# Polar Express set - What's the straight dope?



## Badwolf & Arizona RR (Jun 17, 2011)

I've been reading a mixed bag or reviews for the Lionel Polar Express set - some say they are poor quality whiles others have no qualms. I've noticed quite a few of them in videos and photographs, so it seems like many of you have them. 

What's the real story, here? They seem to be plentiful, so I was thinking this might be a good second train for the Christmas layout (Plentiful = many around, better chance of finding someone who is selling).

I'd love to know the real dope on this set (as well as the add-on cars if you like).

Thanks.

- Paul in AZ


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

The one knock I've heard is very poor smoke output, that's come from several sources.


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## Badwolf & Arizona RR (Jun 17, 2011)

I'm not a huge "smoke" guy so that's not a worry. How is the overall quality of the locomotive and tender in the set, the cars with the set, and the add-on cars? Are any of the add-on cars really neat to have?


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

I own the original set as well as almost every single add on car. The engine is beautiful and well worth the 200 dollar cost of the set with it alone. The bell actually is moveable and the whistle is very detailed and delicate. The engine tracks very well with no problems at all and pulls the 8 passenger cars I have for it with no problems and still plenty of pulling power. As for smoke output that depends. You put to little in and you will obviously not have a lot of smoke. I put a couple of drops in and the thing smokes like mad. If you over fill it it just simmers there and slowly evaporates off till it is at the full level and capable of making smoke. The couplers on the locomotive and cars seem very sturdy and well made as well. I own the tender with a classical whistle no railsounds. The whistle runs fine without any issues and is plenty loud. The cars are very nicely done and are all properly colored to the cars in the movie. Each and every car is lighted. The lighting is very bright depending where the throttle is at and the constant of the lighting seems to run fine with just a little flicker sometimes depending on speed and the track used. The cars have the plastic milky white window pieces with the people painted in black which is a nice Christmas typoe feel for the train as it is supposed to represent frosted windows. If you can get a duplicate car from a set or add on it might be neat to actually put a full interior into to see what it looks like. Their are metal pegs in the roofs of the cars where characters can be placed or sat down on it to give it a nice look as well with Santa riding on top. The end car is very nice in detail as well with functioning marker lights and a glowing gem at the very top end of the roof. This car also only has the one child that sat there by himself in the movie. as well as a hot chocolate car that follows the movie exactly as well. Couplers on the cars are all standard and can be uncoupled by and in track electromagnet or similar. The cars also track very well and roll with ease.

I think it is a very worth while investment and hope that explains everything in depth like you wanted.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Some of the add on cars feature some very nice details like the hobo car where it switchs from a blank roof to a roof with the fir and hobo on top. There is also a car that includes all the songs from the movie as well as character sound clips. Those are the neatest but it is nice to have them all and have a very long train as well.


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## Badwolf & Arizona RR (Jun 17, 2011)

gc53dfgc said:


> I own the tender with a classical whistle no railsounds. The whistle runs fine without any issues and is plenty loud.


First - an excellent capsule of the set. Thanks.

Second - Did they ever make a Railsounds version of this train?

Third - The Hobo Car - does this require an "operations" track or an "uncoupler" track to function, or does it just happen as the car runs?

Fourth - "The Original Set" I assume you mean when it was first issued - are these the ones to look for? Is there a way to determine which set you have? Have they gone down hill since production began?

I'm not looking for you guys to take all the risk out of railroading for me, I just don't want to buy a garbage set when you guys can point me in a better direction.

Again - Thanks.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

There is an add-on tender with Railsounds for the Polar Express set.

I'd probably consider adding the Electric Railroad TMCC & Railsounds 4 to the thing if I had it. You can put all of the stuff in the tender.

FWIW, the smoking issue has been widely discussed, so everyone doesn't have the luck that *gc53dfgc* has with his.


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

There is an add-on TRAINsounds tender. It's the lower end version of railsounds so make sure you are aware of that. The set I've seen is pretty nice looking.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

second issue,
they never maid a complete engine and tender set with the rialsounds but as said they made a tender that replaced the original that had the railsounds to it.

Third,
I am not sure if the hobo car requires an operation track or not. I believe it is a mechanism inside the car that can be turned on and off by a switch. I currently do not own that car but should by this Christmas.

fourth,
By original set I mean the standar engine with the three starter cars. I think the first sets also came with the golden ticket and brass bell as well as a cirtificate of authenticity that was gotten rid of in later production runs. I own that first set and am not sure if the currently offered ones have the bell and ticket. I know the engines are still all the same and should be fine. 

John is right with wanting to add all the railsounds and what not. But thats investing another 100-200 dollars and then having to find the correct sound which I am not sure is available for the Polar Express. None of my O gauge is the newer computer/command station controlled stuff. I like to keep it that way and it all runs fine. As you want to use this as an only under the tree train I think just standard would be fine. With the traditional whistle tender it keeps the whole thing nice and classic and creates that Christmas feel as I remembered it and grew up with. It is merely a choice thing but I prefer the older.

