# 2022 Lionel S gauge catalog



## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The 2022 catalog was released earlier this month with some nice new items in S gauge. We even got our own catalog again this time. Unfortunately the current economic realities have caused some large price increases in certain items. That is just the world we currently live in. For me the most enticing items are the new Legacy Base 3 and a rerun with updated features of the Legacy Y3. The 2022 Christmas boxcar is also a must.
Below are some pictures of the 2012 Y3 in PRR livery with the as made long Doghouse tender and with the shorter tender borrowed from my 2005 TMCC light Mikado. The Mikado/Pacific tender has been updated to Legacy for the new Legacy light Pacifics in last years catalog. I have two on order, I hope they ship in the first half of the year.
From the catalog description it is impossible to be certain which tender will be used on the 2022 version, so I took these pictures to show both, I think both look good. The PRR version is painted in the correct PRR almost black green. Compare it with the pure black BigBoy 4014 sitting behind it. The online catalog shows a lighter green, I hope that is an error.


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## HowardH (Sep 18, 2020)

What a great setting for the turntable - and how nicely it shows off the large locomotives. I’m still obsessed with the 2021 catalog - ever since it came out, been trying to find those GN Empire Builder passenger cars (to match with the GN F7 diesels I imagine still available from American Models) - but nobody seems to have them. Still trying.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

The Lionel 2021 AF catalog has the GN passenger cars. They have not been shipped yet. They can be ordered from Charles Ro for $65 ea. American Models does not have them. 
I have a 7 car set of those cars in PRR livery. They are nice cars, the downside is due to the truck design and stiff axle wipers they have high rolling resistance. I pull them with a Legacy PA/PA set or a Legacy steamer. If an AM engine is used plan on two powered F7's for the full set. One will pull 4, maybe 5 cars. I believe Mopac modified the axle wipers on his cars to reduce the rolling resistance.
Like I said above, I sure hope to get the engines I ordered from the 2021 catalog by summer.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

Howard, if you consider ordering the GN cars from the 2021 catalog here are some pictures of those cars but painted for PRR. The cars look good on a layout. There were six PRR cars made plus an REA car. Two pictures show a close view of the observation car and one shows a truck with the blunt end axles and 4 stiff brass wipers. The final picture is the 7 car set behind the Legacy PA/PA engines, making a train 10'-6" long.


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## HowardH (Sep 18, 2020)

Looks great, Tom - especially like that observation car (and admiring the hillside coming down to the roadbed!). Looks like no concern over sufficient juice coming up from the axles. I guess it's just a matter of putting the order in and waiting patiently in line. (Never seen so many containers stacked up around Long Beach / San Pedro port area. Like to think there are some GN passenger cars in them somewhere.)


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I will refrain from commenting about the ports and shipping. I placed my order from the 2022 catalog yesterday so now it is just waiting
When you get your 2021 catalog passenger cars check the gauge of the wheels, a dime between the flanges is accurate enough. All the Lionel AF passenger and freight cars prior to 2019 were made with a 1/10" inch too narrow wheel gauge. The engines and tenders were all correct. If Gilbert track or Lionel S gauge FasTrack is used, no problem. Other track systems with correctly sized flange guides in the turnouts and crossings will derail the cars. 
Looking at the bottom three wheels in the picture above a 1/10" inch gap is visible between the metal and plastic pieces of the axle over the brass strip. This is after I regauged them. I do not have any newer passenger cars to verify they are now correctly gauged but all the new freight cars are correct. Lionel has saved me a lot of work with the new correct wheel gauging.


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## HowardH (Sep 18, 2020)

Wouldn’t you know - After your last post, I went to Charles Ro site and found, after months waiting, those GN passenger cars from 2021 catalog marked “In Stock”! So apparently long-delayed Lionel shipment arrived. Ordered four - will take pics when they arrive. Now to see if I can get that next section of the layout together -


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

That just changed in the last week! We will be waiting to see some pictures.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

I answered my own question about the passenger car wheel gauge. I was operating the PRR set this morming and realized the REA baggage style car I am running in that set is from the 2020 catalog. I looked and confirmed the wheels were made with the correct gauge, I did not need to reset them. That saves a lot of time and trouble although spreading the wheels with snap ring pliers goes pretty fast after practicing on 50 or so cars.


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## AFGP9 (Apr 8, 2015)

All nice cars Tom and the steam engines. Thanks for showing the difference in tender length. Wasn't aware of that.

Kenny


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## HowardH (Sep 18, 2020)

I got those 2021 Catalogue GN passenger cars from Charles Ro last week - worth the wait. They handle AF 19" curves just fine, but I did have to re-do a couple of the more "wavy" sections on the line. Had no problem with my older, same-length NP North Coast Limited cars - but realized they have four wheels per truck - while these have six. (Also made room for an additional siding - figured these warrant a new depot.) A couple days later got my F7s from American Models. They're sold as A-B sets, but they were out of B's (not expected until Summer) - so they sent a couple powered A's, instead. I figure if I need the "railsounds" that would come from the B, I can always hit the button for the AF billboard.


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## AmFlyer (Mar 16, 2012)

That is a good looking set. The layout scenery is looking good as well.


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