Seems like most folks concentrate on electronic failures, either DCS or TMCC/Legacy. That really does not bother me because you can remove failed circuit boards and install new ones, maybe even better ones in the near future. I have a couple of engines that were sold with TAS boards and an older TMCC engine that are all now running with ERR boards (and running better). I have an engine sold with PS1, upgraded to PS2, did not run well, so gutted it and put in ERR.
My concern is the failure of mechanical parts, especially the drive gears. If a part is failure prone, will there be enough in stock to support the demand for that part as the engines age? For example, the gear in my Legacy PRR K4 is a known weak spot so I am watching how I run it (not a lot of cars). When it does fail, will there be any replacement parts left to fix it? Should I buy a spare now?
Maybe this will become a non issue as 3D printing gets better.
