Lionel FasTrack O-31 do NOT fit into each other.

from: Ken
to: LionelSupport@lionel.com
date: Sat, Mar 3, 2018 at 8:52 AM
subject: Re: Your order no. 987-123456789 has been received

... I had ordered O-31 curve FasTrack from Legacy Station in Georgia. At least half of the connections do not properly snap together. I've been using your O-36 FasTrack for about ten years so I know how to connect them. These O-31 FasTrack are so deficient as to be unusable. When I push hard to force a connection, a nearby connection loosens, even separates completely. It's ridiculous. I might cancel this loco order because of it.

I also learned the hard way that O-31 curve does not fit inside O-36. I then checked the Lionel catalog and noticed that O-31 is NOT shown fitting as the other sizes do. However, Lionel should make that VERY CLEAR in WRITING.

Online messages confirm this and also state that MTH O-31 does fit inside Lionel O-36. I may switch to MTH Realtrax ... and maybe more.

Oh, please confirm that those two GP7 locos are "w/Bluetooth" same as the GP38. Thanks. The details for GP7 mention Bluetooth but the product headline does not as it does for GP38. Confusing and possibly disconcerting.

Call me.

Lionel toy and model trains have simple functional remote control. Best option: LionChief Plus with Bluetooth.

This guy makes the case pretty well:

It's a good introduction to modern technology in toy trains.

You can slide past his detailed description of this particular locomotive to the functional stuff about remote control. I've been researching the current options, including those from:

- MTH: Uses WiFi through a router from loco to its app on phone or tablet.

- Bachmann: Uses a simpler Bluetooth connection from loco to app on phone or tablet.

- BlueRail: Makes the circuit boards and software used by Bachmann in its HO locos; BlueRail products can also be purchased separately.

I was all set to get MTH stuff but trying to decipher MTH options and product lines and way too much confusing extra hardware delayed my decision. Then I thought Bachmann was the way to go; no WiFi, just Bluetooth and no extra hardware. Now I prefer what Lionel has done:

- Very simple physical remote control (forward/reverse, sounds, including announcements), I think first introduced in kids sets for TOY trains as distinguished from MODEL trains:

        - Thomas

        - Polar Express

- LionChief

- LionChief Plus with Bluetooth connection from loco to app on phone or tablet. But Bluetooth is only in some newer locos. So far, not easy to determine which.

Note: Some of the kids sets have battery powered locomotives with a simpler but functionally same remote control. They retail for about $100 and run on plastic tracks. They are G scale (large). This is a very good value. The main negative is that the loco is powered by six C batteries. I don't know how practical it is but functionally it would have been preferable to have something like a rechargeable lithium ion battery, the type that we use in phones and tablets.

Be careful of older LionChief locos, introduced around 2015. Later Lionel came out with LionChief Plus. All LionChief and LionChief Plus locos have the physical remote that is nicely paired to its loco using radio frequency, NOT Bluetooth. However, only some newer LionChief Plus locos also have the Bluetooth connection to the app, which among other things can control the volume of the sounds; LionChief Plus locos can also have their volume controlled via the remote. The plain LionChief locos have their volume set to VERY LOUD and the volume cannot be reduced no matter what some Lionel documentation states. The only option is to turn the loco upside down and flip the sound on/off switch. But even that only eliminates the sound of the announcements and, I think, idling (cannot recall). The buttons for bell and whistle still work and are VERY LOUD.

I now think the way to go is LionChief Plus with Bluetooth. It's got BOTH a physical remote AND access to the more functional app. Except for MTH, I don't see that the others have a decent remote and MTH, I think, outsmarted itself and awoke Lionel, which made a big comeback. A few years ago the Lionel CEO was essentially removed:

Lionel CEO left April 16! Howard Hitchcock is the new president. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 2014

Dealers had been ignorant about this tech evolution in the last five years and I've only just caught on in 2018. I had been ignoring the clumsy alphabet soup mess that the industry had been engulfed in trying to satisfy too many old guys who wanted anything new to also work with their old stuff ... if at all.

Note: Most, if not all, apps were initially written for Apple products. My guess is that the decision makers were not too computer techie and defaulted to Apple iPads and iPhones. Later some added app versions that ran on devices running the Android operating system.

But even now the Lionel Layout Control System (LCS) app is still only Apple; no Android version in sight.

Lionel locomotive fried ... again.

This link is for all my posts on problems with Lionel model trains:

http://techthoughtsmatinale.blogspot.com/search/label/Lionel

It's official: my powered Lionel Yankee subway car (locomotive) is fried.  Its symptoms were the same as its predecessor: lights lit but the train did not move.  I finally took it out of the closet recently and today took it to a local hobby shop to determine if there was a simple fix.  They put it on a test track and eventually we could smell it heating up and we switched off the power.  At least now I know it's not worth trying to fix or replace.  The replacement would be the same low quality.

