@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:Jim (and others),
With all due respect let's look at this objectively:
- Does Lionel presently make the electrical and mechanical parts that keep Postwar stuff going?
- Do they still have them in inventory?
- How often do Postwar owners have to go to a third-party for replacements because Lionel considers them obsolete?
- How many third-party parts sources are there?
- Are their prices lower, the same as, or higher than Lionel's?
Before the recent announcement third-party electronics parts sources weren't needed. Now that they are let's wait a little while before writing off all command control, to see if any pop up. Let them get organized and up to speed.
I'm anxious, like many here, to see what 3rd party options pop up. That said, reproducing mechanical parts and reproducing command-control and sound electronics is quite something else. I suspect that many people who have the know-how would be worried about getting sued to oblivion by the big L if they tried and made any mis-steps... even with the vast majority of the TMCC protocol long out of patent protection.
