I've had a Walthers Proto 2-8-8-2 on order since May 2007. I asked about them at the N-Scale convention and was told to expect a Sept. delivery. Well to make a long story short, it is now forcast for Nov.2008. :tb-mad:
There's probably as much of a guarantee of November as there was September. I might still have to pay for my 2-8-8-2 a the same time as my FP/F45's. Some manufacturers might as well not give release dates. And this is for what is basically just an improved version of an existing engine with a sound decoder added.
I hope you are right, QC issues haven't stopped most manufacturers, even the big, trusted names, releasing engines in recent years. The standard procedure seems to be send out the first run and if too many complain about its faults we'll fix them on the next run. Maybe I'm too much of a pessimist to hope the leopard will change it's spots. I reserved my 2-8-8-2 on April 16, 2007, a few days after they were announced, the same day I reserved my IM ATSF stock cars which are also somewhat past their original Nov/Dec 2007 delivery date. I can't think of any non MRR things I buy that have the delivery dates so regularly pushed back months or even years.
This is precisely why I don't reserve a hobby item. When it comes to locomotives I have one simple rule. Test track it before you buy it. This has saved me uncountable amounts of dollars spent. Both in HO and N scales. This whole idea of reserving a locomotive isn't necessary. Before the count can be made the lot has already been produced. Some hobby shops are just to lazy and don't know their customers well enough to know what to order and what will sell. Not to mention their buying credit may be at it's max and they don't want left overs sitting collecting dust on their shelves. Thus reservations...! Perhaps to simply said. Pardon me for grumbling here. Just thankful my hobby shop knows me and my buying habits. I've never done without...seriously. Sorry about the delay but it wasn't my fault. Later!
If they were already produced when the reservations were taken I don't think we'd be still waiting for them a year and a half later with the arrival date being pushed back a couple of months every time we look at the manufacturers website. I don't think dealers are at fault here. I think the beef is not with reservations themselves, with which I've never had any problems, but some manufacturers seeming to be consistently incapable of meeting their advertised release dates, and their lack of quality control meaning that when our reservations do arrive they are not up to the standards we should expect. The thought just occurred to me, are the manfacturer's Chinese contractors required to pay penalties if their products aren't delivered on time or are not up to specs?
Walthers had obvious problems with the first release of the Walthers 0-8-0. Judging by the delayed arrival date of the 2-8-8-2, I'm more than happy to see them get it "right" on the first release. There are many times problems with a first release steam loco. I have no problem waiting for this 2-8-8-2 to arrive. I have plenty of other steamers to keep me busy.
Rick, this sounds like the modeler's equivalent to PCM's philosophy. But maybe you are right. Maybe we are giving manufacturers of railroad models too much information. Leave them in the dark like we do manufacturers of almost any other commodity. They will either sink or swim based upon their own choices. Do we reserve items from GM, or from Toyota? No, they make their own choices and we either buy or don't buy. Maybe it is time to bring railroad model manufacturers into the real world. Ben
This is one crazy cycle in our scale and hobby. It was just a few months ago that I got a Walthers catalog which offered the Mallet for a ridiculous low price, plus their Berks at under $100, then they sell out, create a new demand and make it appear this is the last production run, and take reservations before they run out, a part of the run is sold, then the rest is made available at sale prices a couple of months later, and the cycle goes on and on. Frankly, I have so much faith in my fellow forum guys I basically wait for the verdict before buying one online or from a hobby shop that won't test before you run. By test driving my new locos, I have virtually trouble free locos which have been purchased in the past couple of years, and yes, I feel badly for those who throng to be the first ones getting them then sometimes get disappointed. ConCor now puts in a statement in their new steam loco boxes that the unit has been test driven, and I am assuming it is probably true, for a multitude of reasons. But we are putting the rush on for new stuff, after delays caused by reasons beyond control, the distributors just ship them out, and see what sticks to the wall, and make corrections on the next production run. And the cycle goes on and on. I congratulate BarstowRick on his philosophy about waiting, as I do. To me, I feel really screwed when I put up a couple of hundred bucks for a loco, then see it on sale in the Walthers catalog or at a swap meet for 99.95. I am willing to wait. Ken "FloridaBoy" willaman
2-8-8-2 OK gang what do I have: PROTO 2000 heritage N&W#2050 usra 2-8-8-2 (life like trains) "N" scale D.C.It runs supper and is quite.Now is this an off shoot of an CON CAR?I also have an 2-8-8-2 that I got off EB thats looks an lot like the new one,It was broken and had no tender I repared it and it runs real good also.I often doubbel head them just to watch them work,KOOL. so what is history on them? I think the one I repared says CON CAR on IT? JIM
BigPine, The two mallets are similar but not identical, as they are made at different eras by different manufacturers. One, the Proto Walthers Lifelike 2-8-8-2 is only a few years old, and is quiet and of modern state of the art. On the other hand, The ConCor model was made years ago by the Italian manufactuer, Rivarossi, which back in the older days made a lot of steam locos for Atlas and ConCor. The Mallet was made right up until Rivarossi folded it doors years before LifeLike made their new Mallet model. Take a close inspection, and you will see they are different in both size, weight, makeup, and proportion, and especially, operation. The ConCor model should be a little more noisy and not as smooth running, which is not due to any particular defect; it is just because they are not as well made and engineered as the Lifelike Heritage units and other steamers of today. I still have a few ConCor Mallets in my fleet and keep them as maintained as I possibly can. I just accept they run a little different, and still have a long time appreciation for them. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
The Lifelike/Wally 2-8-8-2 represents an N&W class Y3 2-8-8-2 (built late teens) circa 1940s-1950s. These were USRA 2-8-8-2s that were modified and improved by N&W over the course of their service life. The Concor/Rivarossi 2-8-8-2 represents the N&W Y6b class 2-8-8-2 built in the late 1940s/early 1950s which both externally and more importantly internally were different from the USRA class from which they descended. For one thing, the Y6 class had about 50% more tractive effort than the Y3. The Y6 class could easily pace at 50 mph, whereas the Y3 probably maxed out at about 30 mph. Outwardly, the Y3 has open lead truck wheels while the Y6 has enclosed, the cab side on the Y6 is angled while the Y3 cab is vertical. Of course, the Y6 tender is much larger. The Y6s had slightly larger driving wheels, etc etc etc. (I own examples of both) Mark
mallett Ok I'am up to date,thanks every one,I set them side by side everyone is right on about them. Thanks again gang!! JIM
