Another look at Lionel catalog volume 1 for 2024 - Trains

Treasures missed the first time through

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Lionel catalog volume 1 for 2024 is filled with plenty of treasures. I should know because several months ago, I spent hours studying the latest additions to the O gauge line and then shared my observations on Trains.com. It was a lot of fun, especially after hobbyists who had read my opinions replied with their own views of what were the very best.

However, iif you remember what I had written you will recall that I didn’t make it through the entire 226-page catalog. Or at least it didn’t appear I had simply because I limited my comments to the sets that intrigued and enticed me the most. I described a handful of sets before proceeding to rave about them with the enthusiasm of a new father telling the world how absolutely perfect his newly born son or daughter was.

And it wasn’t a case of my forgetting to look over the fine array of new locomotives and sweet assortment of colorful and pleasing rolling stock. I had done my homework and spoken in depth about what was bowling me over in those parts of the Lionel catalog volume 1 for 2024.

But I let my enthusiasm for the new stuff get away from me. To put it bluntly, I wrote way, way too much! Luckily, my brilliant editor Rene Schweitzer was right there to tell me I had written more than she needed for Trains.com, and she would be cutting my article in half. Not that she was discarding my precious words; only that she would be holding them off a few months until the time was right to post them.

So here without further delay are the locomotives and freight and passenger cars added to Lionel’s roster this year that have impressed me the most and tempted me to open up my wallet to bring them right home.

The assortment of new locomotives is guaranteed to blow your mind. The range is beyond belief, starting with the group of Vision Triplex models heralded at the beginning of the catalog and following quickly with an outstanding group of 2-8-4 Berkshire steam engines built to order with Legacy command control, whistle steam features, and road number detailing. Great to see Lionel reviving its postwar steed, with the Nickel Plate Road and Pere Marquette versions winning my top votes.

Also impressive are different versions of the Milwaukee Road’s classic Hiawatha 4-4-2 steamers that Lionel has paired with passenger combinations in a matching scheme. A few other colorful Atlantics decorated for Chicago & North Western, Seaboard Air Line, and Union Pacific are shown in the catalog with two- and four-car passenger sets.

Meanwhile, I found myself drawn to the O gauge replicas of first-generation diesels from the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors. Tough to pick favorites, but I found myself drawn most to the Nos. 2433361 and 2433362 Bangor & Aroostook GP9 powered and unpowered road diesels — they boast a wonderful paint scheme. The Nos. 2433381 and 2433382 Minneapolis & St. Louis powered and unpowered road diesels seemed equally neat. Naturally, they brought back memories of Lionel’s No. 2348 M&StL Geep from postwar times.

Moving on to General Electric, its ES44 road diesel carved out a special spot in the new catalog with several pages devoted to new O gauge models. Especially to my liking were the five powered and unpowered CSX locomotives painted to duplicate the new heritage units currently hauling long freight trains on the massive CSX system of track.

Only a few of the LionChief/Bluetooth locomotives got my heart racing. The No. 2445080 2-6-2 U.S. Army steam engine and tender comes dressed in a made-up camouflage color scheme. As fanciful yet still pretty neat is the No. 2445040 New York Central 2-4-2 steamer capturing your attention in its red-gray-white Pacemaker scheme.

Preferable in my eyes were the Nos. 2434239 Texas Special and 2445130 Lionel Lines EMD FT cab units. I particularly swooned over the latter’s blue-and-orange paint scheme with white striping and other details. If only such a beauty had ever been created to run on a full-size railroad. You can bet railfans everywhere would have fallen in love.

I suppose it’s time to wind up this second overview of the Lionel catalog volume 1 for 2024 with some remarks about operating and non-operating rolling stock. Here, I have my favorites among the newbies.

Other operators and collectors I’ve talked with state it bluntly. You either love or hate the branded models: Harry Potter, Marvel Comics, Polar Express, and on and on. If you like any or all of them, there are so many slick new models in 2024 to leave you more than satisfied. If not, well, just close your eyes as you whip through the catalog or open them long enough to find some of what you honestly like. The same is true with rolling stock honoring artists Thomas Kinkade, Bob Ross, and Angela Trotta Thomas. As for the Barbie boxcars, just take a deep breath and smile — pink is in again!

My appreciation goes to the boxcars, gondolas, and tank cars remembering fallen flags. I vote yea for the Nos. 2428310 New York, Susquehanna & Western boxcar, 2428350 Western Pacific gondola, and 2428360 Southern Pacific single-dome tank car. They revive the past.

Other pleasers include the Norfolk Southern Hi-Cube boxcars and Ferromex Auto Rack Cars, all of which Lionel has loaded with eye-catching graffiti. The scribbling doesn’t bother me, and I predict these models will win compliments when running on O gauge layouts across North America. Please let me know what you think about them.

Lionel has expanded its roster of boxcars commemorating historical events. The World War II motifs catch my eye. I also like the models whose decoration brings to mind notable events in the history of American railroading. Best is the No. 2438180 boxcar with imagery marking the 75th anniversary of the California Zephyr. It complements the article about that train in the April 2024 issue of Trains magazine.

Winding down the long section of rolling stock are models connected to the Polar Express, not to mention Halloween and Christmas. I can see how plenty of Lionel fans go back there every year and increase their collections of models decorated for the holidays.

One more bit of advice: Do not miss the last section in the Lionel catalog for 2024. There, you will discover a handful of new structures, notably the Nos. 2429050 Amtrak Mail and Express Station and 2430030 Amtrak Passenger Shelter. They look terrific together.

Finally, I read over the many pages spotlighting sets, engines, passenger and freight cars, and accessories and structures from the past few years that Lionel has chosen to bring back. I was grateful to notice some favorites, in particular, various motorized units (handcars, speeders, trolleys, and more). The buildings and figures were incredible.

Naturally, the enormous variety of FasTrack components and everything needed for Lionel’s different control systems (Legacy, LionChief and LionChief Plus, and Train Master) returned for another year. These items have become standard parts of the Lionel lineup.

There at the end as well were a few pages mentioning and depicting the latest additions to the American Flyer S gauge roster and the HO scale group of trains. Lionel doesn’t neglect any of those key niches, even though O gauge will always be its bread and butter.

Rene is signaling to me that the moment has arrived to sign off and invite you to obtain a copy of Lionel catalog volume 1 for 2024 and spend time seeing what the firm has come up with. I hope you’ll be as impressed as I was and quickly choose models to buy for yourself.