@breezinup posted:Many people don't consider actual costs at the time. Calculating inflation, in today's dollars your dad paid $503.00 for that ZW, and $704 with the accessories. Maybe a fair price at the time, but not really a bargain. Not many people were dropping $500+ on toy train transformers in those days.
All very true, Dad held off as long as thought he could an almost missed the boat. The PW ZW was the best of the best for the time and one pays a premium for that especially when you want a new one and they have been out of production for two years. While the Z4000 has a few technical features (trivial to some) over the ZW-L I don't think the Z4000 value point is there anymore after this price hike. You have to really like your PS1 engines and pure sine wave output to justify the new cost.
From 1966 to 1998 what high power premium transformers were available to buy? This is why dad never regretted buying that expensive ZW. If memory serves me correct the Z4000 was the next available option over a PW ZW in 1998 and the ZW-C soon after in 1999 (someone correct me if I am wrong on that year). That brief time was critical to MTH to develop a following for the Z4000 as Lionel had nothing to compete with it.
