990

After this long delay im sure lionel will go thru an extensive quality control and will probaly delay it even more , we wont know what stage the 990 are until the end user stage they can still be in china or on a boat or in a port or being tested by lionel we just wont know until we get the call from our lhs

I'd trust the squirrel.  Squirrels know everything.

 

But didn't I read on this very forum that the new shipment of 990s have some sort of improvement over the previous production run? Perhaps it also has a function that will automatically activate my microwave oven and heat up my lunch.

 

If there is indeed an improvement of some sort, Lionel should release the new Legacy control system as 990D ("D" stands for "Delayed").

 

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm putting my faith in the squirrel!

 

The Squirrel spaketh the truth

I gotta go with the squirrel too, so far everything else has been wrong. Just hope he hasn't lost his nuts and gone mad trying to find them.

I'd say the squirrel knows as much about the schedule and availability as any of us.

 

 

SQUIRREL!!!

 

 

       
       


Hopefully he finds his nuts and the location of 990

I think anyone who trusts the squirrel is squirrely.

John,

I sure hope that doesn't happen!  Many of us have been waiting a long time...

 

As for the second part, you are right.  Everything else is pure guessing....

 

Have a great weekend!

Well if you can't trust a squirrel, who can you trust?

 

 

That's one huge squirrel.

Well, assuming that photo represents products to scale, that's either one huge squirrel or he's holding a miniature version of the CAB-2.   

 

My money is still on another 990 shipping delay (sad to say).  OTOH, MTH has started shipping DCS components again... so that's gotta be a good sign that toy train remote control systems are starting to make their way out of China.  Let's hope!

 

David

Las Vegas odds:

Big Boy Arrives before 990  9-5

 

The squirrel is an oddsmaker, too!

Greetings All,

Why doesn't Lionel monitor this forum and tell us the story on the 990?

Are they afraid people would cancel their preorders.

I just might and hope to get one for Christmas?

Why do you think I should do?

 

Thank You

Lionel does monitor this forum and is probably one of the more responsive companies that participate.

 

Perhaps it's time for an Allan Miller investigative report in the OGR Magazine.

I rather lionel be busy fixing the situation then sitting on the fourm telling everyone the story , the story is they had some issues and are trying to fix them internally like mike regan said on legacy station post about legacy system, all we can do is wait and hope that either lionel or the squirrel will find the missiong 990

Looks like the squirrel has received a Legacy system before the rest of us that are waiting. He must be well connected at Lionel.

 

Or maybe he is testing the latest batch so we don't have any problems when ours arrive!

Lionel certainly monitors what is being posted on this forum but in terms of their responsiveness at least on the issue of Legacy 990 shipping they are as derelict as a sinking WW II tanker.   There have been repeated calls on the forum for Lionel to provide their consumer base with information about the problems surrounding the 990 and its delay in distribution but they have been as silent as a cloistered monk on the subject.  Its hard to believe a corporation would snub their customers this way.

 

This question was answered on the forum back in November 2013:

 

From Jon Z

"The reason for delays are exactly as Lionel explained.  I was involved intimately on this one, the problem was a part obsolescence issue.  We had to approve a substitute which required some adjustment to the design, and test cycles to make sure the product works as expected.  Simple as that, they are in production at this time and will shortly be available." 

 

"Thanks to the folks who are patiently waiting, and sorry for the delay"

I think there has been a few more glitches. Unless production actually takes 8-9 months? Or shortly really meant 'quite a while'?

 

Anyway, I'm sure they are trying as hard as they can to get them out though, whatever has happened since that post.

I also think there has been more glitches or maybe they are producing enough to meet demand all in one shot

Another thing to consider, say they are making 10,000 units, probably high, but a very small amount compared to other companies making cell phone, tablets,etc.  I suspect they get pushed aside quite a bit for a higher paying, higher quantity job.

Well, RickO, according to your post you reference a JonZ posting in November of 2013 stating that the issue is a parts obsolescence problem and that the legacy system is in production at this time and will be shortly available.  Hello? that was eight months ago.  If anyone is willing to accept a statement like that as a litmus test for accuracy regarding a potential date for shipping then he or she is the one in need of a good nights rest.  I would also suggest that it might behoove some to obtain an accurate definition of the word "shortly".  Somehow I don't believe eight months fits into the time parameters of "shortly".  Time to go back and look at Webster's dude.