What surprised me was the vehemence of the three repair men.  They were adamant that even though my train was way past its warranty I should still complain to Lionel and insist that this had ruined my Christmas.  I told them I wouldn't but they insisted ... repeatedly.  Instead I'm writing this post.

They described in detail the poor service and products that Lionel had.  They described Lionel as arrogant.  They said to call Lionel Monday.  I told them that the workers will be on vacation for the holidays.  They said that was a ruse to avoid all the outraged customers who would be disappointed in their Lionel products.  They said that the workers are there but that they are hiding.

I thought that it was quaint that the company let their employees enjoy the holidays at home.  I still do.  But those pros in the hobby shop do not believe it.

There was a lot more, including their urging me to ask Lionel why their products worked when they were made in the USA, not in China.  They were outraged on my behalf.

Tomorrow there's a Toy and Train show here in White Plains.  I'll probably drop by.  I usually do.

P.S. In the last year I've gotten into Kato N scale trains and especially like their double track product.  I have two double tracks with four trains running simultaneously.  Very cool.

Chromebook: ups and downs.

Samsung 11 inch with solid state memory

Intel® Atom™ Processor, 2GB Memory, Titan Silver, XE500C21-H02US
6/9/2011

Very good.  Still use it often.
_________________________________

Recently I wanted another, larger Chromebook, preferably with something extra.

HP 14 inch with touch screen hit the spot.  I tried to order it on the HP website.  Could not.  Sent a message to HP about that, expecting to be contacted within minutes to seal a deal.  It took HP a couple of days.  By then I had ordered from Amazon:

My review on the Acer 15 inch Chromebook (CB5-571/C910):

https://www.amazon.com/review/review-your-purchases/ref=pe_6680_136729710_cm_1_star2?_encoding=UTF8&asins=B00T0QZLV8%3A2%2C&channel=ec_phy&crAuthToken=gFnz1jq5XXzmXpW%2FLgqJIElaUBuDIQkyWEuqgb0AAAADAAAAAFUumhRyYXcAAAAA&customerId=AUDX4F9WN5OLJ#

Defective.  OS kept freezing.  Returned after two weeks.  Amazon's third party supplier refunded only $237 of $350 without explanation.  I filed a complaint with Amazon several days ago but without any action.   I'm very disappointed in Acer but even more with Amazon, which just sent me an email message asking me to write this review.  Amazon is oblivious to the fact that I have a grievance.  Argh!
_________________________

Update:

from:		Amazon.com Reviews <customer-reviews-messages@amazon.com>
to:		Ken
date:		Wed, Apr 15, 2015 at 3:14 PM
subject:		Your review of Acer Chromebook 15 C910-C37P 16-... could not be posted to Amazon.com
signed-by:		amazon.com

Your review should focus on specific features of the product and your experience with it. Feedback on the seller or your shipment experience should be provided at www.amazon.com/feedback. We do not allow profane or obscene content. This applies to adult products too. Advertisements, promotional material or repeated posts that make the same point excessively are considered spam. Please do not include URLs external to Amazon or personally identifiable content in your review. We welcome your honest opinion about products - positive or negative. We do not remove reviews because they are critical. We believe all helpful information can inform our customers’ buying decisions. If you have questions about the product or opinions that do not fit the review format, please feel free to use the Customer Discussions feature on the product page.

I'm very disappointed in Acer but even more with Amazon, April 15, 2015 By Kenneth Matinale Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: Acer Chromebook 15 C910-C37P 16-Inch Chromebook (1.5 GHz Intel Celeron 3205U Dual-core processor, 4GB memory, 32GB SSD, Chrome OS) (Personal Computers) Defective. OS kept freezing. Returned after two weeks. Amazon's third party supplier refunded only $237 of $350 without explanation. I filed a complaint with Amazon several days ago but without any action. I'm very disappointed in Acer but even more with Amazon, which just sent me an email message asking me to write this review. Amazon is oblivious to the fact that I have a grievance. Argh!

____________________________

I then ordered from Toshiba its CB35-B3340 Chromebook 2
PLM02U-009008 14/6/15  13 inch screen, solid state memory

I like it.  Using it now.  No 15 inch screen.  No 14 inch touch screen.  But Toshiba filled my order efficiently and delivered a good Chromebook, larger than my original.

purevpn: more chatting about disconnects from Windows and Chrome OS. Support still wants me to disable my firewalls.

