>>11337505Inflation is a bitch. And there's also Lionel's decision to go direct RC Bluetooth command control on pretty much every thing. It jacks the price up, but it also means you don't have to invest in a command base of some sort for handheld remote command control.Hell, you can control even a modern $2000 Bluetooth equipped Visionline locomotive with a Lionchief universal remote if you want to. Up till now all the battery sets were either G gauge, some weird proprietary gauge, or O, but very obviously not a standard Lionel. The choice to make the battery sets look like their more expensive electric versions is probably a good one. As a side note, this is the first year since 2004 that there isn't an electric Polar Express starter set, but there is a visually identical battery Polar Express set. Polar Express is one of Lionel's top sellers, so I think this shows commitment to the battery line. Pic the MPC Berkshires from 1980.
