@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:M.R.,
You're implying that, because of this single exemplary experience, your conclusion is, and ours should also be, that all Lionel product back in the day was flawless.
If so, why did the company have a service network, from day one?
Mike
That is very true, and I have seen some things written that says Lionel even in the golden age had a lot of pieces that were DOA or broke soon after getting. I have some work on manufacturing and quality control history, and in the 1950's, given the way they were making things, the way they worked with suppliers, failure rates were pretty high, in the auto industry the fail rate in terms of warranty repairs was pretty high, with the methods they were using the average number of problems per 100 cars was likely around 400, these days the numbers I saw last was a little over 100. Obviously that doesn't mean that back then ever car had 3 defects, more like a lot had few and others had a lot or were DOA. On study I saw said with cars and other manufactured goods, DOA at the retail end was as high as 5% with some products (literally didn't work at all). So yes, it was likely given the number that Lionel produced and the methods, it is likely they did have a high fail rate. Survivors generally represent units that a) have been cared for and b)were well made. We think there is a ton of postwar out there, and there is, but if you look at Lionel's output originally, it is a relatively small number.
Interestingly, I have seen studies where they interviewed people who lived in the 1950' and were asked about the quality of what they bought, and people would go on and on about how the products were reliable, that unlike 'modern junk' they didn't break, were long lasting, and it often didn't tally with the reality of products back then, that records of warranty repairs and the like showed perception wasn't always reality. Cars especially, not only did they need a lot of warrantee repairs, but people forget that typically back then people bought a new car every couple of years or so, and that cars didn't last. Other appliances lasted but also needed repairs, but because they were simple and easy and (relatively cheap, you could do a lot yourself; replacing a belt on a washing machine for example, or a u burner tube in a stove or a thermostat). Quite honestly, the people on here who talk about how great the quality of PW were , were kids back then, and likely don't remember if engines had to be taken for service, Dad or Mom would take care of that, and honestly as time goes on I don't remember how well my toys worked or didn't work. in my case if my trains broke, my dad could fix them quickly and easily, so I wouldn't probably notice).
These days it is a mixed bag. Menard's trains, and Lionel and MTH, are quite honestly being built in a way that isn't all that much different than the 1950's, they aren't using lean production techniques, they aren't using modern methods because the 'old way' for them is a lot more cost effective, they are being built in Chinese factories that the people who worked in the Irvington plant would recognize in terms of process. if a board has a crack in it the production worker tosses it in the scrap heap, they don't ask the maker why, they test an engine at the end, if it runs, they are fine, but there could be a ton of marginal parts waiting to fail and it shows when you get it. In a lean production factory they don't let marginal parts or doa parts get thrown out, they go back to the supplier and say why are you giving me junk?
It is in stark contrast to things like automobiles or tv sets, that are made using lean production and quality techniques. There is a stark contrast between them and much that is mass produced, most mass produced items, thanks to the likes of Wal Mart and the like, are built cheaply to be thrown away if they break and you can see it with consumer goods. High end consumer goods like cell phones and high end appliances are built using quality control and lean production techniques (even if made in China) (when I say high end, I mean things like sub zero and the like, not 2000 dollar LG and Samsung fridges who quality is, well crap), things like ordinary household appliances might as well be being produced in a 1950's factory, mass produced and poor quality isn't a big cost to them, if the appliance dies after 90 days the consumer shrugs their shoulders and buys another one. Along with the way they produce them, to reduce costs they also are using modern, cheap materials, which can break, too.
PW survive because so many of the were made that there are a lot of survivors and yes, they can be repaired because they were simple units, and yes, the parts were rugged. It is kind of like the speed queen washer I have, it has a direct drive motor with bronze gears and bushings, the controls are a mechanical timer that can be easily replaced and it has a stainless steel drum.It is ruggedly made and is made to be repaired but because of its design likely won't need much repairing, it will likely outlive me. In a modern washer the drive is using a plastic kind of drive mechanism that if it goes, isn't worth replacing, and the electronic control circuits are much the same.