Name: Kenneth Matinale
Registration E-mail / E-mail: KEN
Are you Existing Customer Yes
Country / Location: USA/New York

  Deniz Thu, 03/19/15 02:11:21 pm America/New_York

Hello Kenneth Matinale. How may I help you?

  Kenneth Matinale 02:12:48 pm

I'm connected to purevpn on my Chromebook. Hooked it up yesterday. But it has the same problem as my Windows 7 PC: the connection drops.

  Deniz 02:13:51 pm

may i know which server address you are using

  Kenneth Matinale 02:14:19 pm

oscar1 LA
That doesn't seem to matter.
I'm connected now.
I have another Chromebook and connected it to Miami yesterday and the connection dropped. Windows drops from amy servers.
many servers

  Deniz 02:18:17 pm

http://support.purevpn.com/customer/portal/articles/1616041

please follow this link

At the link:

My VPN disconnects after every few minutes. What should I do?

There are multiple reasons which may cause the disconnection like:

1-Switching the Protocol: If you are experiencing disconnection issues, then change over between the protocols, i.e. PPTP, L2TP, SSTP and OpenVPN. Mostly, disconnection issues are broken up by switching the protocols.

2-Firewall: If switching protocols doesn’t help then check Router / Windows / 3rd Party Firewall settings. Disable your firewalls at first, temporarily and try again. Sometimes router firewalls cause the disconnection problems and internet activity issues because WiFi routers usually grind the VPN to a stop after a few minutes of use, plainly because they can’t keep up with SPI / Firewall turned on.

3-Mobile Credentials: Likewise, you may face disconnection issue if you use Mobile account credentials (username/password) on PC / Mac / Router etc. Mobile account doesn't cover PC / Mac / Router etc and only supports Mobile and Tablet.

4-Internet Connection: If you still face disconnection issues after switching between protocols and turning off firewalls, you have to check your network. If there is any glitch in your internet connection, you may have disconnection issues in such scenarios as well.

_________________________________

  Kenneth Matinale 02:23:14 pm

Thanks. On Windows I switched protocols. That didn't seem to matter. Another purevpn support person suggested that I disable my firewalls for diagnostic purposes. I refused. That seems out of the question, especially given the nature of the service that you provide.
I am using the Verizon FIOS router.
I do not know where the Chrome OS firewall is, even if I wanted to disable it, which I do not.
You must have a log of my connections and disconnects and the servers and protocols.

Duration: 16m 43s
Chat has been opened from website: http://www.purevpn.com/tutorials.php

*******************************

Name: Kenneth Matinale
Registration E-mail / E-mail: KEN
Are you Existing Customer Yes
Country / Location: USA/New York

  Hummer Thu, 03/19/15 02:34:21 pm America/New_York

Hello Kenneth Matinale. How may I help you?

  Kenneth Matinale 02:34:43 pm

I was just in the middle of a chat when ...
Connection lost. Please check your internet connection and then try again.
It was about all the disconnects.

  Hummer 02:35:34 pm

Please share the issue you are having in detail so we will proceed accordinglu
*accordingly

  Kenneth Matinale 02:36:45 pm

purevpn connections drop often: Windows 7 and now Chrome OS on two different Chromebooks.

  Hummer 02:37:14 pm

Please try switching between protocols i.e PPTP/L2TP on your windows then try again

  Kenneth Matinale 02:37:18 pm

Ironically, I finally got it working on my Android tablet.
Changed protocols several times and don't want to disable firewalls.
Using Verizon FIOS router.
Check my log. Username: xxxxxxxx
The connection to LA dropped during the chat just before you came on. I reconnected.
Now on Chromebook connected to oscar1 as before disconnect.
Was chatting with Deniz.

  Hummer 02:41:03 pm

You are requested to disable the firewall
as firewall causes the disconnection

  Kenneth Matinale 02:42:37 pm

I do not know how to disable the Chrome OS firewall but do not want to do it. Since Windows has the had the problem the most times, it does not seem as if the OS firewall is the problem.

  Hummer 02:43:26 pm

You may simply disable the firewall of your router then try and check


  Kenneth Matinale 02:43:38 pm

The connection dropped during a purevpn chat. That's all I was doing.
I'm not fooling with my router.
I'll try at other locations but my guess is that the problem will persist.
If a router firewall can cause disconnects, the purevpn service does not seem very robust.
By the way, I had the flashrouter.com router for two days plugged into the Verizon router and had disconnections. flashrouter failed at streaming video of NBA games through a Roku box, which was the main reason I bought it. I then returned it.
I think we're done. Anything else?
OK. Bye.

Duration: 15m 48s
_________________________________

Bottom line: they follow the script, which culminates with asking the customer to disable firewalls.

