TMCC designer leaves Lionel ??

[spankybird]

Nblum, I have to ask you, from your posting of May 9, 2004 “TMCC Development” that your friend is doing, Why is he going to change the “Sounds in the engines will be improved, more like MTH” if you fell that TMCC sounds are better than PS2 sound?


And yes you are correct that TMCC is around $100.00 and DCS can be purchased for around $250.00 (list is $300.00) but on the other hand PS2 engines can be purchased for as little as $179.00. You pay a little more up front and a lot less latter. Also DCS can run both systems.

[spankybird]

3railguy,

I sorry, you are wrong. I don’t have my pants in a wad, others do. I didn’t make any false statements, I pointed out what was being said other places. It wasn’t my words. And I have now pointed that out twice. I made that clear in the beginning.

I don’t find anything offensive in MTJ, except for some of the language that is sometimes used (but was not used in this thread).

My point of MTJ was the Title of the thread “TMCC Inventor let go by Lionel". If nblum has a problem of what I said, he should really be upset with ‘Lou being the inventor’.

[Buckeye Riveter]

"Here's some facts, at least as I know them."

"My guess is his leaving is part of the expected outcome when a CEO joins an acquiring firm during a technology acquisition transition. His consulting/employment agreement that was arranged during the acquisition has probably expired. "

A guess is now a fact.....I learn something everyday.

[nblum]

Some of the misinformation that is widespread in this hobby is obviously innocent. However, this industry is very polarized and partisan at present. There is some intentional disinformation from dealers, manufacturers and hobbiests who have a vested interest in proving their own products or tastes superior and running down the competition. It's just the way the world is right now.

I didn't intend to criticize anyone for repeating erroneous information from elsewhere, I merely set the record straight. No offense intended.

[Anonymous]

Has anyone else noticed how aggressive this forum has become lately? Model trains are just a hobby - for fun and relaxation. I think it's time for all of us to calm down and just get back to the basics. Who really cares if Lionel made a corprate move. I'm sure Lou Kovach will be fine. Apparently he is a pretty intellegent individual. Lionel laid off how may factory workers when they began to import trains from overseas - personally I feel bad for those people instead. Hey chief - perhaps it's time to switch the coffee pot to decaf?

[3railguy]

Spankybirdy, Neil is not the one with his panties in a wad. When you post false statements on forums, stand to be corrected. What is it written in the MTJ that you find so offensive?

[Anonymous]

I found the information on the OGR FORUM and passed
it on to MTJ. The Internet is a big fence and we are all just
standing around gossiping. I don't see the harm, and am
in no way in favor of the demise of Lionel or any other train
company! NO HARM NO FOUL!

nblum;

I'm sorry that I don't know everything in the world like you do!
I, like others here, actually HAVE A LIFE and just look at the
trains AS A HOBBY! Some times even ADULTS like to guess,
wonder and speculate. It's outbursts like yours that get others
angry and disgusted. Take a deep breath, take five and CHILL
OUT!

rant over.............sorry all.

[ChiefEagles]

Neil, thanks for the facts. Now we know.

[nblum]

Here's some facts, at least as I know them.

Lou Kovach was not a partner or investor in Lionel, as Neil Young has been since 1995 and *** Kughn since 1986. Wellsprings, a capital investment firm is the majority owner since 1995. Mr. Kovach owned his own third party train electronics firm IC Controls, which was purchased by Lionel a few years back. My guess is his leaving is part of the expected outcome when a CEO joins an acquiring firm during a technology acquisition transition. His consulting/employment agreement that was arranged during the acquisition has probably expired.

Lionel has almost certainly spent millions on lawsuits (as has MTH) since 2000 which doesn't exactly help the budget for R&D, which is always the first to suffer. There also apparently hasn't been a landslide of demand for command control beyond the initial adopters, which probably dictates the pace of development of TMCC enhancements.

Right now in TMCC Lionel's got a command control system that literally costs less than $100 to implement, compared with several hundred dollars more for the competition. Despite the fact that it was developed 5-7 years before DCS it's still got better sound quality, is easier to implement and trouble shoot, and more reliable. And simpler and cheaper. Adding features and capabilities adds cost and raises reliability issues, and Lionel may well have chosen to taken a more deliberate path to enhancements for that reason as well.

Remember these are tiny companies with $50-100 million per year in revenue. At most their R&D budget for electronics (as opposed to trains and accessories) is probably in the 1 million or less range, maybe much less. And that covers salaries, materials and all the overhead of that department.

[ChiefEagles]

"Incase you haven’t been surfing the other forums, there are threads that Lionel has released Lou Kovach. He is credited with TMCC as it is know today."

That was Spanky's post. He did not say he was saying that. Neil, he sucked you in. [:D]

[spankybird]

I would hate to see anyone loose their job. It really cut down on the number of trains you can buy.

Here is the link to Model Train Journal
"TMCC Inventor let go by Lionel"

http://modeltrainjournal.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=532&sid=88d2b4751cc2d1547c8c393288d7f2fb

Don't blame me, I didn't write it.

I just thought some of the members here that don't surf other forum would like to know.

[nblum]

One more point. This is probably a good juncture to point out to those new to the hobby that there is a "war" going on in this industry, as evidenced by the flood of lawsuits. In this war, disinformation about the competitors spread by dealers, the company themself and their loyalists is everywhere. Unless you see something confirmed by the company involved or truly reliable, trustworthy sources, treat all such scandal mongering as suspect.

[nblum]

In addition to Allan's accurate and concise history, it is worth pointing out we do not know whether Lou Kovach's consulting agreement with Lionel ended or whether he was an employee or whatever. Their parting may have been perfectly amicable or because Mr. Kovach wished to pursue other paths. When Lionel bought IC Controls, they contracted for Lou's services. His presence or absence may have no bearing on the future development of TMCC or its successors. For one thing, Neil Young is still an owner at Lionel and a relatively young man :).

[Anonymous]

Just to keep the record straight: TMCC was created and designed by rock singer Neil Young and his LionTech firm, in cooperation with Lionel Trains Inc. and then-owner Richard Kughn.

[spankybird]

I didn't, people on other forum did. Some of them feel it is the end of future develpoment of tmcc. I don't agree with that, but you can go read ORG forum and see what they are saying.

[nblum]

You as much as stated that he is credited with the design of TMCC as it exists today. That's completely false. I have no idea where you got that impression, but you seem to have a lot of sources of information that are interested in making Lionel look as bad as possible. They are misleading you. My shorts aren't in a wad, I am merely correcting a whopper of a mis-statement. Lou Kovach is no doubt a talented and accomplished guy, but had he never been born, TMCC would be exactly what it is today, pretty much.

[spankybird]

Nblum, you need to relax and not have your short in a wad all the time.

We not reporting what he did or didn’t do, just that he is no longer with Lionel, maybe (?). This is what is being said on the other forums. I personally don’t know if its true or not.

Maybe you with all your inside people can.

[nblum]

Lou Kovacs did not design TMCC. He designed the TPC300/400 and other addons that came some years later from his company IC Controls, which Lionel purchased. Anyone who has credited him with TMCC "as it is known today" is unfamiliar with the origins and history of TMCC.

[spankybird]

Incase you haven’t been surfing the other forums, there are threads that Lionel has released Lou Kovach. He is credited with TMCC as it is know today.