BROKEN Lionel Locomotive!! Now WHAT?!?! Warranty Explained!!! How-To Claim and My Engine Experience

I take a look at my latest warranty claim experience with Lionel, and give tips and tricks on the process!
#lionel #warranty #trains #oscale #howto #broken #dontpanic #claim #locomotive #diesel #steam

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

In the old days you would read an article about a train manufacturer and there would be a picture of the employees track testing locomotive before they are shipped. For $1,700 locomotive not to be track tested at the factory is inexcusable

[@gizmotrains]

I honestly doubt every engine is/was track tested. I’m sure they run some quality tests but in todays market, I just don’t see being practical for everyone model to be tested in mass production. Plus who knows? Maybe they did test and it just so happens that particular component failed afterwards. With electronics, no matter what type of item it is, you just sometimes get “duds”. But again, that’s what warranty is for!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@gizmotrains All locomotive were track tested for quality. Since they only pay $2 an hour for labor in China they have no excuse not to. It's similar to testing new motorcycles.

[@bobdutka1176]

This is becoming more common with Lionel than actually running their products!! Miss MTH!👌😀

[@huntercoleman460]

MTH is still around.

[@bobdutka1176]

@@huntercoleman460 Unfortunately not in the capacity it use to be.😮‍💨

[@kidamere2408]

@@huntercoleman460 barely capacity to about 10 percent

[@charlesbrown959]

MTH still strong

[@whistleboardproductions]

I really appreciated your video. Unlike so many others who simply bash Lionel, you handled this very responsibly. I had to send an engine back twice. Was it annoying, yes. But, I've not had any issues with the locomotive since getting it back for the second time. The folks at Lionel stand behind their product and I've had nothing but good experiences with their customer service. Again, thank you for a very well done video instead of getting on the "I hate Lionel" soap box!

[@whistleboardproductions]

@pinkribbonrailroad1157 No it's not. And I'm not saying they bash the company for "no reason". It's frustrating when something you spend a lot of money on arrives and doesn't work. I get that. Some people just seem to overreact. I just really appreciated his video that wasn't someone ranting about how bad the situation is. He, like myself and many others, understands the problem and wish it were better. However, I'm not going to stop giving the company my business because something doesn't arrive (from a foreign country made by people who don't know English) perfectly the first time. If Lionel wishes to continue as a company, they will sort things out. If not, then this could be the beginning of the end of a once-great company. I hope there are no hard feelings over what was said.

[@rycn1450]

I'm disappointed with lionel

[@whistleboardproductions]

​@@rycn1450a lot of us are. Let's hope they can get something figured out!

[@gizmotrains]

I think it’s important to keep a positive attitude. We can all share the feedback, I know Lionel wants everything to be 100% but the fact is with anything with the complicated technology that we all desire and expect these days, there’s going to be some issues here and there especially coming out of the Covid period with production and personnel struggles. Important to remember that without our support, there won’t be trains to talk about. They seem to stand by their products, so I’m good with that. So far for me this has been the only issue and I’ve purchased over a dozen engines this year.

[@whistleboardproductions]

@pinkribbonrailroad1157 yes I totally agree with you. Humility goes a long way. I've kept my pre-orders to just a few pieces, partially because I can't spend a lot but also because, as you said well, I don't want to gamble that much money lol. I appreciate good conversation as we've had and I wish more of the issues could be discussed this way!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

The toy trains today are so complicated full of electronics I would not want to run a hobby shop these days because I would not be able to fix them at my shop

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

I love watching this video more than once it's just so entertaining

[@johnknippenberg-LandmarkYards]

Looks super cool but . . . that's why I stick to MPC or older. I can fix that stuff myself, usually by watching a KZbin repair vid.

[@michaellindsey8769]

Man I fill your pain man I hope your train get better this is why I am want to old school trains

[@chuckhunter328]

YES. Package the item so well that even FedEx can't destroy it. Well described. Thank you.

[@gizmotrains]

Haha ABSOLUTELY!!!

[@realtoytrains]

Subscribed dude!! Great video! I thought I was watching a episode of Hot Rod TV for a second haha! Great editing - Love it! -RTT

[@gizmotrains]

Haha thanks man!

