Subject:
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Re: 10170 TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Car Preview
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Mon, 2 May 2005 15:58:00 GMT
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Viewed:
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8464 times
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In lugnet.trains, Marc Nelson Jr. wrote:
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In lugnet.trains, Jeff Stembel wrote:
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In lugnet.announce.iltco, Mike Walsh wrote:
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LEGO has provided ILTCO with early pictures and set information for the new
10170 TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Cair. Vist http://www.iltco.org for more
details and pictures.
Mike
PS: LEGOFan is also previewing this set at: http://www.legofan.org
FUT: lugnet.trains
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I’m pretty disappointed with those containers. I’d have expected them to
use the recessed doors they’ve used in the past. I do like that the cars
are built up, though, rather than single pieces.
Jeff
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I wouldn’t be buying this set anyway, but I’m really getting tired of TLC’s
excuses to AFOLs. “New molds cost too much” was the old refrain, but now it’s
“an inability to produce new colors of those parts in our current financial
state”.
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Mark, please please don’t take my desire to break down the wall and share
information with the community as “excuses” or dishonesty.
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Where does TLC come up with the money to mold new pieces like
this,
this, and
this? And let’s not
even talk about the money spent to introduce a whole new set of colors.
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Things aren’t as simple as that. New parts, more than ever before, are designed
in a wholistic mindset. Sure, there are sometimes parts designed that are
specifically for a certain product line, and that line alone. But new parts have
to pass through a series of checks that haven’t existed until recently. This
helps to ensure that even parts like you point out could, at least in theory be
used in multiple ways, and fit into the larger system overall.
As you can imagine, with the size of the product design staff, we’re not simply
one big team all working on one product line at a time. The design staff is
quite large and works on multiple projects at once. Each is charged with a
differing priority, budget, and thus new part count. It simplifies the
discussion too much to say that because one line gets new parts, another line
should also get an equal number of new parts.
When you’re looking at production runs of 10,000 on S@H exclusive sets, there’s
not as much room or budget to implement new molds as there is on a production
run of 1 million+ sets.
I’m sorry you see the S@H exclusives as us treating the AFOLs poorly. We’ve
never intended that to be reason to introduce these exclusives. Quite the
opposite.
One of the things that made working with Brad so enjoyable was his amazing focus
on trying to prove to the company that new parts aren’t necessarily needed in
order to create cool new sets. The Santa Fe, as I recall him talking about it,
was one of the sets he was most proud of, for exactly this reason.
In the 5 years he was at the company, he helped to change the mindset about
this, by continually showing what was possible with existing elements over and
over. Personally, I think it worked wonders.
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It would be a lot more honest if they just said “Some of you suckers will buy
anything, so why make the effort”.
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Actually, that’d be a flat out lie. That’s not at all what we’ve said, thought,
or tried.
We’re in an extremely tough financial spot right now. In 2003, we lost more
money than many companies make in a year. We’re on the path to recovery,
certainly, but mainly because we’re taking a hard look at when and where we need
to be spending money. This container story is a great example of one of those
times.
I have no problem with you questioning the decision. But with all due respect, I
do take issue with you questioning my integrity.
Jake
---
Jake McKee
Community Liaison
LEGO Community Team
http://www.bricksonthebrain.com/blog
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Message has 3 Replies:
 | | Re: 10170 TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Car Preview
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| Dear Jake, Please don't take these sorts of email too seriously. I won't speak for anyone else but at least one of us AFOLs wholly supports this communication and, for that matter, the release itself. Thank you very much for all the work, time and (...) (19 years ago, 2-May-05, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
| | | Re: 10170 TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Car Preview
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| (...) Jake, I wish you hadn't turned this into a personal issue when it is a corporate policy issue. Do you see the words "Jake McKee" anywhere in my post? Now the "rally round Jake" LUGNET defense mechanism has been activated, and anything I say (...) (19 years ago, 2-May-05, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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Message is in Reply To:
| | Re: 10170 TTX Intermodal Double-Stack Car Preview
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| (...) I wouldn't be buying this set anyway, but I'm really getting tired of TLC's excuses to AFOLs. "New molds cost too much" was the old refrain, but now it's "an inability to produce new colors of those parts in our current financial state". Where (...) (19 years ago, 2-May-05, to lugnet.trains, FTX)
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