Walthers new products--why lack of N scale?

txronharris Aug 10, 2009

  1. txronharris

    txronharris TrainBoard Member

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    So I was ordering some building and things from Walthers direct today and I asked the question why the new cornerstone releases are all HO and no N scale. I was told they don't get the interest in N like HO so sinceit's the most popular, thats why they do it. OK that's a given, but she said that if we as N scalers let them know we want in on the action by contacting the new products division, we may as a collective voice be heard.

    Take a look at this:

    RichPresentation

    The ehanol plant with all the fixin's would be one cool thing to have on a N scale layout.

    And I think they did a grain elevator series in HO as well that would have been sweet in N scale.

    And even though I don't model steel mills, the steel mill compex in N scale would be about the coolest thing ever.

    So how about it? I'm not talking about a "c'mon treat us better letter barrage", just drop them a line and say hey we're out here and we'd probally buy this type stuff if it was offered in N scale.

    I'll even give you the link to send them an email:

    newproducts@walthers.com

    Can't hurt, right?
     
  2. pga7602

    pga7602 TrainBoard Member

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    I got the same talk at my Local Train Store. They told me they don't carry a lot of N scale stuff, because there is not a demand for it. What I don't get is why this message board have 3 times the amount of views and replies as the HO Message board....... Am I missing something?

    Either "A" N scalers are using the internet more, or "B" the notion that HO is more popular than N scale is no long valid?
     
  3. CSXDixieLine

    CSXDixieLine Passed Away January 27, 2013 In Memoriam

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    There are plenty of other high quality manufacturers and vendors happy to have the market share that Walthers is not interested in. Jamie
     
  4. ibag1956

    ibag1956 New Member

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    Maybe N scalers do more postings and reading the forums while HO'ers do more modeling. Just a thought.
     
  5. Nick Lorusso

    Nick Lorusso TrainBoard Member

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    I personaly would like to have that the ehanol plant with all the fixin's. I think it would make a killer scene on a layout.
     
  6. swissboy

    swissboy TrainBoard Member

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    Maybe N scalers concentrate on THIS forum, whereas HO scalers concentrate on other(s)?
     
  7. Traindork

    Traindork TrainBoard Member

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    Totally with you on that ethanol plant. I'm going to send them an email.
     
  8. termite

    termite TrainBoard Member

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    Swissboy, I see just as much activity by N-scalers on other forums, so that can't be it. I just sent them an e-mail adding my voice to those asking for more of their HO stuff to be produced in N-scale. I don't know if it will help, but it's worth a shot. Alan
     
  9. steamghost

    steamghost TrainBoard Member

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    DO lobby Walthers directly for what you'd like to see done.

    Note that their philosophy has been nearly always H0 first. Their stated policy has been "if there is enough demand in H0" (whatever that needs to be) then N production will follow. But what N scalers want is now often different from what H0 folks want, that has become clear.

    The policy was true for the turntable and roundhouse. I was surprised to see them in N. If you think you need a lot of real estate for those in N, just think how much room H0 modelers need. Yet, Walthers must have sold a bunch in H0. Or enough. So there's clearly a price point involved also.
     
  10. BCR 570

    BCR 570 TrainBoard Member

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    I have e-mailed them twice requesting the modern grain series in N Scale. I could really use components from that.

    I don't need it, but I think that the ethanol series would be good for N Scale.

    I do have the Farmers Cooperative Grain Elevator and Warehouse - thank God they did that in N Scale.


    Tim
     
  11. Westfalen

    Westfalen TrainBoard Member

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    Do HO scalers have to go begging to Walthers to get things made? Walthers are the last of the old timers that haven't realised N scale is a real scale, look how long it took Athearn to see the light.
     
  12. wig-wag-trains.com

    wig-wag-trains.com Advertiser

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    When I completed the survey recently I noted and commented to them that they were proposing several pieces (3 or 4) of rolling stock that already had basicaly identical models already in the market. I suggested that they look for things not already done.

    I wonder who is doing the R&D work as to what is being produced and more importantly what is missing? They already have several models that need a reasonable dusting off and if marketed correctly would sell in profitable numbers.

    The 4427cuft hopper for one. I know customers that are looking to put their hands and more importantly CCs around 2-300 yes hundred of them in one road name alone.

    Every one of the N buildings could be taken out of retirement and re-run.

    What they don't seem to get is the need to produce to order. Then they don't have to dump them when the bean counters and bankers say they are dated. They can always be re-run again in 12-24 months.
     
  13. jdcolombo

    jdcolombo TrainBoard Member

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    Amen to this. I've written them at least a half-dozen times about steel mill cars (e.g., the slag cars, torpedo cars, etc.) for N scale. They do these for HO, and there is literally ZERO competition in N (well, actually there's a guy that makes them for a hobby shop in Indiana, but no commercial competition). You'd think this would be a complete no-brainer, particularly given what I understand was general success of their N-scale steel mill structures. But instead they produce the SOS (same old stuff, or one could interpret the last word more crudely).