[@jrtrains1126]

Very informative. I was thinking sending back an engine I just purchased but I fixed it myself. It’s not perfect but I can live with it. I’m sure I’ve compromised the warranty doing so. But Lionel has some serious quality issues too many to ignore. I’m happy to hear they have good customer service. Not only from you but other people are saying the same things.I really love Lionel’s product lines and hope to continue collecting from them.

[@ericdumptee9084]

They've been having quality control issues since early 2000, I bought the Sante-Fe abba set with the alum cars, the 2 screws on the FRONT TRUCK on the A engine were stripped...right in the box, orig packing ,etc ...I bought the Z transformer (controller) with 4 power packs...the control arm.on one side of the Z was so poorly made, it flopped all over. Lionel was ok on this,sent me post paid sticker,mailed the whole trans back, first time i got it back, same sloppy handle...Sent it back again...and this time it was repaired correctly. I Repaired the stripped out threads on the Sante Fe myself.....I was pleased with transformer repair,2nd time around (2000-2001) They stood behind itr 100 %

[@northpennvalleysteamrailroad]

Lionel is obviously not at their best.

[@robertusa1234]

This is why I only collect prewar and post war Lionel

[@Keiths_OGauge_Trains]

Great video!! Just pre-ordered my first BTO engine from the 2023 catalog. Glad to hear the process is pretty smooth for the most part. Thank you for the positive video regarding Lionel and their warranty process. Things can happen with any mass-produced item.

[@trainwild]

Just subscribed!! I really enjoyed watching this video, nice work putting it all together. I have had good experiences with Lionel customer service as well. Keep up the good work! 👍

[@kennethhartman7354]

Gizmo, just subscribed. You're doing a great job. My layout is only an 8' x 8' upstairs in my detached barnstyle garage, and yes, I live near Raleigh. Not many basements in NC. Take you time and figure out what you want to accomplish. We all make mistakes and learn as we go. Hated to hear about your engine experiance. I know that spending atht much and then it failing had to be a punch in the gut, but thankfully Lionle handled it. Good luck and keep between the rails.

[@gizmotrains]

Thanks a lot Kenneth!

[@jebbthetrainkid1281]

Im pretty Lucky. I buy alot of my Engines and Cars from Pats Trains in Wheeling WV. If I get it home and I am having Problems I simply take it back to him and he will give me another one. If the Warrenty Run Out he is great to work with for the repairs. They do excellant Work.

[@gizmotrains]

I’ve bought from Pat’s many times, great people for sure!

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

We have a dealer that does factory repairs he just happens to be my local dealer. Fingers crossed buying another one.

[@gusshadleythelunaticfromar7125]

Just subscribed

[@markcopeland4344]

Thats Lionel for ya I will stick MTH!

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

This is one of the reasons why I like conventional control locomotives I don't need a remote nor do I need all the expensive electronic just waiting to take an expensive dump. I can't believe how ugly some of the paint schemes are what really gets me is that the uglier paint schemes that do not get sold out get border by flippers and then once the product is out of stock then they doubled the price they can keep it. Years ago I bought a weaver locomotive and the circuit board went bad couple months after I bought it so I sent it back to Weaver at their cost. Bob Weaver called me up and said frankly haven't made this locomotive in 20 years since I just bought the locomotive they honored the warranty and put in a heavy-duty circuit board because I run my train and then they shipped it back at their expense to me so it was not one penny out of my pocket. That is customer service. Vintage motorcycles are serviceable forever vintage trains are serviceable forever. All the stuff with the new electronics forget about it. I wonder how much you pay for their name on the Lionel box add for the electronics and how much do you really pay just for this model itself.

[@gizmotrains]

Post war is cool, but personally I love the slow creeps, the awesome sounds, and the fantasy schemes that bring new life and imagination to the hobby. Friends and the family kids all adore them, which keeps the hobby going. I still appreciate vintage items myself, but this is 2023 and everything’s digital. I’m happy to have to cool features, even if it means occasionally having to deal with a problem.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

@@gizmotrains no I don't mean postwar. I mean NPC Lionel, Williams, Mike's train house, and Weaver. So many of the features on these locomotives are just a lot of fluff. The fantasy paint schemes are nothing but a lackadaisical effort on their part to sell you old locomotives with new paint like Harley-Davidsons 2023 lineup of course they are just as reliable as a Lionel Train which is to say not. They charge a whole lot for locomotives built in a country where they pay $2 an hour.

