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Will do. As the decoder has multiple functions, it should open loads of possibilities with lights as well. I have already converted to running lipo batteries and removing the lego battery boxes and that has made a huge difference both in performance and run time. However the lipo means i have to be alot more careful when the kids play with them

I have now dumped my PFX brick in the bin because for me the development is lagging now. However i understand the 9v is more important so can not fault the decision to abandon the PFX Brick But Hornby are releasing bluetooth sound decoders soon (similar to bluenami) and ill be going down that route for my trains. Will allow all the benefits of DCC on lego trains….and sound.

I have a Pfx brick and did enjoy using it but i have the feeling it wont be developed any further due to the 9v track. I think its great they have gone down the 9v track route but its a shame the brick is basically dead in terms of development. There was meant to be a sound update but it never came. I will be moving to another option i think. Its a shame but the 9v track is what people want.

I think they will still bother with them because there is still a market…all be it very small but not in the same way 12v and 9v was. It fits into a section where if a child has the city buildings they can expand to the train to make the city a bit more alive. The problem is that past the train set & tracks and possible station there is not a big enough market to support the expanded universe. A train is £89.99, now you can get 2x video games for that price and kids will go down the video game market 9/10. Adding to this Lego have a huge demographic in the early years, then it drops in the teens / young adults then grows again as those early years now have kids and rekindle their love for Lego. These buy multiple sets of the same and often keep them. More over scalping keeps demand and prices high. The other challenge is Lego would need to compete with actual model railways which on a cost per cost basis is a cheaper alternative. For me personally i know lego is never going to change and the 12v 9v era is long gone. I am happy with their scraps but as with my model trains, I moved to buying other brands or peoples MOC. My world has exploded now and i run all my switch motors from JMRI software of an ardunio. I am even working on automation via sensors and controllers with real time train display boards. But if your a Lego only person who only buys Lego then you have to accept it will never change for the foreseeable future. I hope i am wrong, i really do as id love a-lot more official choice.

It comes down to economics and sadly trains are not good economics, nor with all the 3rd party vendors does it need to be. We talk about the hay day of 12v and 9v era (and i was to young and poor to afford more than a basic train set) but at that time lego nearly went bankrupt..twice. They had multiple unique components and this resulted in a complex manufacturing process, slow production rates and general inefficiencies. What people seem to forget is that lego fired alot of the old staff who only wanted to make unique things for their range. The fact of the matter is, Lego do not need to fill the gap for lego train fans. If you want a points motor there are multiple options out there. Track…..yeap got that covered. You want 9v track…yeap that is coming back as well….Lego will be monitoring this market but it doesn't deem it profitable to enter and really it doesn't need to….if i worked in Legos Cat development department, i wouldnt bother either. Its a niche market and there are 3rd party vendors and like with bricklink if they are deemed to be a good investment….Lego will just buy them. Then on rolling stock etc, its simple. Shelf space. Lego pay for shelf space and / or stores have to maximise the revenue of said space. Even online stores need to consider rotation and if you go into a store its easy. Lego train or Marvel. 9/10 Marvel is picked up. Also if you buy a wagon and do not own a train its not any use to a child. Lego changed their boxes to a more adult theme but from what i understand this was done because their data saw AFOL where buying these expensive sets and multiple versions of them and again less colours on the box….less colours, cheaper to manufacture. I am hoping i am wrong and Lego return back to a hay day but my experience in production / marketing and supply chain tells me….never going to happen. I do not mean to offend anyone with the post.

Coming from model railways where I mixed brands, products, eras the lot i buy the best quality which might not be lego. I am not a purist though. Even down to buying other brand of building blocks for scenics. The major factor is Price. Lego rims / tyre bands / decals are now becoming to expensive to run in case of damage. Which is fine if it is a shelf queen….but i like to play with my toys lol. But as always it is your hobby and do what you feel is right. If you want to be a purist be a purist. Nowt wrong with that.

For me i love what is being done here. As my layout already uses a-lot of Trixbrix product due to the way i have my layout setup - Signals / Switchs the one area that lets me down is those sodding batteries. @michaelgale will you be releasing a product that enables the PF to be charged from one of your motors? I ask because then i can buy a load of 9V track and just park my trains as they charge. Like the fuller car system.