Today for the first time I got my Android 5 Nexus 7 tablet to connect to purevpn.  The one change I made was to let the server be assigned as "any".  Also, last night Google upgraded Android to 5.1 kernel version 3.1.10-gf5d7b8b, build number LMY47D

I connected my Android tablet several hours ago and it's still connected according to the purevpn app.  So if the problem was the Verizon FIOS router, then why is Android running purevpn and Chrome OS stopped running purevpn?  The only activity on the Chromebook when the purevpn connection dropped was my chat session with purevpn support, which could not have put much of a load on the connection.

Alert: I got suspicious and checked my Android tablet several hours later.  The purevpn app still shows me connected ... to Atlanta with a non-New York IP.  However:
- There is no VPN created among connections
- in the browser: wimi.com: What'sIsMyIP: 192.69.251.194    Same as in WiFi menu.

Apparently the purevpn Android app shows itself connected when it is not.

purevpn connects Chromebooks ... until they disconnect.

Yesterday connected two Chromebooks purevpn.  It seemed easier than using the Windows program and having the program inform me, sort of, that the connection had dropped.  The problem in Windows was that the connection dropped.

Same on a Chromebook running Google's Chrome OS.  They seemed to be working OK, except the connection would drop.

Overnight Google updated the Android 5 OS on my Nexus tablet.  I'll find out whether I can finally get purevpn to work on that tablet.

Check these links:

http://support.purevpn.com/customer/portal/articles/1799610-chromebook-chrome-os-l2tp-setup-guide-

http://billing.purevpn.com/pptp_l2tp_hostname_list.php

Unlocator experience, not a review, dealing with NBA and MLB blackout.

My objective: reduce monthly costs to the provider of television, voice and Internet services by subscribing to online streaming video for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB), including bypassing the league blackout of the local New York teams.

I read a couple of reviews of Unlocator by people who seem to actually understand this stuff.  I do not.  I'm just trying to use it.  I started the free seven day trial a couple of days ago but I cannot see myself using it.  In addition to the issues specifically related to Unlocator mentioned below, the one service that I tried, NBA League Pass, convinced me that there are still substantial differences between TV and video on the Internet for sports.  For the concurrent games that I want access to, Internet streamed games require a bunch of silly junk to get to a game and for switching to another game.  It's not at all like TV where we can switch very easily.

I upgraded my unused Roku box from XL to 3.

Subscriptions:
- started NBA League pass
- future MLB.TV

I considered Virtual Private Network (VPN) but unlocator.com sounded like a better alternative for my limited requirements.  I'm not concerned about the government reading my messages, although I wouldn't mind protection from crooks.

Unlocator has a seven day trial.  So far its been consistently disappointing.

Implementation seems to be per router, not universal, which would seem to require a separate entering of Unlocator DNS data for each router encountered.  This would quickly prove to be tedious.

- Unlocator advises that I should have subscribed to an international version of NBA League Pass.

With Google's Android OS:
    - Nexus 7 tablet: Unlocator online documentation only addresses verion 4, not 5 (Lolipop); I followed directions for Android 4 but after entering Unlocator DNS data the screen never activated the Save button.
    - Droid Turbo smart phone: I tried the Unlocator "Smart VPN".  I entered Unlocator data but it did not seem to work.  Then when I tried to back out Andriod seemed to be stuck with the Screen Lock required by Unlocator "Smart VPN".  Verizon Wireless documentation said to go to Screen Lock in Android Settings and select None but that was not an option.  I finally found in another forum that I could do this: clear Credential Storage, then go back to Screen Lock and None was now an option.  Who knew?

Google Chromebook: not an option for Unlocator .

Windows: Same deal.  I need to change stuff for my router that is buried in the bowels of Windows.  What if I want to take my PC to a friend's home?  I'd have to change the settings for that person's router, then change back when I get home.  Who the heck is going to do this?

I'd have to change the Verizon FIOS router settings to remove the blackout of home teams on my Roku 3.  Unlocator documentation does not match the router screens.  Unable to implement.

I am now thinking that VPN might actually be easier to implement and also provide much more security even though that was not the primary objective.

Also, Unlocator works by providing two IP addresses for its DNS.  Why wouldn't/couldn't NBA, MLB, etc, simply block them?

Howard Hitchcock (hhitchcock@lionel.com), new president of Lionel Electric Trains: Where's my broken train!? You've had that junk since May 2!​

from: Ken Matinale
to: hhitchcock@lionel.com
cc: Lionel ,
 partorder@lionel-newsletter.com
date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 2:26 PM
subject: Tech Thoughts on Lionel
mailed-by: gmail.com

​Where's my broken train!?  You've had that junk since May 2!​

Lionel CEO left April 16! Howard Hitchcock is the new president.

