Eric. Thanks so much for your feedback and indeed you are correct. I mam actually seriously considering buying them as I was a fan of chasing the American Orient Express. I believe for an extra $120, they could have improved the interiors and put in figures. I want to thank you for your channel. Being disabled, re-tried and an S gauge and O gauge enthusiast, I look forward to your insightful videos. They are WONDERFUL! Happy Easter, Eric!...William Gratchic RN, BSN
I remember seeing the real thing many years ago. It was sitting in Williams AZ in the rail yard of the Grand Canyon Railway just across the street form the depot. It was something I had never seen before so it did stick in my memory and yes it did have the 2 amtrak locos leading.
Very nice. The cars are quite cool. It looks like the standard dome was modeled after a square-end dome observation. They did an excellent job, all the way around. I think that Lionel should upgrade the passenger announcements. Like the 20Th Century, Broadway, Super Chief and others, these are all Pullman sleeper car trains, no coaches. I think that the announcements should reflect that. Either way, it is an excellent train and would look fine with the Santa Fe Blue Goose or other streamlined steam engine in the lead. It not, a matching PA or slant-nose E, would look equally nice. Maybe not prototypical, but nice, non-the-less. As always, an excellent review and video.
That's an amazing set. I love how it looks with your lighting. It is outstanding. It would be really awesome if lionel would do a run of those in ho scale.
The AOE was powered by 2 E units, reportedly damaged in a road crossing accident, as per AOE crew members. Amtrak locomotives pulled the AOE for the remainder of its operation.
Another steam locomotive that would go well with this set is Frisco #4500 "Meteor", its blue and white paint scheme is similar to the American Orient Express.
I loved the long shot or the ride on top of the cars around the whole layout! I also think you could run those cars with the Santa Fe blue bonnet set, the colors seem to be pretty close. Amazing train cars and amazing video!
😅 pretty cool Eric, I especially liked the WiFi camera view from the dome car, that was pretty cool, kind of gave that feel like you was on the train 😊😊
I remember watching National Geographic, Love those trains. In one segment, featured the Orient Express with Hal Linden and wife aka Capt. Barney Miller. That was very impressive when you think about it and the workers that work on that train. Mr. Eric, did you have the AmRoad Silver Streak set from the 1976 film? That's a classic,
Awesome video Eric. I haven't seen a lionel coach like the Glacier Park Dome car with its odd tail windows and end of train lights. Turns out this is a UP- Astra Dome/Dinner coach and was not a part of the AOE but instead a part of the Aberdeen Carolina & Western consist. I guess lionel just decided to use the dome car from the AC&W 2 pack. The real Glacier Park was a balcony observation car.
It was just a goofball railfan businessman with too much money in the 90s trying to start some kind of package vacation business. Two other companies tried to do the same thing- Iowa Pacific most recently and I forget the other one with the green paint job.
If they do produce a locomotive to go with these cars (and hopefully a new run of these cars at that time) I hope it's a steam locomotive in the same blue-and-white paint. There's something to be said about a luxury train being hauled behind a big, streamlined steamer in matching colors. A fantasy redeco of 611 or another streamliner would be incredible.
If you are paying so much, then surely the least you should expect is that they have used the correct shade of blue for the coaches? Accept nothing else! Fascinated to see another side to you away from things survival and bushcrafty! Over here in UK we have several dining experiences you can take be it on the national railways or on preserved lines, for my folks 40th anniversary I treated them to an outing on the Keithley and Worth Valley Railway which was the nearest one to where they had courted and lived. If ever you visit the UK I’ll take you to some of the preserved Welsh lines.
Eric I’ve watched your videos for a long time and that vista dome ride along is one of the best shots you’ve ever filmed in my opinion. So immersive - I felt like I was riding the train!
Wow those are beautiful! Nice touch in the figures. I do the same thing . Too easy and fun do. I like to take some creative liberty and add more details like rugs and flutes with flowers and such. Great shots of your signature tunnel districts! Super well done. Great dusk lighting affects. Well done Big Guy! Congratulations 🍾🎈‼️
When MTH was still making European trains, I was shocked they never considered a Flying Scotsman at that time. Weren't you, knowing the fame around that locomotive?
For anyone reading this comment who pre-ordered the new Lionel Legacy C&O F19 Pacific's from this catalog last year, Ryan Kunkle emailed me stating that the engines are now in the process of assembly and decoration and that there is a small hold up with the motors for them but that he expects them to be completed in a few more weeks from now and that they should receive them at Lionel by around May he stated to me. This was between me and him about 2 weeks ago now. So they should be coming soon.
The interior might not be correct, but that's not a big deal for me. Interiors can have their look changed on the real thing, so having a more generic look keeps it simple for production.
Hi Eric, congrats on the new set. While it's a nice train, I've found the entire premise of "American Orient Express" to be an oxymoron, as it's not a train to the orient. Calling it the "American Luxury Express" would've been more inspiring to the americans who would ride it, focusing on their nation and its beauty rather than calling on the nostalgic trip to Istanbul which they'd never get to see. Just my two cents on the real train, it's still a very cool train. 👍
Looks like an ex-SP Shasta Daylight observation car on the tail of the real thing in that one picture. I can't wait to eventually start building out my 22 car Coast Daylight.
As an old childhood Lionel Train enthusiast, I was wondering about the length of the train (actual and model). The cars look really long. Were they that long in actuality and if so, how would they get around tight curves if they weren't articulated. The track (O-gauge) I had as a boy would not have supported such a long wheel base.
The stuff you had as a boy was semi-scale. Everything was compressed to make the models smaller so that they could get around tight curves. These are scale models, so they are larger and longer than the traditional semi scale trains you had as a kid. But they still run on the same 3-rail track…just with wider curves that can accommodate the longer full scale models.
Thanks. As a boy my very first Lionel train was set up to run around a circular track under our Christmas tree. Although I do remember some straight track as well.@@Ericstrains
Hey Eric. Thanks for sharing. Was considering them at the time but seemed pricey... may get them from my local dealer. Were you operating the set in command or conventional? I'm only asking since you were pulling with an MTH engine and I could hear the dining car announcements. Wasn't sure the DCS system could do that without the proper cables...
Ladies and Gentlemen, Can I have your attention please, The American Orient Express is now boarding, take your time please, not in a rush. All Aboard, The American Orient Express is now departing.
I took photos of the AOE as it passed through Dawson, PA in the early 90's. It actually was around in 1989 as I recall. The dining car has the wrong interior. It should reflect the splendor of the train and have the baby grand that was in it and play soft classical music. Also, there should be a car or cars with the dutch door opening and the conductor come out and passengers enter. The interiors in the cars are very poor and they should have done it right. A #611 NW 4-8-4 custom with aux tender would be beautiful. Lionel gets a big thumbs down. By the way, the blue is the wrong shade.
AOE and all the other luxury land cruise train attempts were big flops. And it is kind of a tacky "neoclassical" paint job on streamlined equipment. I don't know why anyone would want to spend tons of money on this as opposed to models of what the equipment originally was. How many people even rode it or saw it 20+ years ago?
You no known in the history port to culture your car Veronica John sorry I can’t remember the name of it but even matter 2 coaches were get the phone restored in Georgia next to a really engine steam A&WP 290