[@horrorman9]

Must be the Chinese note stuffed inside. 😅 Great vid thanks.

[@clintwilde1048]

I'm a bit of a Luddite when it comes to modern technology. The next time you are stopped at a traffic light, look around for the large shiny cabinet somewhere near the intersection or on a pole. It is full of all kinds of stuff to cycle the light. Most are also hooked to the internet so the the state DOT can monitor and change light timing, they also are networked with all the other lights so they can 'decide' the best timing. In ye olde days, there was a timer motor and a switch that ran the whole process, the motor was synchronous to the 60 cycle AC and all ran as a network of lights just like clocks in a large office. They were fool proof for the most part, and reliable. When we are children, we have great imaginations, that 30X50 inch loop of Lionel 3 rail looks like the expanse of the Union Pacific in the mountains, or a NYC water level route somewhere. As adults, we strive for an exact as possible model, our brains apparently can no longer 'see' our railroad empire in our imagination. The same goes for locos. The old stuff went forward and back, a simple mechanical relay did that job. The whistle blew with a note in a steam loco no one ever heard in real life, and diesels many times just had a buzzer. But our brain could translate that buzz to a 5 chime Leslie. Now, all that realistic sound and operation come at a price, integrated circuits, uProc, memory chips, software, complex motor control and drive systems, with the resulting increase in blood pressure that comes when all that stuff does not work. Maybe in our later years, we need to go back to that E unit and ZW and relax, and let the mind envision as a we did as a child, and just enjoy running the trains, not rant and rave.

[@modelrailpreservation]

This was the comment I was looking for. These modern pieces of scrap metal keep failing, the classics keep running. In my own collection, I have locos that belonged to my great-grandfather, well over a hundred years old, and you know what? They still run like champs. Bit of oil and grease every now and then, clean the motor out once a year, and they're good. Museum I work at, we run classic postwar equipment, and we go weeks, months without a hiccup. And those engines are run hard. A single motor 2243 pulls 15 postwar cars easily, but when it gets pulled for routine maintenance, if I have to put a modern "Reserve" loco in its place, I also have to cut the number of cars in half. Those old classics, they do things the modern ones can't.

[@railfansammy4974]

Cool

[@The_Aviator_Railfan]

Just subscribed to your channel! And yeah I have that same issue with my HO scale NS ET44AC locomotive.

[@kennyt1674]

😂 awesome job!

[@JHChannel35]

I live 45 min from Mike’s Trains. They have taken good care of me.

[@gizmotrains]

It’s a great store!

[@trainchef7870]

I keep hearing this. I have a secret savings for trains from my wife lol. im about to spend 1500.00 on trains and am nervous about Lionel trains ? Ive never had issues with M.T.H. Maybe ill go there.😕

[@gizmotrains]

FWIW, I’ve bought over a dozen Lionel locomotives this past year and this is the first one to have an issue. I really like MTH as well, so you can’t go wrong either way in my opinion. Both have pros and cons, just your preference!

[@Northcoastrails]

Well it is a lionel engine

[@Boilermaker86765]

Did MTH make a Santa Fe Northern Black Bonnet? I want one that runs on 054 and not a Lionel

[@gizmotrains]

Maybe check Pat’s Trains. They do a TON of black bonnet custom runs

[@MartyE]

Nice video. Well done. 2 things, be careful tossing that Legacy Remote around as they are worth their weight in gold and before contacting Lionel aren’t you supposed to go on your favorite forum and gripe about it? Not ask for help, just gripe? Then contact Lionel after bashing them? Lol. Seriously good video. Although I would recommend sending a copy of the original receipt with the engine. Thanks for posting this. Very helpful to new comers.

[@MartyE]

BTW I understand Lionel has their issues but I’d rather them be the first contact point. A forum can be helpful in troubleshooting but to just go their and complain without letting the manufacturer try to resolve the issue isn’t the best process.