You can't make this up.  I just received a link in a message as a result of my post a few minutes ago

from: Talk To US
to: Ken Matinale
date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 1:34 PM
subject: RE: Tech Thoughts - Lionel model trains incommunicado.

http://www.lionel.com/CentralStation/NewsStand/viewrelease.cfm?newsID=227

Jerry Calabrese has stepped down as President and CEO of Lionel Electric Trains
__________________________

The stiff quit!  Still no word on my broken train.

Then I dug out this mess hidden on the website:

04/18/2014
HOWARD HITCHCOCK NAMED PRESIDENT OF LIONEL

CONCORD, NC (April 18, 2014) ? As has recently been announced, Jerry Calabrese has stepped down as President and CEO of Lionel after 10 years of leadership. During Calabrese’s tenure, Lionel began consolidating its business operations in North Carolina, made substantial improvements to the product line, and also became an official partner of NASCAR and the NHRA with the addition of die-cast collectibles to the company’s portfolio. The Lionel leadership team thanks Calabrese for his hard work and leadership, and wishes him well in his future endeavors. Lionel announced today that Howard Hitchcock, who has directed the company’s daily operations for more than a year as Senior Vice President and General Manager of Lionel and has served in the same capacity at Lionel Racing since its inception in 2010, has been named President of Lionel. As President, Hitchcock will be responsible for both the train and die-cast divisions of the business, and will continue to lead the strategic planning and daily operations of the company. Hitchcock will be supported by an experienced leadership team that has years of expertise working in all aspects of the electric train business, from production and marketing to finance and sales. “I’m fortunate to have such a strong and dedicated team of employees to support me as we transition into this exciting phase of Lionel’s history,” Hitchcock said. “Together, we are going to introduce new generations to the heritage and the wonder of Lionel trains.” A key leader on the Lionel team is Chris Elrod, who was previously named Chief Financial Officer. Both Hitchcock and Elrod will direct Lionel business efforts going forward to ensure the company achieves continued success. “The potential for growth and opportunity that have been a part of Lionel’s 114-year history is stronger than ever and being responsible for the continuance of that legacy is a role both Chris and I take very seriously,” Hitchcock said. In addition, enterprise efforts in the digital space will continue to be led by Tony Bordon. Bordon has already played a key role in executing Lionel’s digital initiatives like Battle Train and Lioneltracks.com, and he will continue to advise and assist the management team with long-term strategic planning as it relates to the digital sphere. Hitchcock and the Lionel leadership team will continue to be based in Concord, NC, the company’s new headquarters. Lionel’s service and parts department will transition to the North Carolina location this summer, as previously announced.
_______________________________________________

Lionel model trains incommunicado.

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel, jcalabrese@lionel.com

from: Ken Matinale
to: jcalabrese@lionel.com
cc: Lionel
date: Tue, May 13, 2014 at 1:13 PM
subject: Fwd: Lionel Warranty Return RA 1234567 has been Received
mailed-by: gmail.com

Five more days have passed with no information from Lionel.

Check my blog:

http://techthoughtsmatinale.blogspot.com/

from: Ken Matinale
to: Lionel
date: Thu, May 8, 2014 at 5:38 PM
subject: Fwd: Lionel Warranty Return RA 1234567 has been Received
mailed-by: gmail.com

Come on, eight days and no status.  What the heck?

Lionel continues poor service: no word on my returned loco.

See the previous post about the model train that I returned.

To: partorder@lionel-newsletter.com

date:		Fri, May 2, 2014 at 9:03 AM
subject:		Lionel Warranty Return RA 1234567 has been Received

Your Lionel Warranty Return has been received.

Sincerely,

Lionel Customer Service
(586) 949-4100 Ext. 9105

______________________________

from:		Ken Matinale <>
to:		partorder@lionel-newsletter.com
date:		Tue, May 6, 2014 at 8:05 AM

So?  Status, please.

Last time it was returned with no explanation and no notice that it was shipped.

____________________________

No message from Lionel since May 2.

Lionel model trains: problems with lights in cars continue. And TWO new locomotives fried.  THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel received this January 3, 2014.  His e-mail: jcalabrese@lionel.com

Since the post below:

1. The locomotive in the subway train set fried...

Lionel must have used a very bad company in China making these sets, which are being marketed with Major League Baseball (MLB)...

I'm very disappointed in Lionel.
__________________________________

The new subway loco developed the same symptoms as the original, except I did not increase the throttle power too much, so it did not fry, just slowed down and stopped.  Fortunately, the failure was well before the one year warranty expires in July.  I shipped it back and it's due to arrive this afternoon.  I paid $13.96 to ship.

