What’s with Lionel? They never keep thier word on when thier items are going to be shipped. They keep posting dates’ then they keep changing them. The Daylight engine, the Big Boys, Now I’m waiting for the FEF-3 Grey Northern so I can order it, but Heaven knows when I’ll get it. No explanation, no keeping thier word, no nothing. Does any one here know if these engines with Legacy will run with the common regular TMCC or do they have to have the Legacy system to run?
Reuben
Reuben,
The Legacy system is backward compatible to TMCC, engines with Legacy will run with TMCC, but will obviously not have the features that are only available in Legacy. As far as schedule and availability, industry wide phenonmea.
Although none of us know the precise details Legacy has hit some kind of snag. Lionel hired a new CTO and his story at LCCA was the new Big Boy chips were in and needed to be installed. After that Lionel missed it’s last Big Boy shipping date and this tells me they aren’t sure if the problem won’t require further upgrade to the engine as well as the system.
During the LCCA meeting Jon was hit with a furious mob over Acela problems and told the crowd he wouldn’t ship anything unless they were certain it worked properly. Lionel has two top notch electronic people involved in Legacy, Lou and Jon. With the continued delays you can bet the glitch, whatever it is, is not trivial. Neil Young posted some time ago on OGR that Legacy revealed weakness in Lionel conventional parts on the Big Boy. No details were given.
The last thing Lionel wants to do is ship the Big Boy or other Legacy engines and then find out they need to recall or repair in the field.
I was at the train shop yesterday and inquired about LEGACY. I was told that they are still haing problems with getting the signal to the TMCC engines. That is why they are not out yet. Why have the system out if you can’t run the older TMCC stuff on the new system. I for one want the LEGACY system to work flawlessly. Don’t want to have a recall or add parts to it. Patience is a virtue. Just wait a little longer.
laz57
Thanks - all of you guys. Yes, I WILL have patience… While waiting, I went as far (to great trouble) as to install a 72 in. radious on the outside of the layout just for this engine. It came out real good. Just like it was always there. I have been with Lionel since the early 50’s. Can’t quit them now. Reuben
REUBEN,
CONGA on the 0-72 track, good move. I did that last year when I ripped my layout apart and started over. I know LIONEL will make this good with the engineers they have on this LEGACY stuff. But in the long run you got 0-72 runs and that means you can run anything. Have fun.
laz57
Waiting patiently here…
BTW - They aren’t late all the time. I got my two X-Mas passenger cars for 2007 two months early!
072 makes everything run better. I’ve been saying, “Santa will bring it.”
Legacy System=“vaporware”.
I can hardly wait for Christmas Season to come (before Thanksgiving), to decorate the layout with lights and Christmas items (yes I have the 11’ X 7’ layout in the dining room). We have a lot of fun working on it. There is nothing like having the trains running all that time but who dosen’t like that.
Reuben
I hate to point out that most definitions of “legacy” usually means something relating to the past. I guess it’s arrival will be in the future??
Let’s give big L a break here though, they want to have it right. After all they only have it in the 2006 catalog. On the other hand, and many companies do this, it should be available if it’s in the catalog, at least that was the proper way of doing business in the past until greed, not streamlining, took over and business ethics went bye bye.
My guess is they wanted to make a bogus announcement to keep folks from bolting to other systems.
Unfortunately, with the methods of marketting and the subsequent availability of many “premier” items, it seems that we have to do the pre-orders and live with the delays as many times the items are not available after they are actually “delivered”. Seems they don’t deliver enough to stock shelves, just fill prior orders. Some are eventually popular enough that they make second and even more runs (like Polar Express). I suspect the Hogwarts sets will be similar, if you didn’t pre-order, chances are, you won’t see many on the shelves for this Christmas.
dennis
Can’t you hear the bell??? Don’t you believe in Santa??? He will take care of it. His elves are busy fixing it. [:D]
Yes, Yes YES! I can hear the Bell! I can see some one’s hands handling my UP Northern FEF-3 engine somewhere in southeaster China! It is so wonderful!! I will wait. Thank you, LIONEL. (We have to believe and have faith)
Reuben
[;)][:D]