There's been another pseudo Texas Special unleashed on the public. This year's Hallmark's "train" Christmas tree ornament is a faux Texas Special engine as well as a dumb Texas Special "B" unit. While Hallmark went to the trouble to produce a nice little "train" model, but instead of producing a true Texas Special model, they wasted their whole effort and released a model of (of all things) the LIONEL phoney Texas Special based on Lionel's poor HO model! Tom G.
Tom, All the Hallmark train ornaments are/were miniature Lionel models. We bought many over the years.
Wasn't supposed to be a replica of the Texas Special, instead a replica of Lionel's version of the Texas Special. Big difference. As such, it hits it target audience nicely. Andre
It's a "cute" little model alright (approximately N scale), but Lionel has a excellent Texas Special train they could have used as a model for their ornament! I just wish somebody (hopefully Kato)_would make a true to scale and researched Texas Special or Meteor train. It's OUR turn! Instead of UP, ATSF, PRR etc. etc. etc. over and over and over again!I Tom G.
Not being in N scale, such a model would not affect me one way or the other, however as a model RR'ing colleague, I definitely feel your pain. Andre
Interesting that Lionel felt the TS was a worthy model for their EMD diesel locomotive and lightweight cars years ago. I believe it proved to be popular. Wonder why today's model manufactures don't try the same thing in an accurate model. Walthers, where are you? The corrugated side fluting on the E7 locomotives is likely one of the hurdles. K
I don't know that we will ever see the Texas Special from Kato. Kato is very driven by the Japanese market, and I've heard from former Kato USA employees that Kato Japan is known to kill off projects if they don't think it will sell to the home market. That said, we n-scalers are going to be getting a version of the Texas Special from Railsmith Models. I have already written about that here: http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/possible-new-frisco-lightweight-passenger-cars.11524/ This is using the former Walthers models, so it won't be a perfect replica, but Lowel Smith has indicated there will eventually be a prototypically correct lightweight RPO and Dinning car. The first car he has announced is a model of the "David Crocket" (but it's on a not correct 10-6 mody). I expect PRR 10-6 cars will follow (the body is correct for PRR cars used on the Texas Special). Also, Intermountain announced last month that they are doing PRR Texas Special 10-5 cars. I've written about that here: http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index....termountain-prr-texas-special-sleepers.11593/ I'm also trying to convince Micro-Trains to release appropriately painted 12-1 pullmans, which were used for at least one St. Louis to Texas car line.
I don't actually care if Kato or any other manufacturer bothers to release an ACCURATE Texas Special! For us dyed in the wool Frisco modelers, we'd gobble it up. It's money for the maker just lying on the ground all they have to do is pick it up. As for myself it'd be nice to have a true to scale Texas Special, but I have a set I've kit bashed so if they'd just want to make UP and PRR it's ok with me. Tom G.
Well the Hallmark ornaments you mentioned are one in a long series of copies of the original Lionel O gauge postwar trains. The original was made in 1952-3 and was never marketed as a scale model, just as toys. They were a tremendous success Lionel sold tens of thousands of these toys and the originals were actually marketed as "M-K-T" diesels and they actually look more like a Katy diesel then a Texas Special. I love old Lionel trains, they are fun and they will take a beating so they are great for folks that just want to play with trains and are not concerned with exact duplicate scale models. Fun stuff
