My personal ambivalence with the newly offered FlyerChief EP-5's is rooted in the fact that I have two cherry LN Gilberts (3- and 5-digit), the two motor six wheel drive truck NH version from Lionel (which runs very nicely), and the LTI orange stripe passenger cars to go with it to form a repro "The Bankers" set. I suspect that I am not alone in this. And, I continue to be disappointed with the sounds in FlyerChief engines. A seriously upgraded version with Legacy features might have tipped the balance for me. One cannot buy everything (so I am told) and I'd rather use funds on other items. I will admit that the idea of a Polar Express version would have expanded the production run to get the newest version built.
I do hope that enough orders are placed so that the new EP-5s are built and enjoyed by their owners.
Bob