I assume since Lionel hasn't told us anymore about this that these boards are no longer available and never will be.
You'd think they'd said something by now.
@feet posted:I assume since Lionel hasn't told us anymore about this that these boards are no longer available and never will be.
You'd think they'd said something by now.
I don't think they are getting the blow back on this to correct the issue similar to back when they suddenly announced the discontinuation of the ERR product line.
@H1000 posted:I don't think they are getting the blow back on this to correct the issue similar to back when they suddenly announced the discontinuation of the ERR product line.
Dave and Ryan, we are 7 pages into a thread on Lionel’s surprise decision pull all the older Legacy boards from inventory. Please explain to us what this is all about. Some of your customers have threatened to leave the hobby and others vowed to make no future purchases.
@Steims posted:Dave and Ryan, we are 7 pages into a thread on Lionel’s surprise decision pull all the older Legacy boards from inventory. Please explain to us what this is all about. Some of your customers have threatened to leave the hobby and others vowed to make no future purchases.
There is no way either of them will respond to this thread. Rumors have it some third party purchased them. We’ll just have to wait for the announcement.
I'm guessing the decision to pull the boards and dispose of them in whatever fashion they're doing was made up the food chain. I see it as yet another method of injecting a sudden cash infusion into the balance sheet, regardless of the impact on the customers.
@gunrunnerjohn posted:I'm guessing the decision to pull the boards and dispose of them in whatever fashion they're doing was made up the food chain. I see it as yet another method of injecting a sudden cash infusion into the balance sheet, regardless of the impact on the customers.
The tiny profit margin on selling repair parts could make a dent on sales of new products. Welcome to modern consumer electronics product life cycles.
@H1000 posted:The tiny profit margin on selling repair parts could make a dent on sales of new products. Welcome to modern consumer electronics product life cycles.
That might make sense for the consumer appliance market where people have to have a working oven, refrigerator, dishwasher, etc. It doesn’t ring so true for a hobby market where we have the option to not replace.
@superwarp1 posted:There is no way either of them will respond to this thread. Rumors have it some third party purchased them. We’ll just have to wait for the announcement.
I don't think we'll hear a announcement. Reason I say that is look how long it's been since we first heard about this. They know people are upset about this by now.
I’m not sweating the availability of the R2LCs as long as ERR Cruise Commanders are available. I do however, really lament the potential total loss of some of the classic RS4 and RS5 sounds, as some of those sound sets were really pleasing to the ear. It would be nice to see them cataloged on the internet somewhere with the ability to play them back. It would be totally unforgivable if Lionel would threw them in the garbage. There’s a reason some of us seek them out, they sound awesome!
@feet posted:I don't think we'll hear a announcement. Reason I say that is look how long it's been since we first heard about this. They know people are upset about this by now.
Well, Lionel didn’t just pull this inventory right before the warehouse sale and throw the boards in the trash. Someone bought them and that someone will put them up for sale at some crazy price sooner or later.
@superwarp1 posted:Well, Lionel didn’t just pull this inventory right before the warehouse sale and throw the boards in the trash. Someone bought them and that someone will put them up for sale at some crazy price sooner or later.
We’ve checked and verified all the usual suspects, ….even the down & dirty suspects are just as stumped as we all are,…..I’ve even had the suspects suspecting me!…..I hope you’re right Gary, even if they sell them higher then they were, at least the option will be on the table, instead of the great “ who done it” mystery …..I’m thinking Colonel Mustard in the closet with the candle stick,…😉
Pat
Lionel has done stupid things in the past, so there’s always a chance they are in the trash, but I see money involved in what ever happened
@superwarp1 posted:Lionel has done stupid things in the past, so there’s always a chance they are in the trash, but I see money involved in what ever happened
You’ve echoed our exact sediments Gary, ….we keep going back to the dumpster theory ourselves, but like you said, we smell the money too,…..heck, if I’d known, I’d bought the stuff myself, …..it’s a no brainer,….only theory that keeps sticking in my head, is if the “ new parts people” just so happened to be able to convince the powers to be to go to a 10 year plan like other mfr.’s do, and actually did the dirty deed of dumpster toss,…..I mean, if you look at from a worker’s point of view, less part numbers means less work, but still get paid the same,…..I can’t see Lionel having the bandwidth to make paychecks based on revenue crated, ie; profit sharing, etc,….so the theory that bothers me is if they did dump the stuff to simply lighten their work load,…..for not just this round of stuff, but every year they get to ditch the 11th hour stuff….again, …less work, less worry, but same paycheck…..unbeknownst to themselves they’re shooting themselves in the foot each and every time they eyeball the big green dumpster…..😳
Pat
@harmonyards posted:“ new parts people” just so happened to be able to convince the powers to be to go to a 10 year plan like other mfr.’s do, and actually did the dirty deed of dumpster toss,…..I mean, if you look at from a worker’s point of view, less part numbers means less work, but still get paid the same,…..I can’t see Lionel having the bandwidth to make paychecks based on revenue crated, ie; profit sharing, etc,….so the theory that bothers me is if they did dump the stuff to simply lighten their work load,…..for not just this round of stuff, but every year they get to ditch the 11th hour stuff….again, …less work, less worry, but same
Pat
You might be onto something Pat. They auctioned off all of the archives and dumped 10 years of online catalogs as well.
Quite a change from the last "parts guy". Who I vividly recall ,reaching out on the forum for info regarding models that Lionel did not have records for at the time.
@RickO posted:You might be onto something Pat. They auctioned off all of the archives and dumped 10 years of online catalogs as well.
Quite a change from the last "parts guy". Who I vividly recall ,reaching out on the forum for info regarding models that Lionel did not have records for at the time.
Rick, this is strictly scuttle but amongst ourselves off-line, and is no way concrete ….when I worked for Ford Motor Co. and they went to the 10 year plan, the people in the parts division celebrated as if they had just won a war of righteousness,…..there was a lot of weight lifted off their shoulders, ……now, we’re talking about a gigantic operation vs. what fits in one warehouse with Lionel, but staff is staff, no matter if it’s 4500 parts employees like FOMOCO had, or 4-5 like Lionel has in their parts dept…..tis’ the same principle,….😁
Pat
@harmonyards posted:Rick, this is strictly scuttle but amongst ourselves off-line, and is no way concrete ….when I worked for Ford Motor Co. and they went to the 10 year plan, the people in the parts division celebrated as if they had just won a war of righteousness,…..there was a lot of weight lifted off their shoulders, ……now, we’re talking about a gigantic operation vs. what fits in one warehouse with Lionel, but staff is staff, no matter if it’s 4500 parts employees like FOMOCO had, or 4-5 like Lionel has in their parts dept…..tis’ the same principle,….😁
Pat
Pat, when Ford dumped the parts over 10 years old they did it across the board and not just Power Control Modules. Lionel is not purging everything old but instead just these boards.
Now that reminds me of the phone conversation I had with Lionel parts back in September. She said the boards were pulled because of age and to make room for more parts. I think somebody at Lionel decided that anything with electrolytic capacitors 10 years of age or older had to go......into the dumpster. Thanks Lionel for looking out for us. The baby went right out with the bathwater.
