Originally Posted by Lee Willis:
I imagine the "game" is still much the same - change it a bit just because . . .
Well, it's more than "just because." I think there are valid reasons. Among them is to preserve the value of the engine to the owner as something unique, so he doesn't feel undercut so much, which he might feel if an exact duplicatewas produced after he bought his engine or car. And Lionel is, to at least some extent, preserving the value of it's products, because they're all a little different.
Actually, I embrace this idea. By way of analogy, it you had three cars that were all exactly the same, that would be pretty dull, and there'd be nothing interesting about any one that would be different from the others. On the other hand, if they were different in at least some ways - say the interiors and/or exteriors were different colors, or perhaps they were equipped with different features - that would make each of them unique, more interesting, and each more valuable to you in their own way.
