Subject:
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Re: Impact of LTCs (Re: The Official "Issues List")
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.ambassadors, lugnet.trains
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Date:
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Thu, 23 Aug 2007 05:54:51 GMT
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Viewed:
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1937 times
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In lugnet.ambassadors, Richie Dulin wrote:
> In lugnet.ambassadors, William R. Ward wrote:
> > In lugnet.ambassadors, Brian Davis wrote:
> > > Disclaimer: I'm not a train guy, not even close. And I agree that the 9V system
> > > is a fantastic system in and of itself, not to mention the amazing things train
> > > clubs do with it. Should it be on the "list"? I'd *absolutely* agree. And I
> > > really *really* hope that it's not going away anytime soon. That said... • ...
>
> It's potentially a large audience... I wonder if the community, and the campaign
> to save 9V trains wouldn't benefit from gathering a more solid understanding of
> some of the numbers involved. For example:
>
> How many people have viewed LEGO train layouts at exhibitions in the last year?
>
> How many people purchase LEGO products as a result of seeing LEGO train club
> layouts exhibitions in the last year (or have increased the amount of purchases
> etc)?
>
> How does the presence of large LEGO layouts at train exhibitions mesh with
> LEGO's marketing and advertising programs?
>
> What would the effect be on LEGO if there wasn't a LEGO train club presence at
> exhibitions?
>
> (This may have been covered elsewhere - apologies if it has, but if a link could
> be provided that would be cool).
>
> Cheers
>
> Richie Dulin
>
> FUT .trains
The thing about the 9v trains is that it is a gateway to building a train layout
(conventional model railroading has a long history with adults, etc etc etc).
The layout, whether a LTC or in someone's basement, will likely be comprised of
mostly non-train items, but it is the train that provides the nucleus, the focal
point. Just as with conventional model railroading, so much time goes in to
detailing the background, often the trains are less than 50% of the effort, but
without trains you would often not have any of it.
That said, I personally think the hobby train, while being a well designed set,
was a big tactical error by Lego for the following reasons: first, it is not a
good set for AFOLs, at least in the US, because we can hand pick the pieces from
the set that we want from the online PAB without ever ordering the set. Second,
it is not a good gateway set for beginners- you have to figure out LDD (and it's
cumbersome instructions) while also learning how to build (assuming you are
computer literate, have an up-to-date computer, etc., as LDD is not very
forgiving for older hardware and OS). I would think at least pdf instructions
would be helpful (saving on printing while still providing a broader support,
but still suffering from the need of having a computer).
At least with our LTC there were two vendors who followed us around to all of
the train shows, it was so much easier to say to the public "yes, that Santa Fe
engine there is a set and if you head over to that vendor you can buy it today."
Benn
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