 

In regards to the ridiculous statement referencing a vast orange and blue conspiracy they are not my words; I think perhaps they are yours so that dog won't hunt fella.   Since communication with the consumer base is often times a normal corporate policy I did question their competence, not their integrity, in failing to provide a clear and definitive corporate explanation as to the problem and at least a corporate estimate as to the date of release.  Myself and others merely requested that if it was to be a year Lionel should say so.  They never did.   How many posted shipping dates have to come and go before some people begin to question corporate competence? 

 

Hope you get a good night's sleep.  I will.

Its a toy train company, not an automobile manufacturer, oil company, or a pharmaceutical ......its a toy train company

 

Its a handfull of folks that come up with this stuff to market and sell to us, the minute fraction of the population that even gives a crap about the dwindling hobby of toy trains.

Then they have to find a small chinese manufacturer capable enough, and willing to bother with a few thousand pieces at a time when they would rather be assembling millions of items for Apple.

 

Lionel simply doesn't know, no different than MTH, Atlas, and while Sunset is able to better handle delays because they only manufacture a couple hundred pieces, they still have delays.

 

How many times do you have to question their "corporate competence" before you simply take your buisness elsewhere?

 

They delay sucks, its a given, but your constant 'axe grinding" here on the forum accomplishes nothing. Why not "grind it" at Lionels email address? It won't change anything, but at least you would be at the source.

I see that you are letting him run your Big Boy too!

 

If you trust him with that, then he must be squeaking the truth. 

Well he's a very loyal squirrel and he has a good job.  But in all honesty, it's his Big Boy.

How many 990 boxes can be put inside a MD-11F cargo plane (main deck volume of 21,096 cu ft)?

 

Let's say the plane makes a stop for refueling before it reaches the US, that's still faster than a boat crossing the big pond, so why doesn't Lionel use FedEx or UPS?

 

So, my query prompted me to figure this out:

 

From what I could find the 990 box is 19"x14"x6" = approx 1600 cu.in.

 

One cubic foot is 1728 cu.in. so let's say one 990 box is 1 cubic foot.

 

That's 21,000 boxes (give or take) full of 990 sets on one plane!!!

 

I thought I saw a guess of no more than 15,000 of these being made so now we have room to spare (for the BigBoys???).

 

My prediction....they should be here any day now

This is beginning to sound like Monty Python and The Holy Grail where they wonder if an African Swallow or an English Swallow could have carried the coconut.

They're being loaded right now. Have your RA# ready!

 

Which is what everyone should be doing, such as I have.  Once a week a take a few seconds and call them about this topic.  The answer is usually the same, but it lets them know people are getting impatient....

 

OH MY.......This sounds like one of those FAA story problems....

I do not think it is the problem of getting the 990 to our shores as much as getting them right. I had the Cab 2 system and have down graded to Cab 1L , less complicated and hopefully less problems going forward. Cab 1L may not take advantage of all Legacy features but I like running trains with friends and having fun doing it with them, not having to tell them not to touch this or that feature. I am not complaining, just my opinion. I might be to old to catch on to all this technology, just let me play.

Ray

 

If Chris is to be believed, it would be 3000.  So, that would indeed be closer to 2000 than 10000.

 

I think I also made this same prediction a while back. That's why I'm now leaving all shipping predictions to MartyE's squirrel. If you'll notice, he already has his 990 and his new Big Boy.

All I know is at the time of the Lionel event in NC they needed 2000 replacement components and only found 1000. Anyway, until they actually show up and get shipped to the individuals that ordered them we won't really know until those that do not get one post on the OGR forum.

 

Simply as that.

 

Let's hope the 990 shipment makes it to the USA safe and sound... not like this:

 

 

Found them...

No kidding?  As I said days ago...

 

As far as not covering the pre-orders, that would clearly be a possibility, since we have no idea how many systems Lionel actually has coming, or how many pre-orders are out there.

 

For both of those issues, there is really only one entity that actually might know the answers, management at Lionel.  All the rest is pure speculation and guesswork.