. Why is this system so expense for the common man?
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It was most likely deleted because someone shared a correspondence between Lionel and a dealer that probably isn't ready for "prime time" so to speak.
As far as your question... Again have you compared it to DCS? Pretty much on par.
Good luck finding one. I wanted to buy a spare and unless you wanna pay Ebay prices forget it.
This system (Legacy, TMCC and DCS are similar) has always been expensive, in the range of the price of a nice command locomotive ($300-400 in current dollars), from when TMCC was first introduced in the mid-1990s. The inflated prices being asked now are due to the fact that the most recent iteration, Legacy (990) has been out of stock for a while, and rumors that it is being discontinued have come before the production of the new system (the cab3). This favors Lionel not having unsold inventory and profiteers, but works against hobbyists who want to get into command control (TMCC/Legacy) of Lionel locos. It may be some months before the new system is available.
My advice is to wait and see. Six months from now, a different set of options may yet appear. Lionel may reconsider production of the cab-1L base and remote as a combined system, which was under $300 before the current situation. They are going to continue the cab-1L remote, but combining that with the new cab3 will bring the cost of the system to twice what Legacy was, apparently, somewhere north of $600. Not ideal. A lower cost option would be welcome.
It's been discontinued. Supply and demand.
They are no longer available at dealers at a normal retail price.
They can only be found on the secondary market for what folks are willing to pay. Currently, folks are willing to pay about double.
@RickO posted:It's been discontinued. Supply and demand.
They are no longer available at dealers at a normal retail price.
They can only be found on the secondary market for what folks are willing to pay. Currently, folks are willing to pay about double.
Not this old man.
@RickO posted:It's been discontinued. Supply and demand.
They are no longer available at dealers at a normal retail price.
They can only be found on the secondary market for what folks are willing to pay. Currently, folks are willing to pay about double.
I don't recall a statement from Lionel stating that the CAB2 has been discontinued.
@rthomps posted:I don't recall a statement from Lionel stating that the CAB2 has been discontinued.
The leaked alleged dealer information document indicates 6 retired product SKUs which do encompass the CAB-2.
@bmoran4 posted:The leaked alleged dealer information document indicates 6 retired product SKUs which do encompass the CAB-2.
And if your still not sure. Try to find it even listed on a dealer website. In most cases you type in 14295 and it says "item not found".
Charles Ro has pulled the adds for both the 990 and 993. There were still available to backorder a month ago.
@RickO posted:And if your still not sure. Try to find it even listed on a dealer website. In most cases you type in 14295 and it says "item not found".
Charles Ro has pulled the adds for both the 990 and 993. There were still available to backorder a month ago.
I'm fully familiar with the lack of 990s and 993s at the large dealers. I did a check several weeks ago just interest sake. I don't need new CAB2 so I did not order.
I do prefer, however, confirmation of the "discontinuance" from a verified source ... since there may be other things in play.
@rthomps posted:I'm fully familiar with the lack of 990s and 993s at the large dealers. I did a check several weeks ago just interest sake. I don't need new CAB2 so I did not order.
I do prefer, however, confirmation of the "discontinuance" from a verified source ... since there may be other things in play.
You'll likely have to wait presumable until Friday (or shortly thereafter) when the catalog is released for anything more official than the leaks/rumors.
@chefmarkt69 posted:. Why is this system so expense for the common man?
they dont care
@rthomps posted:I do prefer, however, confirmation of the "discontinuance" from a verified source ... since there may be other things in play.
Understood. The leaked "discontinued items chart" looked pretty legitimate.
I grabbed a 993 as a spare, just in case there aren't other things in play.
@bmoran4 posted:You'll likely have to wait presumable until Friday (or shortly thereafter) when the catalog is released for anything more official than the leaks/rumors.
Yep!
@RickO posted:Understood. The leaked "discontinued items chart" looked pretty legitimate.
I grabbed a 993 as a spare, just in case there aren't other things in play.
Rick ... the 993s are a disappearing lot. There's one & only one left on Amazon - of all places - right now. (14:00 PST, 12 january)
@rthomps posted:Rick ... the 993s are a disappearing lot. There's one & only one left on Amazon - of all places - right now.
Ironically, I grabbed mine there this week when there were 15 in stock.
Many of the outlying dealers that have 993's available, have been marking them up, no surprise there.
It looks like forum sponsor Nicholas Smith just put 9 of the 993's on Amazon for $50 less than their website.
Makes me glad I run conventional control. I can buy more trains with the money and heart burn i will not have.
