@Rider Sandman posted:Admittedly, I only buy Legacy stuff, so I’m not conversant in the pricing of MTH Premier, but this seemed off to me. I grabbed a few comparisons to satisfy my curiosity. The most recent Legacy GP30s were only $10 more than the most recent Premiers. Recent Legacy F3s (two powered units) were actually $60 less expensive than two Premier powered F3 A units. On the flip side, the Legacy SD70ACe’s do run $80 more than a similar Premier unit. All of these are MSRPs from the catalog.
Even in the case of the biggest price difference (SD70ACe), it seems unlikely that a set of ERR components could be had for the difference, especially if it’s not a DIY install. The boards themselves (command and sounds) have to run about $200, right?
Like I said, I’m not very familiar with MTH pricing and know even less about the price of ERR products, but it seems unlikely to me that one could buy a new MTH Premier engine and a set of ERR components for the price of the Legacy equivalent, and certainly not if they had to pay someone to install the boards. Again, admittedly, I only grabbed a few samples out of recent catalogs and I could be missing some glaring examples to the contrary.
I only buy Legacy now too (with some LionChief exceptions). No more postwar, no more old TMCC, just Legacy. Now that Legacy has been out for a while, I have plenty of older Legacy locomotives to hunt down. Between catching up with those older Legacy locomotives and the new ones Lionel is producing, I will never have a month were I have nothing to buy. I don't have the space or the need for DCS locomotives on top of all those locomotives. Why add the trouble of adding another Command and Control System just so I can say "I buy from all manufactures"? To be clear though, my decision to stick with Legacy is firmly planted in practical considerations.