[@tropicalstreamaquatics9285]

Had to replace a smoke unit took 6 months for the dealer to get it

[@asdfdsa45]

One thing is for sure, I absolutely refuse to have to use my phone to operate my trains. I need a break from the daily stress of that phone, Lionel, you're screwing up. I buy slightly older items like JLC locomotives which BTW, has absolutely all the same detail the later Legacy or even Visionline models have, nothing less. I also buy MTH Premier and especially 3rd Rail. I can upgrade the electronics to my liking and I don't have to worry about being at some stranger's mercy. Blunami electronics as what is in DCC O Scale, HO Scale and N Scale. It will work in O Scale 3-rail.

[@betsy662]

My problem with Lionel only warrantying engines for 3 years from the date of manufacture, which is in China, takes six months to get to the states, another couple of months to get to your dealer, and then however long it takes for the new owner to recieve it, a year is already lost on their warranty1

[@gizmotrains]

I bet they have some flexibility with this. You could make the case if it’s a couple months one way or the other. But, if it’s years difference I can understand that they have to draw a line somewhere. This is EVERY manufacturer from cars to appliances, many are much less than this!

[@betsy662]

@@gizmotrains I get that they have to cross a line somewhere, I also understand that a warranty can't be transferred to a new owner as well, (with the exception of course, of a lifetime warranty), I just simply was stiffed a few years back when Walther's bought out Life LIke and messed up with the warranties on all of those Proto 2000 diesels with the splitting gears, however, it seems like Lionel is having issues with all of the top dollar models, and when it seems like the price of a new locomotive could almost pay off my house, I would expect perfection!

[@gizmotrains]

@@betsy662 sorry to hear about those troubles. But nice thing with Lionel is they seem to stand behind them, at least they are fixing the issues. I agree they are pricey, but so are cars and they break down all the time right? Just another case of why we have warranties to begin with. As long as I’m protected, I’m happy. Just a small speed bump!

[@betsy662]

@@gizmotrains I know about that for sure, of course, with all these wonderful bells and whistles we get now a days, all that technology is obviously going to fail somewhere, that is one constant we can depend on!

[@betsy662]

@@gizmotrains For what LIonel is charging for their trains, they ought to off an extended warranty! LOL

[@alanh1406]

Seems Lionel is fast becoming the number one maker of over priced paper weights, door stops and anti-blood pressure medication items.

[@YeOldeGeezer]

So was MTH when they were still around

[@GoldStandardTrains]

9 times out of 10, Lionel will get the engine, fix it, and get it back to you within 3-5 weeks and most of the time, that'll be the last time it needs to be returned for repair. Sometimes, eventually you will have to send it back in, but Lionel has always done a good job of getting things taken care of for me. Im still a Lionel buyer even knowing there is a good chance I'll have to send an item in. No one is perfect, no business is perfect. If you think these things are expensive now, if you want a flawless product, double the price. Great video on the process, it is spot on.

[@philliprowe2656]

That is the trouble ,they are way too remote dependent!

[@marknagle5828]

I thought technology was supposed to make life easier. Anyways, I'm done with these new fangled Lionel trains. I sold off my hi tech stuff and now back to pulmor motors and E units.

[@johnchase7667]

So are we supposed to keep boxes for the entire 3 year warranty period? That takes up so much space :(

[@gizmotrains]

It does take up extra space, but I keep all my boxes regardless and recommend everyone does! This way you can easily transport them if needed, or if/when time comes to sell, you have a safe way to ship and protect them and get “top dollar” as everyone wants the original box. Sometimes I find myself out of space and need to store items to “rotate” trains in and out. Again, nothing safer than the original boxes and foam.

[@stevendorris5713]

Watch "Animal House" Pay close attention to when Otter tells Flounder; "...You fu*cked up! You trusted us". Lather. Rinse. Repeat. "

[@ryans1010]

The quality of Lionel has gotten crappy. I stick to MTH

[@robertcornelius3514]

Guys. C'mon. You don't get a running train until you spend over two grand. I thought everyone knew this.

[@thomasking4136]

Unfortunate it needed a board right out of the box. Obvious QC fail. This occurs all too often. Not acceptable for money spent. Lionel needs to up the game on their quality. I will not spend a pile of money on a gamble. Life is too short for that crap. I do not hate Lionel. I do hate those that would make excuses for piss poor performance. When Lionel gets quality corrected, I will open the wallet.

