Sams Club

[kennywsp4]

 Maybe Bach man can answer if it is the Annie as I would like to know this as well.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

The set is showing up on Ebay already.   199.99 plus outrageous shipping!!

http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Northern-Lights-Christmas-Train-Set-Large-Scale_W0QQitemZ230174778229QQihZ013QQcategoryZ19152QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[kennywsp4]

 Does any one know if these will appear in the stores this year or just be online?
 I HATE the fact you have to pay to spend money there though. As I live far enough away I would never use the membership except for this one item.

[trainman2]

I just saw the sets in stock at two Sam's locations last week - NV and CO. The loco is NOT an Annie - has gold colored plastic valve gear. Actually the set looks nice and should fulfill the needs of someone looking for a Christmas train set just for the fun of having and running. The box is huge - so maybe that's why the shipping charge on the eBay offering is so high.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Thanks Reainman.

I a;sp it from a secomd source that it is not an Annie,    Were there any  markings or lettering on the caboose or just the candy canes and leds?

Thanks

[Wade Colyer]

Hi Bill:

 There's more on E-Bay with pictures they took of the set still on the skid at Sam's Club. I still can't see the couplers good but I'll bet they are hook + loop.

Wade

[kennywsp4]

 Any one buy a set yet? I was wondering as I am planning on making the trip tuesday to buy one.(found a way to get a one day pass .)  . And was  interested in a brief review if some one had .
 Hard to tell but are the leds on the caboose only on one side?
 They only recieved 7 they said so hope there is one left .

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Hi Wade, 

Thanks I will take a look on Ebay later.  Did you see my other post with the set number?   If not it is 90061, but I still can't make out the number on the Loco or see any lettering or a number on the caboose.  I'm guessing no change on the other two cars except possibly the Blt date. 

Boy my weak eyes sure messed up on my last post!!!!

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Wade, 

Thanks for the tip on the new Ebay listings.   I found it very interesting that the gondola in the display is different that the one in the Sam's online listing.  It has dual candy canes on the tan & green car rather than the white car with single candy cane.  The letterboards on the stock car are also different than the ones on the Sam's site, single letterboard on the left versus two on the Sam's site. Still can't make out any numbers on the cars or if they are NP&S.

From a collectors point of view the loco & Tender with the LEDs the Baloon Stack with the coal tender, the caboose, and the gondola are actually new items, which may never be sold seperately, it will be interesting to see. 

Let me know any car numbers or other details you find, I will do the same.

Thanks Wade and all who are providing details.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Wade, all,

The picture of the store display does reveal some interesting details!!

A close look at the locomotive in the store display picture on Ebay reveals that the gold side rods are metal.  Also the siderods and valve gear appear to be Walshearts rather than the Sam's site photo which shows a different set of siderods & vale gear.  The promo on the display also says metal wheels, siderods, details on the loco.  Anyway IT MIGHT BE an ANNIE after all.   The loco number is 12 on the display, but looks different on the Sam's site photo.  The box would be the first with dual language info on the box.  The caboose in the display does not seem to have LEDs on the side of the caboose that is showing.  Kennywsp has a good question on the caboose issue!

There is a number on the end of the Gondola but I cannot make it out.  I think I see North Pole & Southern in gold on the letterboard of the caboose.  I can't see a car number on the Reindeer Transport car. 

If the loco is an Annie, it would be perfect for using the Annie Chassis under some of the older Big Haulers with the cheap chassis like the Royal Blue or Liberty Bell.

[scottychaos]

Wade, all,

The picture of the store display does reveal some interesting details!!

A close look at the locomotive in the store display picture on Ebay reveals that the gold side rods are metal. 

No, sorry, but a close look reveals they are absolutely 100% without the slightest doubt whatsoever that they are gold-painted plastic siderods.

Annies have metal hexagon shaped bolts holding the rods to the drivers,
the Gen-5 (plastic rods) Big Haulers have round press-in "bolts"..
the photo on this auction:
http://tinyurl.com/yvw5o4
very clearly shows plastic side rods and round plastic press-in bolts.

