Bluetooth switches and operating track

I think they call that Legacy.

They could... but would they want to do that?  Let's say they put Bluetooth in switches, suddenly you don't need a bunch of their other products. Are they willing  to embraces that kind of rapid change and disrupt their own market?  So the real question is would they be willing to do that? Not can they.

Kind of what I was thinking too. They could do it but will they as it will bite into the legacy controls market.  However if Lionel sold cars they can sell a lot more cars with power windows than with crank windows.  As younger generations want more simple interfaces I can’t see how they don’t as it will eventually benefit long term. I think they are doing great things with the Bluetooth interfaces.

Don't get me wrong on this, I love the idea of Bluetooth everything! I am not a fan of the legacy system at all, I find it all way to complex. The fact that I can run new O scale engines with just a transformer and my phone is amazing! It will very interesting to see where this all goes. But you have to figure at some point you need to embrace the new tech or get left behind. That may be a very hard road to walk here, as a huge chunk of this business is based on nostalgia, and being able to run things that are 20+ years old. I think they are striking a good balance by including Bluetooth in all the new engines. But I am guessing that Legacy's days are coming to an end... I am sure it will be around for a while but at some point.

Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.- Doug Larson

Agreed, I think you nailed it.  I think they are doing a great job balancing it but I see the next generation of legacy coming and I think it will be awesome and look forward to it. I also think they will continue to offer current legacy if they do offer a new product until sales dictate it’s no longer wanted which could be a long time.  I’m also glad they are not resting on what they have and pushing for the next generation of Lionel operation.

While your idea of Bluetooth app nirvana sounds enticing, I see two issues.

First, as you allude to, I'm not sure folks really want to operate their layout with an app on their gizmo.  My analogy is a computer flight simulator game.  Sure, you can control it with your keyboard, but it is a lot more fun and more realistic to play with the yoke, rudder, and throttle controllers.

The other obvious issue with Bluetooth control is range.  I don't know what percentage of Lionel's customers care about range, but I sure do and walking around a layout following your train gets old real fast.

@longhair  if I may respond to your two issues:

#1 Gizmo use, as a person under 40, yes a millennial, I live my life with my phone. When I got into this hobby I was super exited that I did not need to buy a controller its more fun for me to use my phone. I respect that to  play with the yoke, rudder, and throttle controllers are very appealing to many people but again looking forward to the future of the hobby I think more and more people will want to use just their phone.

#2 Bluetooh Range. In all honesty this way a major concern for me as well. But being a technologist ( and my company's IT guy ) I did some research on Bluetooth.  Just like wifi it is constancy being revised and improved, we are now on version 5.1 and the range is getting much better,  Bluetooth 5.0: 40–400 m (100–1,000 ft)  Keep in mind that is in an ideal world, but like all things the range is getting better and it will continue to do so.

Again I know this is not what some people want and I 100% respect that. This is why there is more than one flavor of ice cream, or scale of model train.  I think its a very good thing, case in point I fired up my B&O gp-7 I got last year. The new Lionchife app has the voice control, when I read about that I thought how stupid, who would want that. Then I played with it and was like WOW this is fun!   

But what makes that so COOL you my ask??

I did nothing but run an update on my phone!!! I did not need to buy any thing, or adjust any wires.  I opened the app and suddenly I can do a ton more stuff with my trains, basically for free. Lionel just gave me that gift. That's the cool part of added value with software updates, I have the same stuff but now I can do more for with out having to do or buy anything!

Not to be a broken record I 100% respect and understand why you may prefer a different control method you spent a ton of time and money getting it the way you want.  I think Lionel is doing a great thing by putting the Bluetooth right in the engines and keeping the legacy controls as well. Give me all the options an let me chose what I want to use. They really knocked that out of the park!