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With malice toward none, may I jump in? As a close-to-seventy-year-old person who has watched the world turn a few times, I'd caution ALL of you, manufacturers and hobbyists alike, that this whole affair, when taken in sum, is hurtling toward what might be disaster for a hobby that, in my view, has matured greatly since I was eight and my Dad gave me a pair of Lionel F-3s for Christmas. We've seen a marketplace with more variety and quality than at any time in history. We've seen technology make possible things little kids like me (back then) only dreamed about. And yet, it seems that MTH, Lionel, Atheran's new owners and a host of others including Class 1 railroads and apparently unscrupulous business people are determined to kill the goose. Terry Thompson, your editorial on the U.P. lawsuit was a good start - but only a start. I see you, Carstens and all the other mentor/publishers of our hobby as the last resort for reason. We've got to find some way to get everyone to understand that this IS a hobby, but is practiced by a variety of individuals not many of whom have unlimited funds or are interested in the vagaries of legal action. We are, for sure, the most litigous people in the history of the world. To Athearn/MDCs new owners: A little discounting won't hurt you! You've already got your money by the time the discount is applied. Those who buy for cheap ought to understand they've given up service, and hopefully they can manage with that. You're about to be surprised by what Irv Athearn and Bill Walthers (not to mention General Motors) already knew; not everyone will spring for MSRP. To MTH: The sandbox analogy is a good one. NMRA should be the mentor of the DCC concept. If you want to build a proprietary system then spend some of those advertising bucks telling us poor technologically-challenged folks that "Our stuff won't work with your NMRA DCC - are you ok with that?". I personally won't trade my "classic" equipment I've had for fifty years and successfully converted to "universal" DCC to get your 1mph incremental speed change, but others might - help them make an informed choice. To BL and what appears to be your many roommates: We've already taught you customer service is a REQUIREMENT in the retail business in general and the model railroad business in particular. Now don't spoil your new image by cheating on your competitors/suppliers. And, finally, to Union Pacific: Hey, *** Davidson, U.P. and I go back a long way - all the way to Edd Bailey and the U.P. 8444 off Wyoming rails (at my request) in 1966 for the first time since the death of steam. I will defend to the death your right (just as MTH's) to protect your property. I said in a prior post that a buck a loco or car that insures prototypical accuracy is OK with me - I've seen to much Armour Yellow that wasn't over the years and it'd be great to have your guarantee that it's right. I think expanding that to the fallen flags is a bit of a reach; the flags are fallen, remember? But can't you find a little more palatable way than a fiery legalese blast in the media to announce your plan, and then maybe a kinder gentler way to summon the affected to the table? And by the way, Athearn and Lionel, U.P. has a right to defend their logo just as you do. They just need a less bombastic way to do it. I hope for great success with the WGH campaign, but folks, if I were just starting out in Model Railroading and read about all this stuff, I think I'd opt for R/C airplanes instead. Really; look at the big picture! Isn't it ridiculous? I thought we were playing with trains.......
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