The 2008 Wish Book is available at Hallmark stores and the Lionel ornaments for this year are pictured in it. From the dimensions four items have the potential for use in N Scale.... the first three will be available in July. The locomotive is a NYC FT...since we already have two scale ones not a big deal. Along with the FT there is a coach and observation in NYC Tutone Gray. The cars are the O-27 "Irvington" shorties of which the prototype has never been determined, so the use in N will be limited to Lionel nostalgia. There will also be a stocking hanger with a USRA Light 2-8-2 but it will not be released until November. If it is N Scale it might provide some kitbashing parts (especially the cab which is the B&O flat-roofed version as opposed to the standard USRA style of the Rivarossi and Model Power 2-8-2s). I have not been over to Carlton (American Greetings) to see if they are going to have any train ornaments this year.... hopefully they will and it will be something a little more universally useable than last year's M-10004 City of Denver cab unit. Charlie Vlk
For those interested, here is a link to the catalog: Hallmark.com | 2008 Dream book Click on the link to page 68-69
maybe hallmark can buy the remaining e8's off of pcm and have models for next year in the plug in line with lights and sounds.
The November release is a miniature train, similar to the B6 & other ornaments released in other years. They would be too small for Zscale. Modelers with sharp eyes may have a space for a Harley dealership? Could be fun to have some new cycles as a part of downtown. Ornament has a rotating table for the cycles. could also be fun to show off a prizewinning model. Looking through the catalog, I can see some other buildings that could be uses for a "village" setting.
I didn't mention the Harley dealership because, although it is a neat building worth copying, the hints at the scale (overall height of the building (probably including the sign and the size of the motorcycles) probably puts it at around TT Scale. It would probably be easy enough to kitbash using Walthers Modulars for the walls. Charlie Vlk