Gunny
The new Lionel catalog, 2022 Signature edition will be out soon, hopefully they will still be offering this system and the expansion pack. If you ordered the really nice Legacy Big Boy around 2006, the Legacy Control System was no charge with that order. The Cab 2 is a very feature rich model train control system, my favorite. There are hints that Lionel may be introducing a Cab 3 System, that would be very interesting. One good thing about Lionel, most control systems are backward compatible, meaning you can operate almost any of their trains from day one. We’ll see soon. Happy Railroading Everyone
@RickO posted:It looks like forum sponsor Nicholas Smith just put 9 of the 993's on Amazon for $50 less than their website.
I just pointed someone to those, now there's one less. 
John,
Who might that person be that you just told to purchase the 993 set. Bet he owes you a beer at York.
Erol
Could be, but I'll probably hold out for two. 
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I just pointed someone to those, now there's one less.
Only four left now. Going…going…
Wheres my beer? 
........
@Shawn_Chronister posted:link for the $50 ones?
They aren't $50. They are $50 cheaper purchased on Amazon than said dealers website.
@Keith L posted:Only four left now. Going…going…
And then there was one. Without any Legacy engines, is there any benefit to having one of these over a Cab 1?
@Magicland posted:And then there was one. Without any Legacy engines, is there any benefit to having one of these over a Cab 1?
The 993 will do you know good without a 990 and if you only have tmcc engines no real benefit it does make building trains easiers.
@Shawn_Chronister posted:The 993 will do you know good without a 990 and if you only have tmcc engines no real benefit it does make building trains easiers.
Thanks, when these "grab the last one before it's gone" things come along, sometimes you need to sit back and say "do I really need this" before plunking down the cash. I'm sure there's someone out there that this will benefit a lot more than me.
Strangely enough, there was only one left earlier, listed at $349.99. Now there are 2, at $282.99. Not sure if the price has changed, or this is just Amazon's "variable pricing" where the same thing costs different amounts to different people at different times. I've verified that before.
Funny thing, I realized I DO have a Legacy engine! Picked up a set of PRR Legacy RF16 Sharks not long ago. Still, I doubt they do anything that'd justify what these are currently going for unless I planned to add a bunch more Legacy engines.
Still a few 993’s available on the “big river” site using search term “Lionel 993”. That search came in at the $282.xx but, added $27.xx shipping. You could take a chance on a damaged box item at $236.xx. Click image to view larger.
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@TedW posted:Still a few 993’s available on the “big river” site using search term “Lionel 993”. That search came in at the $282.xx but, added $27.xx shipping. You could take a chance on a damaged box item at $236.xx. Click image to view larger.
Only one new one left now, at $349.99 plus shipping. (25 were sold since I first looked on Sunday.)
I suspect the cheap ones have all sold.
@Keith L posted:Only one new one left now, at $349.99 plus shipping. (25 were sold since I first looked on Sunday.)
0 now.. (
Seems as good as place as any to ask, but why did Lionel discontinue a control system before having another ready to roll out not long after discontinuing the cab/base 2?
I've searched but come up empty. Seems like they've most likely missed quite a few sales here.
@Rod M. posted:Seems as good as place as any to ask, but why did Lionel discontinue a control system before having another ready to roll out not long after discontinuing the cab/base 2?
I've searched but come up empty. Seems like they've most likely missed quite a few sales here.
Well, I doubt they wanted to be without a command system for three years, but COVID and the supply chain issues came along, I'm sure that was a major factor. I think they expected at first to be releasing it within a year of the #990 being discontinued, it just didn't work out that way. MTH appears to be in the same boat with their command system.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:Well, I doubt they wanted to be without a command system for three years, but COVID and the supply chain issues came along, I'm sure that was a major factor. I think they expected at first to be releasing it within a year of the #990 being discontinued, it just didn't work out that way. MTH appears to be in the same boat with their command system.
You are most likely correct, I just didn't know if there was anything official like MTH quasi closing.
I'm more disappointed I hadn't snagged one of the systems since TMCC.
I talked with Ryan about it at the Big E. He said Lionel understands that there is money to be made if they can build the components again. He said that is the issue. I also spoke with the MTH rep there about the remote issue. I did not get his name though he did look familiar. He said they are working on a wifi remote.
@Jerryrails posted:I also spoke with the MTH rep there about the remote issue. I did not get his name though he did look familiar. He said they are working on a wifi remote.
For as long as it's taking for the WTIU, don't expect that WiFi remote in your lifetime.
