OK, I don't expect everything to be to scale, but knowing how pricey Lionel products can be, they could have put a little more effort making this stuff more realistic.
First, to their defense, the "station finder" sign artwork is OK. The "picture" of the train and platform is the standard NYSDOT design used along highways, regardless of what models of trains actually service a given station.
However, once you've
found the station, the station-finder signs go away. Who was the "expert" at Lionel who decided to use street signs on the actual platform? There are hundreds, if not thousands of pictures of Metro-North station platforms online, including the MTA's very own website! It wouldn't have taken 10 minutes to see what a "real" platform station sign looks like, and the font is so commonly used, any idiot can have a reasonable facsimilie designed in less than another 10 minutes.
Furthermore, I'm not impressed that Lionel simply used what appears to be "stock" station and platform models, and just "branded" them to be Metro-North. They've been selling
the exact same platforms for years, though with slightly different colors and without the ads on the fence.
The building isn't anything special either... they just took an old design and slapped the MN logo on the end of the building.
The biggest concern, is we don't even see pictures of the models yet. They just have a picture of a real train. Knowing Lionel, I'm sure the finished product will look somewhat reasonable, at least as can be expected for O-scale. But if you're charge Lionel prices and make a good-looking train, you should have pictures ready. And you should make just as much of an effort to make the accessories top-notch as well. Sure, I could let the station building pass, as there are many older, historical ones throughout MN. But I've yet to see any company make a "modern" set of high-level concrete platforms or overpasses. They could be used not only for MN, but for any other mass-transit railroads... Metro, Septa, subways, the T, and so on.
And best of all, as Otto pointed out, 3 of the 4 "station finders" are for stations NOT served by M-7's. Again, even a complete newbie to Metro-North could have figured that out with less than an hour's worth of research online. Perhaps "someone" felt the need to try to represent as many lines as possible. A nice intent, but still pretty lame. At least it can be corrected with a good color printer and halfway-decent art or publishing software.
Go ahead, yell at me and tell me to lighten up. But Lionel stuff ain't cheap and I don't have a gigantic budget for model railroading. If I'm gonna consider plunking down my hard-earned dollars, the product should at least be more accurate and "special." Because of its reputation and long history, I've considered Lionel to be like the "Disney of model railroading." You expect top-notch. Taking existing accessories and simply slapping Metro-North signage on them doesn't entice me to open up the ol' checkbook.
