RailPro is a solid system with a loyal following, but it’s true that Ring Engineering keeps a relatively low profile. They don’t advertise heavily in magazines or attend trade shows, so the overall visibility is much lower compared to the big DCC brands. That said, from what I understand, Ring discontinued EOT production specifically to focus more on RailPro — and there’s no indication that the system is going anywhere.
I used to do all my RailPro ordering through Bill (who also graciously hosts this forum), but now that Scale Sound Systems has become a RailPro vendor (
https://www.scalesoundsystems.com/railpro?page=2), I’ll start ordering from JT. I recently added an LM-3S-21 module to a speaker order and received everything promptly — no delays.
My hobby time is pretty limited these days, so I can’t speak in detail to how current vendor stock compares to past years. But I’ve had no issues getting what I need recently.
If you’d like to try out the system with a minimal upfront investment, consider purchasing a CL-1 and a module — you can then operate a locomotive directly from your computer using the HC Simulator.
There’s a helpful community here and on the RailPro Facebook group with plenty of users who are happy to share advice on installs, wiring, and sound setup.