[@gizmotrains]

Really hard to 100% check every product out the door. I know lots have reported issues, but for me this has been a rare event. I think we hear more about it in the world of todays social media. Struggles with post-Covid production and personal add to the challenge. I still just appreciate they are around making cool models, could be much worse.

[@thomasking4136]

@@gizmotrains True. It could be worse. It needs to be better, a lot better. For that kind of money, Lionel needs to lean forward and get their QC issues fixed.

[@huntercoleman460]

Bummer. This is what the aftermarket is for.

[@budgiemama7698]

Love to own some of these engines but just can't justify spending the thousands of dollars that they cost. I'm not knocking anybody that does it's just my own personal opinion. plus on top of that I kind of worry that there's no real collector value to the new ones due to all the electronics that will at some point unfortunately fail and may become nothing more than a paperweight unrepairable. Had a newer MTH with the protosound 2 and the board crapped out in. it ran perfect then I put it on a shelf for display for a month or so went to run it and it would not run very good at all it would go forward but really really slowly nothing in reverse I even changed the battery before putting it on the track with a brand new battery and nothing. sent off to MTH which it was out of warranty and they told methe price of the board was the same price to buy the engine brand new again🤦‍♂️ so it kind of put me off on ever getting anything new again so I mostly stuck to post war/pre-war Lionel, marx and hope to someday start collecting some American flyer.

[@geotraxrobultimategeotraxl7662]

Only thing made in China that ever lasted was Covid -19 . I’ll stick to vintage Lionel .

[@ralphmiller2265]

If MTH was still leading, these Lionel idiots would (out of survival) get their act together instead of offering beautifully packaged junk. I'm a bit older and yes, the electronics are exciting but they stink!! I prefer to run a train with NO SOUNDS, NO SMOKE and NO OVERLY COMPLEX electronics (Bluetooth!?!? What tha....). I like to hear just the clicking of the metal wheels on metal rails the way to old scale modelers did decades ago. I do like these quality Can-motors as they are great AND they need no maintenance but the electronics have become too much and as with all electronics, it will fail after a period of time. Lionel will not warranty repair something (even if new) if it is over three years old, why?? because they know the electronics can start failing. Don't forget, products built (in China) around 2006 are subject to zinc rot, something that the original Lionel dealt with way back in 1937 when they built the original 700e and 763e Hudsons. It was readily dealt with then. Here it is 2023 and, if you're unlucky, you are experiencing zinc rot. I have the TMCC Southern PS4 from 2006, an absolutely beautiful locomotive BUT when I last took it out of the box last year, the tender truck had crumbled in the wrapping plastic. Went to the website, no replacement trucks were available. I looked up the part number for the later Legacy model - "out of stock" so I went to MTH because they too built this locomotive. Though MTH's trucks are not quite as detailed as Lionel's, they don't suffer from zinc rot. I contacted Lionel and told them that I had done this and when a customer calls with the same or similar problem in the future, if they don't have the replacement part(s), refer them to MTH. The customer will have to modify mounting but it is definitely worth it, my locomotive performs very well now, even the 18 year old electronics.

[@geraldmosley2195]

Can you say CHINA!!! it should not come out the box with problems,when it was built in USA it was a good tested while in production, every loco was tested in batches. But China don't care. Buy American next time😊

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

Boy having Lionel trains drives you to drink? What's the next hard drugs?

[@gizmotrains]

Lolol

[@jtbassgambler2594]

Never buy lionel i stick with MTH

[@gizmotrains]

I have and love both. To each their own, but my track record has been pretty good with them.

[@christsogaugetrains]

Stop defending lionel there building crap in china and it is crap. For what cost of these models Cost they should work and for a long time.

[@gizmotrains]

Every Lionel I’ve bought except this one has worked perfectly right out of the box. Life isn’t 100%. Things happen, just happy they stand behind their product.

[@genemanno1533]

When you buy china made crap what else would you expect. Why anybody would intentionally buy stuff from china is beyond me.

[@johyuujin3079]

the time limit is not good in my opinion. I have had way too many failures and considering the time the engine ran I would say their products are crap and that is the reason the warranty time limit is no good. I no longer am buying their stuff because I don't want to have a broken engine that cost many $100s of dollars. you need to edit your video to cover that the product is crap because of the rate of failures.