    Maybe I just have no real conception of the N scale market. To me as a modeler, admittedly of the transition era (which I realize is giving way in popularity to the modern era), Atlas is crazy for not producing an Alco S2/S4 switcher in N, given that Alco sold thousands of them to virtually every railroad in existence and they've already done it in HO and therefore have all the research done, and Walthers is nuts for not producing the steel mill cars to accompany the steel mill BUILDINGS that they are trying to sell (oh, and how about the FM H10/H12-44's while we're at it - another model than NO ONE produces in N scale).

    Sheesh.

    John C.
     
  14. alhoop

    alhoop TrainBoard Supporter

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    My experience in selling at train shows in the Southeast for the past 6 years has been that about 70% of the attendees are interested in HO, 20% in N-Scale and 10% in other scales.
    If I were a manufacturer I would go where the money is - either HO for mass production or large scale for big profits per item produced.

    I model in N-Scale and sell N-Scale items only.
     
  15. DrGeologist

    DrGeologist TrainBoard Member

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    I actually found a N scale Minitrix Torpedo hot metal car in a hobby shop. (I've seen this online on a few people's layout and they are beautiful.) Anyways, as you probably know, they are disconituned. Guess how much they were asking for it...

    ...$400USD. And no, they wouldn't put it on lay-by (away) for me. Grrr!

    -Dr.J
     
  16. k-59

    k-59 TrainBoard Member

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    I can't see Walthers making new stuff when they aren't even rerunning good models they all have the tooling for. GP18/20, BL2, PA1, FA1, GP60, Eire-builds and more, sure they would need to update them to be DCC ready and come with somekind of non rapido couplers. But over all good models a lot of people would buy.
     
  17. DrGeologist

    DrGeologist TrainBoard Member

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    While you guys are emailing Walthers, please, please, please get them to do a N scale Hulett Unloader.

    As a N scale steel mill modeller, it breaks my heart everytime I see their beautiful HO kit advertised on the Walthers home page.

    -Dr.J
     
  18. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    Whenever we have a "Walthers hates N scale" thread, I must comment that if not for them, we would have NO US industries on our layouts. When I started in N, most of what we had was Euro stuff. Euro companies and Kato have an N culture because of the space requirements of their customers. Walthers started with an HO culture decades ago and is slow to change, but STILL made our lives easier by a long shot in N.

    TXRon,

    You must know that Walthers did do the steel mill and all the kits associated with it in N. They reran it once. If you need one, you can come see my layout and also buy mine from me (I decided I couldn't use it)

    As to the Hullet, like the steel mill, I bet that the HO model is really closer to N scale. I wonder if in these tough times, Walthers could find some way of simply providing different hand rails and details for the few N scalers who would want to build this on. Is the old Heljan bi-scale mentality due for a comeback?

    I think they would make a killing on a variation on modulars, and by releasing most of their kits as flats, as they have done with Geo Roberts and a few others. And, given the N scale propensity for unit trains, the HO power plant (although I actually used the HO ersion on my layout covering a few doors, etc) and modern grain series would sell well.

    The cement plant would be on my list as well - I found a Faller aggregates kit and put it on my layout, but I vastly prefer Walthers structures.

    As noted, I think their Cyro cars and ballast hoppers would sell well again. I agree with George that there is plenty of rolling stock models that need to be done and they could go in as a niche mfg, rather than repaint their old box cars which weren't that great anyway.

    I love Walthers for the structures they have done in N. Hard to find fault, IHMO, unless we think they should lose money on stuff on the chance that five of us want it. That they are trying to do some market research in N can only be a good thing. I know some of their rolling stock didn't sell well, because they went low end when the market demanded higher quality at a higher price. The LL stuff they inherited never sold as well as Atlas and Kato engines.

    it sounds to me like they are just trying to avoid mistakes when they get more into the N market, so that we don't have to pay for their mistakes. Its not like the structure market is the biggest part of N - I think we are more collectors and N trak runners as a whole. Its also not like the prices of structures aren't already high enough, with tooling costs spread out over perhaps a 1000 structure sales.

    OT, but I am dissapointed to hear that one informal survey still puts HO at 70% and N at 20%. I know at one time it was only 16% according to an MR survey, but I had the impression, or at least hoped, that we might be closer to 25%, with HO dropping to 65%. If we trend like HO did to O, we should be gaining more ground than that!
     
  19. MRL

    MRL TrainBoard Member

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    I lobbied for the ethanol plant and other recent HO releases as well as backshop kit, it is great for a locomotive shop!!!
     
  20. Rossford Yard

    Rossford Yard TrainBoard Member

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    I sent my email, too. No sense telling you guys! I hope it helps them./
     

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