"perhaps if interest in battery power grows we will see one of the manufacturers bring out an injection-molded plastic track system that can take the abuse of UV light and weather for outdoor use, and look fairly realistic in the process... and likely cost much less that traditional metal track."
Molded track is my (super long term) end goal. I've looked into 3d printing turnouts as a prototype, but the cost is just too high compared to building one out of styrene. My injection molding machine doesn't have the capacity to even do the parts of a turnout, and the mold would also be expensive.
I'd love it if Lionel beat me to it.
With the popularity of Lionchief and +, I would hope Lionel would make a battery-powered version, and maybe release molded track. The transition away from metal rails is, in my un-informed opinion, the only thing making current Lego trains profitable. I also understand they're different markets.
And, there's no reason a duel-power Lionchief loco wouldn't be able to operate on either track system, just like Lego did.