Is this project now dead? As actually now interested in purchasing these @keybrickone

What we also have to remember is that when the crocodile set was released a-lot of countries where in lock down or had tight restrictions. Demand far outstripped supply same as with hornby but now as restrictions are lifted the amount of lego appearing on the market has increased. You can pick up second hang crocs for 50 quid, boxed. I am a huge fan of trains but other companies now are offering so much more and they offer trains to the 8 wide adult market. Add to this the wagon will never be produced as a single item. It takes up shelf space and only train fans will buy it. Once they have bought them then sales die. As a child can choose a train add on or a new marvel set. 9/10 the child will choose marvel. As for wagons you need a train set. Its play is limited. Furthermore a retailer will not use shelf space for a wagon that might sell against a city or marvel. 3D printing companies are now going to injection moulding. Lego know that by doing nothing these companies fill a gap. Lego will never produce a range as sadly the train market is a niche and will always remain that way. Sadly trains are not what the majority of older kids want. Its branded stuff. Look at harry potter / marvel / disney. And lastly lego know that by restricting the releases or drip feeding people will buy what ever they release in droves. Think of the amount people who bought to of the new express train….Lego laughing to the bank. And Lego know that their custom base is loyal and unlike other communities will not venture to other brands. They have the same hold over there customers like apple does. I hope i am wrong but from a business point, trains just do not perform against the other ranges.

Be interesting to find out if this was the case. It s a real shame i do not think we will find out. Chinese manufactures if they did rip it must have some talented people to reverse engineer this stuff.

How do we know the designer of the set has not gone to Loz and offered the design? As I remember those Chinese trains? everyone said ripped off, stolen and then the designer posted in this very forum saying. I worked with mould king to design them. Lego not interested. IMO we need to get all the facts before assuming its a rip off. Most likely has been ripped but would be interested to see what the designer says. Just My view and it means nothing

One thing to remember as well is SKU count. When Lego nearly went bust they had hundreds of unique special pieces. To save the business they cut hundreds of these unique SKUs. The golden age of trains was the prime example. Departments creating amazing products with no thought to streamlining and costs sky rocketed. Working in the supply chain myself you have to weight up the cost of the, line time, storage, moulds, rates and margins. Simple fact is lego cut a-lot of skus from there line to streamline the business and get the cost of the entire operation down. Having personally done SKU streamlining myself a number of times you have to make choices. Lego Trains do not hold the market share in the same way the other kits do. Trains are not as cool as they used to be. So they get cut. It is simple economics. Add to that a Train Purchase is out of the reach of most Children outside of a Birthday / Christmas (this excludes AFOL who buy stuff all year). If you look at what Children buy with pocket money it is in the 10-15 mark not the £89.99 to £179.99 mark - there are always exceptions. Do you keep a niche happy or do you keep the core happy. Core will always win, it keeps the lights on. Lego’s main sales come from a lower end range and AFOL esp within Trains are not profitable past a certain point. Now the crocodile was marketing genius. Lego make a set knowing they will sell it because Lego Train Fans are desperate for it. Plus Lego has a cult following where any other brick is rubbish. So another manufacture could come up with a far superior product and would never get the same market share - for the moment. So at the moment Lego are in a Win Win. Hell i remember when Lego realised it people in the UK could not get it. Lego out of stock. John Lewis had plenty of stock, i bought mine from John Lewis when Lego where OOS but others refused. This plays into Legos marketing as they can drip feed and always win. Very very clever marketing. There was a post about lego making bigger train wheels. This is unlikely to ever happen. Not because the market does not exist, it is because the market is not big enough to warrant the costs involved within both the manufacturing and supply chains and there is a 3rd party solution. Lego will be watching all 3rd party sales and I can guarantee they will be pulling sales data. If it starts impacting they will act. Until then it supports their markets. To give an example i guarantee lego has the moulds to re make Monorail. But the manufacturing and supply chain costs of re-starting the production coupled with projected sales will never return the cost of restarting. Lego might have physically replaced the machine that handles that mould. So now it would be a OPPS parts. This is my view and i could be / most likely am wrong but Lego is a business and the fact remains Trains are a niche that they will never fully support again. With the rise in 3rd Party 3D printed options, Lego get the sale of the main train without having to worry about the infrastructure.

I could be wrong but i would be 99% confident Lego will never produce any thing outside there current track range. It does not make fiscal sense. I wish they would go back to the range like in the 80s but equally i am a realist. Plus as long as no one does anything stupid these 3rd party allow the lego train system to expand without lego having to invest. It is a win win. Someone else makes the investment, lego sells more trains.

I own a lot of the Trixbrix, bricktracks & 4dbrix (prior to changing business model) and TrixBrix has come on leaps since they first started. I have one of there 1st cross overs. It was ok. I have the R56 as i run a two track layout. My view is the clutch could be better but overall i am extremely happy with them. I have some of the injection moulded track and they are brilliant. I also like that they have a complete system and have always found the customer service top notch. However if you are in the UK, Trixbrix do not ship due to brexit. That being said 4d brix was brilliant and i wish i had bought the decouplers and if Fx had sorted their 9v out sooner i might have gone that route. I am not connected to either company, i just look for the best solution. All my points run from a megapoints controller. Soon to have routing added. This IMO and doesn't mean anything and the end of the day its your trains, do what you want.

Dtomsen i would have to agree with you. As some people have had a great experience with bluebrixx, from some reading today. I wonder if i had an early one when the bricks where not as good but now quality has improved. Legotowinz i will go back and have a look at the video.