Jon,
I also cross-posted your initial comments into the new Lionel-Flyer group on Yahoo, located at:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Lionel-Flyer/
I invite you and anyone else interested in Lionel's American Flyer line to come join as well. Anyone can join and the group is un-moderated, so your posts go up onto the message board instantly. It's a new and small group, but there is keen interest in what Lionel is doing with American Flyer.
Regards,
Tim (Lionel-Flyer list owner)