So after reading about the releases, the "big news" if you will about forthcoming products from the National Train Show, all I got to say is I am dissapointed and feel that it is a week showing. Nothing excited me, though that C&O behemoth is pretty cool. Outside of that.... meh. I wish that we did our products over here like England does. It is a huge fuss. Bachmann (and Graham Farish), Dapol and Hornby all release there 2013/14 products lists. It's a huge event. Some samples are shown at big railway shows. I just feel like N Scale over here is going no where, wheras over the pond, every year they have more and more released. I know this because I still collect British N gauge. And every year they put multiple new steam engines out, filling gaps. I'm done ranting.
Well, I can't say I disagree, but I wouldn't be too worried. We had years in the early/mid 2000's where there were some pretty awesome things announced in large numbers. You just have to take it in context. Throw out the economy, a lot of us did buy back in those periods of fruitfullness and probably have to slow things down a bit anyway. I think only now, say in the past year or so, have projects been "green lighted" and they take time to get to market. I bet next year will be "up" on the cycle. I do love the BLMA beer cars, although I am afraid they won't be huge seller outside of us ATSF and BNSF folks. I will be buying some, no doubt!
Yes, and truthfully my rant excludes all accounts of reality. I think the economic downturn did effect the market. I too remember in the early 2000's there was so much being released. I don;t know if it was a pinnacle, but I hope we get to that point again.
Hear ya & understand. There is not a lot to get me excited this time, but I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT! Being basically poor, I'm very happy about that! I'm also very happy that there was a recent slowdown with the China Syndrome event lately. In fact, I've enjoyed the delays (mostly). I am still trying to catch up for the last two to three years of releases. So it is very refreshing not to see a lot that I need. Given the scope of new items in the last "train season", I still think we are in N scale "Golden Years". I would not worry. Its a bit premature to say we are on a downward slope.
How about the rise in prices? Chinese labor gets a $.50/hr raise and prices here skyrocket. Maybe time to move the manufacturing to Bangladesh or Afghanistan. Maybe I should not complain. All those 90 ton Atlas hoppers I bought for $2.00 are now selling for $17.95. I should have bought more as they are appreciating more in value than my IRA. And that is a fact!
Those $2 hoppers also had rapidos and MUCH worse decoration than current release Trainman cars. I agree that the slowdown has actually been pretty nice. I'm still managing to find items to purchase even still. I'm looking forward to spending less time spending and more time modeling.
Yep, It's still a good time to be in N scale. Whether I need the stuff or not, it's good to have new stuff produced, rather than being at a standstill. I'm thankful for the slowdown as well. What money I have allocated for trains I'm now throwing into the layout to get it up to snuff. So instead of buying locos and rolling stock, I'm picking up stuff like DCC chips and controllers and trying to get some scenery done. Although the recent Rock Island releases from Trainworx made me dip a little bit. hboy:
These train shows are just another day. I mean that products are realised as they come together. The mfgs don`t save up things to bring special to the show they bring what they have. The internet has changed all that. Just my thoughts Jay
I'm stoked about the Bachmann NW-2 in GN, and the new DCC-equipped F7's! I bugged them about upgrading those last year, they said "no plans" but come on, it was only a matter of time! ALso the 2-8-8-4 should be fun to bash into an NP engine. Kato's got a goofy red-white-and-blue SD40 in MILW that I may snag. There are a few new cars announced that guys have been kitbashing or begging for for a while.... Things ain't all that bad if you look closer.... And all this after the debacle in China last year? Cool.
I like that they don't wait until the big train shows to announce products. I don't go to the big ones. I prefer they tell me via their blog, like BLMA, or in an email, like Exactrail. That is more real time to me. The day of waiting for train show announce to has come and gone.
I don't find a DAMN thing "goofy" about a Red, White, and Blue locomotive !!! Some of us know what it meant and why railroads did it. Those who think it's a joke should be granted a passport and a one-way ticket. BYE !!! Now, before I receive my "evil PM" for this, I am informing the "Big Guys" and everyone else that I will stay away from this particular thread in the future.:rats::rats::rats:
I don't know. I 'm pretty happy with the announcements, the EM-1 and hoppers from Bachmann will find a home with me. The S2 from Atlas and maybe the S4 and or NW2. The Bachmann F7's could be interesting. Remember, it is getting harder and harder to find a something that would have a huge market demand that hasn't already been done. The manufactures are running out of things to do that will sell enough units to make them worthy of producing. We are getting into more and more road specific releases which limits the potential market.
Seems like they could try doing some other road names other than UP and Santa Fe in just about everything. Would be nice to see some of the fallen flags done on the first generation stuff. As far as the Bmann F-7 goes it is a well I'll see. They came out with the split frame mechanism back a number of years ago that just required a notch milled out for a decoder and a new light. They finally managed to get rid of the white plastic gears that were their Achilles heel. Other than the old body that has been around forever the last incarnations are good runners and so were the first except when the white plastic gears finally failed. So the big question is have they upgraded the old shell that is basically 30 years old? Or will it be like the Northern which went through about four different mechanism upgrades but basically kept the same clunky body? From the photos posted on their site it appears that the same old shell is there.
