

[tnhillbilly]

Yes O gage is bigger than HO. Replacement parts should not be a problem. O gage Is what you will find a lot of older lionel trains are. My son has both of his grandfathers that they had as kids. Works on the new track and old track. I do like the track (fast track) ,that comes with the Polar Express better than the old style. It is on a base and stays alot more stable. Also keep in mind where the train is larger younger kids can put it on the track better than the smaller ones. The space you have to put the train tracks is also something you want to look at. One of my bedrooms has his trains in it. Some more good news is most of the O gage trains has working smoke stacks on them that can be cut off.