Here is the problem set:

71-2016-250 (2/3) 7-12016 M-7 Commuter Train (New York Yankees™/ New York Mets™ Subway Series™ Set)

http://www.lionel.com/Products/Finder/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductNumber=7-12016&expandBranch=0&Keywords=&CategoryID=501&RailLineID=&CatalogId=

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel, never replied to previous post sent Jan. 3, 2014. It's not my father's Lionel.

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel, received this message January 28, 2014 at jcalabrese@lionel.com.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2014  Lionel model trains: problems with lights in cars continue. And TWO new locomotives fried.

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel, received this January 3, 2014.  His e-mail: jcalabrese@lionel.com
_________________________________________

71-2000-250 (1/13) 7-12000 2-8-4 Berkshire Passenger (New York Yankees™ Berkshire Steam Set)  purchased online from Train World 7/16/2013.

The Yankee steam train set locomotive was indeed fried.

I sent it to Lionel for repair.  It was purchased in July 2013 so it was well within the one year warranty.  Nevertheless, Lionel still required me to pay for shipping it from New York to Ohio.  Lionel did not even supply a proper return box.  I had to fashion one by cutting off part of the Styrofoam that all the cars in the set were originally packed.  It was returned in the same pathetic material.

I had hoped that Lionel would replace my locomotive with a new one.  There was no message either in the box nor via e-mail explaining what, if anything, had been done.  When I removed the locomotive it had a wire hanging loose so I called Lionel.  After multiple calls I finally spoke to a Lionel technician.

The tech guy stated that Lionel had replaced dc motor and driver, whatever that means.  It seems to me that if Lionel had any sense it would have provided me with a new locomotive.  Tech guy said that Lionel ran my locomotive for three hours non-stop to be sure that it would not fail.  I mentioned that I would never run my trains that long.

I probed the tech guy about the problem, especially since BOTH locomotives I had purchased online from Train World 7/16/2013 had fried and that both were from the Major League Baseball (MLB) promotion.  He said there was not a general manufacturing problem.  Say what?  TWO locomotives fry within a few months of purchase and there's no manufacturing problem?

71-2016-250 (2/3) 7-12016 M-7 Commuter Train (New York Yankees™/ New York Mets™ Subway Series™ Set)

I also told him that within days of receiving a completely new set in December 2013 from a Lionel authorized repair shop, the non-locomotive cars lights on the Yankee subway train set again failed as they had on the original set before the locomotive fried. I asked if I could replace the bulbs myself.  He said yes but that it would void my one year warranty.  If I returned them to Lionel to have the bulbs replaced, I would have to pay for shipping again.

Lionel did repair the one locomotive that I returned.  However, other than that there was no hint that Lionel took any responsibility for these many failures nor that any form of compensation would be offered.  Customer satisfaction is a low priority at Lionel from the top down.  Lionel has displayed a shocking lack of integrity.  It's not my father's Lionel.

P.S. In Grand Central Terminal in New York City on 1/25/14 I viewed the model train display in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) store.  It's pretty good with trains running on a large layout.  There was a New York Yankees™/ New York Mets™ Subway Series™ Set but it was not exactly on display.  It was sitting under some overhead tracks with lights on but only in two cars.  It was not running.  The MTA must be having problems similar to mine.

Lionel model trains: problems with lights in cars continue. And TWO new locomotives fried.

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel received this January 3, 2014.  His e-mail: jcalabrese@lionel.com

Since the post below:

1. The locomotive in the subway train set fried.

2. The locomotive in the steam train set fried.

The Lionel authorized repair/dealer replaced my entire subway set.  Within days the lights on two cars went out.

That same Lionel authorized repair/dealer repaired the light in the steam locomotive.  Within five minutes of running it at home, it fried.  I sent it to Lionel for repair/replacement.  Lionel received it last Friday, Dec. 27, 2013.  No word.

from: partorder@lionel-newsletter.com

to: ken

date: Fri, Dec 27, 2013 at 11:06 AM

subject: Lionel Warranty Return RA nnnnnnn has been Received

Warrantable Item(s): Product 1 7-12000 New York Yankees™ Berkshire Steam Set Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to be of service. We appreciate your interest in Lionel Trains. Sincerely, Lionel Customer Service (586) 949-4100 Ext. 9105

_______________________

Even if Lionel sends me a new steam locomotive how long will it last?  And what do I do with the dark subway cars?  It takes a Lionel authorized repair person to change the light bulb. What the heck kind of design is that?

Lionel must have used a very bad company in China making these sets, which are being marketed with Major League Baseball (MLB).

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2013 Lionel model trains: problems with lights in cars.


