For those who are patient, I think waiting a year or two and seeing if the release of the Base 3 leads to someone making a new hardware remote is a reasonable strategy rather than purchasing a very expensive, used cab 2 (993), or Legacy base and cab2 (990). In the mean time, you could also purchase a cab-1L for $150 or so and that will work with the Base 3, as another transition approach. Finally, if you only have LionChief, LionChief + or LionChief + 2.0 or Bluetooth equipped Legacy locos, the Universal Remote for $50 is another temporizing measure. The LionChief app will also work if you don't mind using a smart device for recent Lionel locos.
For reference, I bought a 993 and 990 a year or so ago, but the prices were more like $200-400, not $1,000. Would not have spent $1,000 if that were the option, personally. I have had TMCC for 27 years and a Universal Remote for several years and they are quite sufficient for me now and for the future even without the Base 3.
