jonnyspeed posted:
Lionel could absolutely produce a scale, detailed GP7 with fine handrails along the lines of the SD70 and ES44. They could even take a page from SHS and make a generic electronic interface that could allow them to sell different version to different people.... AC/DC/Legacy/DCC/LionChief/Bluetooth. I guarantee Jon Z. could make that work today if they asked him to. Instead they decided this model was a better idea.
All I can say is Don Thompson of SHS was a genius and was WAY ahead of his time. The fact that the manufacturers today don't realize that and copy what he did is a crying shame IMHO.
The thing is, that would make a $250.00 locomotive a $500.00 locomotive, which is pretty obvious that is not what what Lionel is interested in selling at this time.
The F/C GP is not intended to be a full scale model. That is the reality.
Sure it would be nice if everyone followed Don Thompson's example, had Lionel done that the cylindrical hoppers would have sold across market lines without any issues, we'd probably have a 57' mechanical reefer to play with and be looking at other scale stuff coming down the line.
The 8/9 pin interface is a dead issue at Lionel. We were told this outright during the DCC development. Simply put, Lionel will not give up on their proprietary systems any more than MTH will.
We all know Lionel can do better, but this is their current business plan. That is also the reality. It would take a MASSIVE culture change at Lionel to become the likes of Athearn Genesis, Rapido Trains or Scale Rail.
We all have a choice whether to buy the stuff or not. Because my interests are not always strictly on the scale side, I may or may not buy an F/C GP when they hit the streets, it all depends on how I feel at the time.
Rusty
