There is no question that companies with top shelf customer service like the 
former owners of S Helper Service (IMHO they ranked up with LL Bean and a few 
other top tier companies when it came to customer service) make a real positive 
contribution especially to those just starting out in the hobby.

But like many things, manufacturing is also going through a transformation. S 
Helper led the way in S scale by building models that could support all the 
various control systems and their user communities and they are to be applauded 
for that. IMHO it was especially good as DCC and some of the proprietary 
systems offers far more control capabilities than AC or DC. 

But let's also be honest and recognize that that capability generally came with 
the need for someone (SHS, model buyer or others) to sometimes open the loco 
and make some changes in plug, etc. to support those control systems.

Lionel IMHO has taken the ease of use one step farther from what I can see on 
the SD70ACe. Yes their are electronics in the loco, but who cares. There are 
electronics in almost everything we buy now. The real important advance is that 
now in most cases there is simply no need to open the loco at all. The 
electronics are a lot smarter. Put it on a DC powered track it just runs. Put 
it on a DCC powered track and it just runs. Put it on a Legacy or TMCC 
controlled track it just runs. Put it on AC and it just runs. Move it from one 
to the other and it just runs.

Thankfully, manufacturers continue to innovate...we get more capability in 
simpler to use forms...

Michael Greene

Sent from my iPad

On Mar 24, 2013, at 10:38 AM, "Lynn" <[email protected]> wrote:

> 
> 
> <snip>
...
>  I would also like to see the manufacturers continue the type of service we 
> had with S Helper.  The ability to customize a trainset was a major positive 
> that could only help sell to a new modeler.   
> 
> 


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