It seems that most of the issues that model railroaders are facing these days seem to be related to current production or products produced over the past twelve months or so. There also does not seem to be any one producer or product affected, but anything from engines to rolling stock to transformers and most recently to command control systems.
These issues range from engines not properly decorated with the correct logos or not operating on the minimum curves originally advertised to smoke units failing and those engines that run for a few minutes then die or are DOA. Rolling stock that is not decorated correctly or the color is wrong or not what was advertised or to passenger cars whose bodies are too high on the trucks to failures of the lighting systems.
Then all the issues with the command control systems from one particular manufacturer. The issues range from not being able to find the base to runaway engines to systems that worked one day and then did not work the next. Fried boards or broken control panels to charging systems that don't work.
You don't seem to hear about some of these issues especially about the engines and the control systems from past production. Production from say three to four years ago.
Now I'm not saying that there weren't problems, there were, but not to the extent that they are today.
I wonder if these issues with current production have more to do with, perhaps changes in specifications or components rather then who made it or where it was made.
Having to return items to the manufacturer or service centers is a pain even if they pay the postage, not to mention the cost to the manufacturer and loss of good will.
Any thoughts??