I have four separate loops, each with its own Lionel transformer.

bought in the summer ... On the subway train all three cars have lost their lights after only three months.

Something is wrong with the Yankee subway train set and also in the locomotive on the Yankee steam train. I sent a separate message on that, which I bought at the same time, only three months ago. 
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I'm very disappointed in Lionel.

Lionel model trains: problems with lights in cars.

Jerry Calabrese, President and CEO of Lionel received this January 3, 2014.  His e-mail: jcalabrese@lionel.com

Problems with two of my four train sets:

New York Yankees™/ New York Mets™ Subway Series™ Set
SKU: 7-12016

• Locomotive Features:
  • Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
  • Powerful maintenance-free motor on powered car
  • Operating headlights and electronic horn on powered car
  • Interior illumination
  • Manually opening doors

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The description does not mention anything about the three non-locomotive cars but both trucks on each car has a roller to get power from the tracks and wires.  Those cars should definitely have lights that should work.

New York Yankees™ Berkshire Steam Set
SKU: 7-12000

• Locomotives Feature
• Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
• Air whistle in tender
• Operating headlight
• Operating coupler on rear of tender
• Powerful maintenance-free motor
• Two traction tires
• Puffing smoke unit
• Die-cast metal locomotive body and frame
• Separately applied metal handrails
• Passenger Car Features
• Interior lighting
• Decorated drumhead on Observation car
• ________________________________________

Clearly the locomotive should have lights that work.

I have four separate loops, each with its own Lionel transformer.  I run all of them at the same time so that they get about the same amount of work.  All four sets run properly on their tracks, so there is power.

The lights on my two older sets work OK, except for one passenger car which had the wire on each truck detach.  I don't know why that happened but at least I know why that car does not have working lights.  The oldest set is about 4-5 years old.

The two newest sets mentioned above were bought in the summer, so they're only about three months old.  Both sets are baseball oriented.  Maybe there is a problem with how Lionel produced those.

On the subway train all three cars have lost their lights after only three months.

The Berkshire locomotive now has no lights.  It's three passenger cars all have lights that work.

I contacted Lionel but their only advice was to send the cars to them for repair or take them to a Lionel repair person.

Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 3:04 PM

Ken,

You can take the locomotive to any of these service stations for the bulb to be changed out and the engine repaired:

http://www.lionel.com/CustomerService/Dealers/index.cfm?doAction=search&selectCountry=USA&selectStates=AllStates&findCityName=&findAreaCodeNumber=&findZipCode=10601&findDealerName=&dealerType=Service&submit=Search.

Thank You,

Lionel
__________________________________________

TalkToUS@lionel.com

Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 3:14 PM

Ken,

You can take it to a local service station or we can bring it in for repair.  This is up to you.

Thank You,

Lionel
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My final reply to Lionel:

Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 3:53 PM

The lights is all THREE passenger cars failed within THREE months.

My Santa Fe El Capitan set has been running for about five years and the lights still work. I run all four of my train sets at the same time, so they get the same work.  The newer trains are doing much worse.

Something is wrong with the Yankee subway train set and also in the locomotive on the Yankee steam train.  I sent a separate message on that, which I bought at the same time, only three months ago.

Now I am supposed to pay for repair?  Your subway manual does not even show how to change the light bulbs.  After all these years Lionel should have this designed so that it is simple and can be done by the owner, not a specialist. 
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Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Google Blogger post search: is it the worst?

Am I the only one who has this problem?  The search king has the most feeble search capabilities in its search function in Blogger.  When I want to find an old post I cannot.  If I put a title in quotes, the phrase is completely ignored and I get posts, which contain any of the words.

Google cannot search?

Google Blogger: one problem fixed: pasting Google Docs spreadsheet now looks good, not terrible.

Finally!  How difficult could it have been for Google to fix?

MONDAY, APRIL 22, 2013  Google Blogger software problems.

And why can't I integrate stuff from Google Docs/Drive into blogger?  I cannot copy/paste from a Google spreadsheet into a blogger post and maintain any form.  It just looks like a mess.  I cannot find any way to accomplish this.  That's pretty basic stuff.

I finally figured out how to get a Google spreadsheet graph into a blogger post and it's ridiculously absurd.  I have to publish the graph, then copy the image html and paste that into the blogger post in html mode.  How about drag and drop?  Something.  Anything.  Google should be embarrassed.