I have always been lucky as far as issues in locomotives not being there that others have with theirs so it could just be me. I think my NYC Scout set has less smoke output then the Polar Express does and that is still a good bit. I take it *John doesn't have the same luck as I do with my smoke units?*


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I don't personally own the Polar Express, and when I have a problem with a smoke unit, I fix it.  However, a number of folks have complained here and over in the OGR forum about anemic smoke production from the original Polar Express set.


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## queensny (Sep 5, 2010)

yes lionel made two sets. i have them both. I like the first one better. The first one comes with individual boxes. the engine is glossy, the whistle in the tender is louder. The second issue, the cars are in a Styrofoam carton. the engine is a dull finish, also when you give power to the engine its takes a few seconds to start. Some say the second version has a more powerful motor. Might be but i do not see a difference. They run the same to me. The motors can not be change from one to the other. The hobo car is done by hand. You do not need a special track. The top flips by pushing it with your hand. They do have a Train sound tender not a rail sound. This is a separate sale. Smoke on both of them are the same. Very little. Its a very nice christmas set. Get it you will be happy.


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Just chiming in to say "great dialog / info" to all above. That's what makes this forum such a valuable resource to anyone in the hobby.

Thanks,

TJ


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## santafe158 (Jul 14, 2010)

As for the hobo car (I'm just going by what I've heard, I don't own the set or the cars so I may be wrong), I believe that it is a manually operated feature.


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## lionellines (May 18, 2011)

I have an original set. It has a flat black loco and smokes better than an MTH steamer. No delayed start as in later sets. The loco always smoked pretty good. But after two years, it stopped smoking. I removed a very charred sleeve from the heating element, and replaced the wicking material with pink fiberglass insulation. Since then it smokes so much, it fills the room.

Later versions of the loco do have a larger, more powerful motor. The new motor was added so that the loco would be able to pull the three original cars, plus all the add-on cars. When the set was originally introduced, there was no need for the larger motor.


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## klinger (Jan 2, 2011)

I have the later version in the styrafoam. My kids love the set and the enging runs stong. However, the whistle is almost non-existent and, well, you know about the smoke. For $250, it is a nice engine and set.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Others have not been so lucky with the Polar Express smoke unit.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=3671

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=5677

http://cs.trains.com/TRCCS/themes/t...dID=158964&PostID=1752906&PermaPostID=1752906

From a review on Amazon on the set: _*The locomotive has a lousy smoke unit; some work okay, others don't work at all. You can find ways to repack the unit with pink insulation on the Internet, but why would you want to take a new train apart? *_


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## Upiperbob (Mar 25, 2012)

I love the Polar Express movie, my grandkids too. I got the set..I'm having problems with it. The Berkshire loco wheels will not roll unless under power. The tender roller underneath that touches the track, the axle to the roller came out and does not stay in so the roller comes off and grabs the track. My tender make no whistle or sounds. It looks pretty but workmanship is terrible underneath. I'm working on it though.


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## gc53dfgc (Apr 13, 2010)

Upiperbob said:


> I love the Polar Express movie, my grandkids too. I got the set..I'm having problems with it. The Berkshire loco wheels will not roll unless under power. The tender roller underneath that touches the track, the axle to the roller came out and does not stay in so the roller comes off and grabs the track. My tender make no whistle or sounds. It looks pretty but workmanship is terrible underneath. I'm working on it though.


The first run (which I have) was very well built and has not given me problems for years. Must be a new issue or just a bad set.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Well, most locomotives wheels don't roll without power, so I don't find that unusual. There's a worm gear as the first part of the drive from the motor, you can't turn that from the wheels.


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

I got a used set for my youngest grand son last year, did a little cleaning, some oil ,and replaced a few missing parts and away she goes,I modified the smoke unit,and sealed it because it driped fluid on my track,but so far its still running fine,we use MTH proto smoke.I find it works best.
the hobo car is hand operated, all the cars seem cheep at first but we have had no problems with them,the only thing is if we "hi-ball" through the switches the loco will jump the track [048 ,060 switches] all in all ,we have been happy with this little set, FWIW I....I mean Santa is going to bring him this year the scale polar express set, yes Legacy control,and scale size cars .............Mike


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Who is Santa bringing that train for Mike, and don't try to tell me it's the grandson!


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## Big Mike (Dec 2, 2011)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Who is Santa bringing that train for Mike, and don't try to tell me it's the grandson!


 
well.................you know .....................Mike


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## SteveC (Feb 13, 2012)

My set is from the first run, and it has been very good, except for the afore mentioned smoke unit. It does not smoke at all, even when new, it was very little. At the time, they said that it was because the set was only three cars and it was not enough load on the locomotive to cause it to smoke. Now with all the added cars, it still will not smoke. The cars have been very good also, but I have little use for the CW-80 transformer.


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## bmt216 (Dec 1, 2011)

I have a first run set, run every year since I got it. Great engine and tender. Plenty of smoke, actually more than I like, Cars are nice but I did have trouble with the couplers uncoupling as the train was running. I put some black tape around them, disabling the remote uncoupling feature but made for a reliable running train, I think you would be very happy with this set. Good luck.


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