Speaking as an "old timer" but a recent re-entry back, from what I have been reading, it sounds like I should 1) treasure my two working, older TIU's with working handheld remotes, 2) forget about the wifi TIU and what it does (it does not do much if it is impossible/expensive to get) 3) guard my PS2 3V trains with my life 4) anticipate ultimate failure of my PS2 5V boards/trains 5) forget about buying new PS3 items unless I am desperate (seems to be limited selection, and high prices - though some places have diesels for the $375 range) 6) put stuff on the tracks, and enjoy the trains and running them while I still can. At 75 years old, how much longer to do I have?!?
Funny. Around 2000, the older Lionel trains seemed antiquated when the "new" MTH stuff came out. I used to tell people it was as close to "running a real train" as they could get. Oh, a few hiccups with PS1 chips scrambling, but PS2 seemed much more reliable. Barry and others had figured out the best ways to implement the TIU-AIU systems to everyone's delight, and things seemed flourishing.
Now, here we are, over 20 some years later, and the PS2/older TIU stuff is "antiquated" and the younger guys (they are the only ones I am familiar with using it) are running very expensive engines with their Iphone/droid sytems like it had been around forever. Locals here have all new PS3, or PS2 to 3 that they have paid to upgrade (that works if the 2 is Premier) and think nothing of paying $1500 to 2K for newer MTH steam (I guess it is new)
Only the "poor" people are running conventional or PS1 now. Mike did make some really nice engines when he first broke from Lionel. Heavy metal, good detail, QSI sound, no batts, a good basic runner were the hallmarks. Next came the PS1 items, and sound was even better! We all could not believe how heads-and-shoulders above the older Lionel, early Mike items the PS1 was. Even starter sets, with cheap F3 diesels were great deals. A set with a PS1 engine with great sounds, speach, (some with smoke) remote coupler, 3 cars, an oval of track, a 100 or 75 watt power brick...all for a very reasonable price. Some for $200 to $300...wow. Figure $150 for the engine, $100 for the cars, $100 for the brick all as a unit. Seemed a deal.
Then.....PS2, TIU's and nearly full control of everything a few years later!! Could it get any better than that? At the time, Lionel was probably as good, maybe better...but I was sold on this upstart from Maryland (my home state) who was taking on a giant like Lionel, and creating what I thought was the next "sliced bread" in the train hobby. I often wonder how many guys my age, hauled older trains out of the closet and attic at that time, and dove back into the hobby just because of PS1 and PS2 and all of the new features they provided. Say what you want about Mike, he spurred the hobby and rejuvenated the interest. I know of older guys like myself, and newer 20 somethings, who bought those starter sets, moved on the PS1 and then PS2 just because of all the newer technology.
A guy named Rich Foster, from MTH came to the local hobby shop run by Walt Dennison, and showed Walt and I the in's and out's of that TIU stuff, and then we showed other locals. Soon, judges, teachers, shop keepers were buying MTH items, taking them home and setting up HUGE boards! Plenty of stock and money allowed that to happen...plus the nostalgic appeal of running trains - again.
Not since boyhood had these guys experienced that feeling - and it was contagious! Older guys snuck trains in the back door so as to not stir the wife's wrath! Other guys had wives who came in with them and encouraged the train purchases. The same thing happens today, probably not on the same scale, the interest in trains has waned some since then.
What will history tell us about that era? Was it the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning of a newer era? I probably won't be around long enough to know, but 15 or 20 years from now, the younger guys on this forum will know.
I do know that in my area, this Christmas, the locals (within 30 miles) had the chance to visit a huge MTH layout, a huge municipal fire dept layout displaying stuff for over 50 years - also running mostly MTH trains, another local municipal layout put up by 4 private individuals running older Lionel hardware, and two local train clubs featuring all gauges and brands of trains. One family even hauled a huge trailer around, with sides that opened to display 4 or 5 running trains with scenery to match - a very nice display. That is a huge first for this area. And I witnessed huge crowds every time I visited. Power came from new Z4000's, older ZW's, newer Lionel bricks....no matter, they all got the trains to move!
Maybe next year, I will put up my next layout. Here is a shot of the last one I did in 2012.
I have rambled on enough. Have a great New Year, keep the rails polished! Greg