Annies also have larger cylinders and wider cross-head guides, the Sams engine in the photo has the smaller cylinders and narrower crosshead guide of the Gen 5.
Annies have a more detailed air pump and piping on the left side boiler,
the Sams engine has the simplified Gen 5 pumps and piping..
I have an annie in front of me as I type this.

Sorry, but there is absolutely no doubt,
This years Sams club christmas set has Gen-5 Big Haulers, not annies.

2004, 2005 and 2006 Sams Christmas sets had Annies..not this year though.

Scot

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Scot.

Are you absolutely sure?
Look at the upper part on the EBay photo of the display.  It clearly says right on the display that the side rods are metal.  Look at the third picture and supersize it. The Exact wording is "Metal Wheels, Siderods, and detail parts"


http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Northern-Lights-Christmas-Train-Set-Large-Scale_W0QQitemZ230177127107QQihZ013QQcategoryZ19152QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you are right and they are plastic, it is at best false promotion!

[Curmudgeon]

What is referred to as an "Annie", or "anniversary 4-6-0" indicates trim level.
The drives are Version 5.
That doesn't mean siderods, cylinders and such, rather motor, gears, axles.

I laugh when I see folks report they have just bought a red and silver #49 Santa Fe "Annie".

TOC

[scottychaos]

Scot.

Are you absolutely sure?
Look at the upper part on the EBay photo of the display.  It clearly says right on the display that the side rods are metal.  Look at the third picture and supersize it. The Exact wording is "Metal Wheels, Siderods, and detail parts"


http://cgi.ebay.com/2007-Northern-Lights-Christmas-Train-Set-Large-Scale_W0QQitemZ230177127107QQihZ013QQcategoryZ19152QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

If you are right and they are plastic, it is at best false promotion!

I am absolutely sure the engine in that particular photo has plastic siderods and is not an annie.
It also has the thick plastic grab-ring on the front of the nose, which annies have never had, but the Gen-5 does.

It also has the air-tank under the running boards with no piping, which Gen5 big haulers have, but annies do not.
It also has the more crude electric generator, (right in front of the cab) which Gen 5 big haulers have but annies do not..

there are about 10 obvious spotting differences that prove the engine in that photo is a Gen 5.
no question.

Now..since Sam's sets have had annies the last 3 years, absolutely proven and known for a fact,
then there are a few possibilities:

1. The box is old data and says metal siderods, assuming the sam's Christmas sets would always be annies, and for some reason they were switched to Gen 5's this year. not enough annies available? but plenty of Gen5's?
who knows...

2. Perhaps the 2007 set is supposed to have annies, and somehow a few Gen 5's snuck into the early-release sets, perhaps due to shipping deadlines (no annies available when the sets had to ship to make it before Christmas) and maybe some sets will be Gen 5's and some will later be Annies...unlikely IMO, but possible.


I think for some reason they had to slip Gen 5's into the set this year, and the box couldnt be changed in time..
based on the photo in that one ebay auction, the engine is absolutely not an annie, even though the box says "metal siderods"...in that one case, the box is wrong..

A little something I just whipped up..
hopefully this will be anough to convince you all! 

http://i165.photobucket.com/albums/u45/scottychaos/gen5-vs-annie.jpg

IMO, none of this is really a big deal..
yes, we had Annies in the Sam's sets the last 3 years, btu not this year..
its Bachman's right to change engines in a new set if they want to..
the Gen 5 is still a fine engine..
and traditionally Gen 5's are always in the other Bachman sets, not annies..

(only Sams and Boscovs Christmas sets have contained Annies in years past..all other Big Hauler sets have never contained annies..)

the only genuine complaint is the wording on the box..it is technically wrong if in fact all the engines end up being Gen 5's..

and we have one more piece of evidence that proves these are not annies..people have already SEEN them in person, posted in this thread, and confirmed, via personal actual observation, that they have plastic side rods! 

case closed...Annie myth busted.

Scot

[Nathan]

If and when some one on this group gets one, then we will know what is in the set.  Trying to prove something from a picture or and ad does no good.