I'm a big Google supporter but this stuff is really turning me off.  The problems, and I haven't even gotten into the sloppy editing and formatting deficiencies, are a genuine burden that slow the creation process and make me much less likely to even bother.  And I'm sick of seeing this all the time:

An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again. Ignore warning

I used Wordpress while writing for a big blog and it did not have formatting problems.  I don't know about some of the other stuff since I was working within a corporate structure and not native Wordpress.  I hate the idea of switching but right now I'm not getting any benefit from using Google's blog service.  There is no integration with any other Google stuff.  NONE!
________________________________________________

I had to copy that from blogger.com, paste it into Notepad, then copy that very plain text into the editing area in blogger in order to get it to (usually) format like the rest of what I am writing.

Recently the pasting of Google Drive Docs, whatever the heck it's currently called, spreadsheets into the blogger editor works really well.  OK, the font is off but it's no longer an embarrassing mess.  Maybe I could change the font but so far I haven't wanted to temp fate.  Here check this:

http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com/2013/11/team-salary-cap-2003-2013.html

The first matrix is copy/paste from Microsoft Access, which ironically, always worked OK in Blogger.  The others below are from Google Docs, as is the graph.  It's still difficult to get a graph in there and to size it properly, especially if you haven't done it in a while.  It's easy to forget how.

That's one small step.  Thanks, Google, but how about finishing the job?

Wither Google Talk?

I used to be able to make free voice calls to regular phone numbers, land or cell.  Talk has been retired and I only get Voice, which simply let's me send a number to be dialed and paid for by a real phone service, in my case Verizon Wireless.

It's nice to be able to look up a number and have Google dial it for me.  Much nicer was Google presenting two, not one, phone icons in my address book with the option of having Google make the call for free.

I may have to go back to Skype and pay about $38 a year for free calls to regular numbers.

Searching on "Google Talk" yields a link to google.com/talk (chat with family and friends), which re-directs me to google.com/hangouts, which states: "You can upgrade Chat to Hangouts by clicking on your photo icon in Gmail's chat list."  Did I inadvertently do that and lose the free calling? 

Is there a way to make free voice calls to regular phone numbers with Google+ Hangouts?

Google Blogger software problems: one worked around.

When I published the previous post I was prompted to share it with Google+.

I had already tried a bunch of stuff to get my main blog (http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com) to go back to prompting but everything failed.  I had suspected this blogger G+ option:

"Use Google+ Comments on this blog".

I had turned it off but that did not seem to matter.  In this blog I turned it on and the problem started here, too.  I then turned if off here AND closed the tab, re-opened and the problem went away.  I then tried that with http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com and it, too, was fixed.

But what the heck?  What the heck is Google doing with junk like that?  Oh, and any indication of G+  sharing in http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com for past posts have disappeared.  What the heck?

Google Blogger software problems.

I was using blogger.com before Google took it over.  Problems seem to be getting worse and it's driving me crazy.  Here the URL for my main blog, Radical Baseball:

http://radicalbaseball.blogspot.com

Integration with Google+, which seems to have achieved the impossible and become an even bigger unmanageable mess than facebook, has gone from working to working sometimes to not working.  Here is my setting:

"This blog is associated with Radical Baseball Google+ page."

When I published a post I was prompted to also share it on G+.  That worked.  Now it does not.

Now, I do not get asked to share.  I cannot share after publishing within blogger at all.  I click on "share" for a post listed among my posts and NOTHING happens.

If I bring the post into public view and click on share it only lets me share to my name, NOT my Radical Baseball Google+ page   NO option to change.  I've checked help, etc. and this is not addressed.  Trying to manually post to my G+ page from within G+ is impossible.  I have no idea how G+ works and I was VERY supportive of G+ from the beginning because I hate facebook so much but G+ is a mess.  Does anyone understand what the heck is going on inside G+?  I read stuff by Guy Kawasaki but it doesn't help.

And why can't I integrate stuff from Google Docs/Drive into blogger?  I cannot copy/paste from a Google spreadsheet into a blogger post and maintain any form.  It just looks like a mess.  I cannot find any way to accomplish this.  That's pretty basic stuff.

I finally figured out how to get a Google spreadsheet graph into a blogger post and it's ridiculously absurd.  I have to publish the graph, then copy the image html and paste that into the blogger post in html mode.  How about drag and drop?  Something.  Anything.  Google should be embarrassed.

I'm a big Google supporter but this stuff is really turning me off.  The problems, and I haven't even gotten into the sloppy editing and formatting deficiencies, are a genuine burden that slow the creation process and make me much less likely to even bother.  And I'm sick of seeing this all the time:

An error occurred while trying to save or publish your post. Please try again. Ignore warning

I used Wordpress while writing for a big blog and it did not have formatting problems.  I don't know about some of the other stuff since I was working within a corporate structure and not native Wordpress.  I hate the idea of switching but right now I'm not getting any benefit from using Google's blog service.  There is no integration with any other Google stuff.  NONE!