There are lots of features on our toy trains that need improvements in reliability, functionality and scale (size). Please post yours. Here's my eyeopeners for the train companies that lurk on this forum:
- Total LED lighting! It is extremely annoying to be replacing incandescent bulbs in locomotives, coaches and cabooses that have less life than normal with the higher fixed-voltage of DCS, TMCC, Legacy, etc. Moreover, incandescent bulbs are current hogs, they produce too much heat and they cost too much. And do not forget about the bulbs in the switches and switch controllers;
- Reliable electromechanical switches, particularly those in the sectional track product lines such as Real Trax, Fastrack and others. There are few thinks that can kill the fun of running trains and a malfunctioning switch has to be No. 2. It is particularly aggravating when a switch on a layout with scenery has to be taken up for fixing and it usually a mainline line switch crucial to running trains;
- Return to the tether in steam locomotives, but shorten it, make it more flexible (elevator wire), run it straight between the locomotive & tender and disguise it as a water feed line;
- Traction tires made of a more durable material.
- Downsize the couplers and improve their mating reliability. It is annoying to use rubber bands to keep couplers from unlocking and slamming cars together to make the couplers work is not a pretty sight;
- Offer unpainted rolling stock to facilitate those of us who want favored road names not likely to be produced otherwise;
- Crew figures in all locomotives.
Some will say I should send this to MTH, Lionel and the others, but that has been done over the years and they apparently find their way into the circular file. By posting on this forum, it offers and compiles many ideas and opinions than just one person could bring forth.
