Based on my experience with other rechargeable battery devices, I'm not ready to go that route with my trains. What I would like to see is "keep alive" circuitry (like non-flickering car lighting circuits but more powerful for motive power) assuming that reliable capacitors (or other components/circuits that could do the same job) can be found that will have a long service life.
I like the direct communication of Lion Chief from the remote to the locomotive without an intermediate device putting a signal into the track. I feel a robust, full-featured (including electro-coupler control) direct communication system would make an attractive alternative to all the current indirect systems that talk to the locomotives through the track. By full featured, I do not mean a remote that also operates switches and accessories and other miscellaneous functions outside of locomotive/train operation functions. I don't feel the need for that.
