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Lionel NJ Transit set?

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  santafe158 
#1 ·
Hey gang, I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on the Lionel NJ Transit set (O gauge).

http://www.lionel.com/Products/Find...=transit&CategoryID=37&RailLineID=&CatalogId=

Does anyone have this and be willing to snap a few photos and/or provide some feedback for a potential buyer?

I found the set for $300 (Amazon) and I have some reward points via AmEx that will put my price down to around $50 (a price level that sits much better with my wife!).

This will be my first set, but I'm looking for quality. I also want to have the ability to add on to it in the future. The CW-80 transformer (that is included) does provide accessory output (vs. the cw-40 that does not), so that is a plus.

The NJ Transit set is a bit sentimental, as a station is just a couple miles from my home. But I don't want to buy it if the quality is not there and it does not provide a good 'foundation' for me to add on to it. My 1st son is 15 months old and I have another due next month, so I'm sure they (and I) will be getting many hours of entertainment.

Please note, I'm not planning on letting them handle the set for a few years (or more). I want this to be a good/sound investment that they can hand down to their children.

Thanks!
 
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#2 ·
I don't have that set in particular, but I do have a set of passenger cars that are made the same way as those of the set, as well as a diesel that appears to use the same chassis. Both are well made and I haven't had any problems with them. The cars are mainly plastic construction, but I believe the trucks are metal (don't quote me on that, mine are boxed up right now and I haven't looked at them in awhile). The locomotive shell is plastic but the frame and probably the truck side frames are metal too. It should definitely be a good starter set to add on to. The CW-80's I've found to be pretty reliable (other people haven't been so lucky based on other feedback I've seen). Plenty of power for a good starter set and possibly an accessory or two.

If you start buying more locomotives or cars, you might want to consider a slightly larger transformer in the future. I believe Lionel is cataloging a 180 watt version of the CW-80 that should be available eventually. The CW-80 will give you a good start though. I powered a 12x8 layout with two tracks off of two CW-80's and they worked fine.

Since it appears you'll get a really good deal on the set, you probably can't go wrong with it.

Here are some photos of my passenger cars (different paint job, but same cars)





For what they are, they're really not that bad of a car. I enjoy running them.

Good luck and have fun
 
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