RSJB18 posted:So if this is such a common sense solution, why doesn't MTH do it in the factory
You could expand that to dozens of design decisions that are mode on these products. 
I'm sure it all boils down to the lowest cost solution they think they can get away with. IOne of the factors for the decision is with the switcher steamers, they used up the wire in the drawbar that would carry track power to run the front coupler. Thus, they don't have an extra conductor to bring track power to the locomotive without adding conductors to the drawbar design. If you have a steamer without a front electrocoupler, you have track power already bused between the two units.
