I read the original post and I think the diagnosis is incorrect and the remedy is worse. It's not York that is thinning the halls. It is the abysmal quality and price of the product. Also the demographic is rapidly changing. How may 20 year olds have emotional attachment to Lionel anymore?
Quality is subpar as we all know. There are deniers out there but the again some have a vested interest in promoting a fantasy that all is well. Price...Horrible!! As I stared at the new items at York by the dealers all I could think is for the same price I could have a new handgun, rifle, computer, several flat screens, a vacation, new appliance, fishing rod ect. and still have money left over. And then...let's ask ourselves how many times it will have to be sent back to be repaired or made right. Price is high compared to other items (in my case handguns and assault rifles), quality is horrible (NEVER had to send a firearm back, not once), and demographic is terminal.
Wrong diagnosis, wrong medicine....you can open it up to the public all you want. It is declining due to price, quality and demographic. Period.
