@raising4daughters posted:That's an interesting question. I think from a rolling stock perspective, the modern era has given us equal or better quality, especially for those (not me) in the 1:48 scale segment of 3RO. I don't see future scale operators pining for ubiquitous PW gondolas, milk cars, or 6464 box cars.
Assume, though, you meant motive power. I'm sure my PW heirloom engines will be running for future generations, and I'm also pretty sure the electronics in my modern engines will fail. With all the modern engines out on the market, as long as there are replacements (like ERR's) that can bring a dead engine back to life for, say, 1/2 the cost of a new one, I think modern engines will be running in the future, as well.
It's all relative. Case in point:
I got into Lionel in the 1980s when my Dad gave my son a starter set. Compared to those, the postwar trains were worlds better. The Fundimensions starter set had an all plastic loco- no smoke or whistle- and ran on DC so couldn't be used with postwar trains. The cars had plastic journals and wheels and fixed plastic couplers. You couldn't even uncouple them! Imagine my reaction when I went to a hobby store to get something to add. While there I saw an early postwar operating dump car with it's all metal construction and coil couplers. I was enchanted. I think I paid $15 for it and took it home and my days as a postwar collector had begun.
Lionel of course raised its game as the 80s progressed and Richard Kughn took over (and later with a significant nudge from MTH) and arguably the trains made from 1995-2005 surpass anything made postwar in quality.
Another thought: Like others who have posted, I also got HO trains in the late 50s even though my Dad had Lionels in the 1920s and 30s. HO was the up and coming thing. But I think I must have had an unscratched itch for Lionel since it was ubiquitous in advertising and pop culture. I wonder how many Lionel collectors NEVER had them as a child. I pretty good percentage I would say.
