Grrr... giving the customer an OPTION to fix the pilot with a scale or dummy coupler would make us both happy. The scale pilot should be included in the box.
I purchased a 3rd rail F-unit, and I didn't like the look of the 3-rail pilot with its large coupler protruding. So I bought the scale pilot at extra cost. The size of the coupler (and the large opening for it) hurts appearance all the time. Having the pilot swing out from under the body is only apparent on curves.
I'm most concerned with the head-on appearance of the front of the lead unit. I'm not going to "switch" with the nose of an F-unit, so I don't care whether that coupler is functional or not. If I bought an A-A set, then I would leave one unit with the 3-rail "claw" so it could pull the train.
My dad always says "build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door." I've been in this hobby 40 years and already have models of the locos I love. If Lionel, 3rd Rail, etc., want my dollars for new product at today's prices, they have to produce a "BETTER" model (mechanically or cosmetically) to entice me to buy it, and sell the one I already have.
Sound, command control, etc., won't do it because these electronics fail, become obsolete, or can easily be transferred. The mechanical pedigree is most important. I can put a Blaupunkt tape deck in a Chevy or a Mercedes. Doesn't change the way it looks or runs. My $0.02
