I would have thought we would have heard from somebody on the floor of the I HOBBY SHOW IN CHICAGO. This used to be the most important hobby trade show of the year. What's Up?
Scroll to bottom - some new builtup structures from Walthers. Looks like recycled Lifelike stuff: http://www.walthers.com/exec/newproducts/cr/201110/Structure
The report @ MR does not list anything we didn't already announce. The Walthers buildings we have had posed for a while.
too bad the Walthers buildings are builts, they have a close copy of a Southern Pacific type 22 station, the top image is the Walthers in the wrong colors. the bottom pic is an American Model Builders laser cut....the town I model had a "right hand" type 22 that burnt down in the 1930's, both models are "left hand" (right/left based on the bay window location). I think Walthers missed the boat with many SP modelers with this choice.
The Walthers buildings are all rehashes of 1970's Life Like kits. They are nothing new, just something that hasn't been seen in a while.
Tony, I know, but the station could be built closer to a real model, especially since the semiphore should have been removed arround 1960
I just don't see the resemblence to get worked up about. Those two stations are nothing like each other except that it has two stories on one end and a freight dock on the other. It is actually a model of a type 17 station.....specifically this one...and a very good copy. http://sptco.tnorr.com/Depots-Common-Standards/depots/Santa-Paula_CA05_CS-No.17.jpg
This show is quite the jaw dropper IMHO. I was fortunate enough to be staying at the hotel next door to the convention center a few years ago when the show was going on. Really cool to see and inspect the manufactures new stuff before it hits the store shelves. I too hope to see some pics of what all went on at the show. Brian
They go back farther than that... at least the store and the station, and probably the water tower and switch tower as well, were marketed by Revell (Revell!) as pre-builts in the 1970s. How long before the Delray Foundry with its "Alaska Adventure" sign gets rebooted by Walthers?
I think the MAIN reason here as to why Walthers and other Mfgs are doing Built-ups is simple. They are trying to cater to the "new" breed of model railroaders. And what I mean by that is so many of the "new" MRRs are wanting RTR items. They dont want to have to spend time putting a kit together, weathering a loco/car, or just simply doing some type of modeling activity that MANY of us "old schoolers" find relaxing. I am in no way an "old schooler" by age means, but I do believe that the model railroaders as us veterans know them are a slowly dying breed. I can forsee in the next 5-10 years where the only way one will be able to get a "kit" will be in a craftsman kit, like N-scale Architect. Maybe I am wrong on my vision, and I hope I am, but I am also sure that others feel the same way. Ryan
Well I guess the old Revell rehash is as good as it gets for this post. I was hoping to hear more about the show and maybe learn about something thing real neat coming up from Kato, Atlas, Bman or IM. I suppose the NMRA's NTS show is where all the real important 2012 release information happened. Thanks for the updates.
^ IHobby is more catered to the R/C Car and Plane crowds nowadays. I don't think major announcements from Model Railroad manufacturers should be expected. Trainfest is becoming the bigger show for those types of announcements. And from what I've heard this Trainfest might be good for that!
I attended about 15 years ago. Great Show. Many train manufacturers. I attended 3 years ago and there were only a few train manufacturers. Lots of RC. MCjaco is right. Trainfest is the place the manufacturers went.
It's not just railroad manufactures that have left the show. Many RC manufactures skipped the show this year also. Cost to attend the show is more than it's value in the market place. Between the unions in Chicago controling and charging for everything associated with setting up and tearing down, hotel costs, and actual fees to be there, nobody can afford it. That is the main reason for the move to Cleveland I believe. Last show, one of the RC battery manufactures designed their display to be completely portable and self sufficient by running off of battery packs. It was a great sales tool and saved them a couple $1000 that they didn't have to pay a union workers to plug in their booth and build their displays. If you are not union, you can't plug in, swing a hammer or move anything heavier than you can carry in the arena. You have to pay somebody to do it for you, adding to the cost of setup and tear down at the show.
The big Kahuna of train shows is in Springfield Mass., in January. Wait 'til then! Or, even better, go in person.
i-Hobby is a waste of time for the railroad modeler. It used to be a good show but the last few years it's all just cheap RC cars and diecast. I don't miss going and doing the show at all. The only big RC airplane companies that go anymore is Hobbico/Great Planes and Horizon/Hangar 9. Years ago, both Flying Models and Railroad Model Craftsman used to go. Honestly, Railroad Model Craftsman does better in a few hours at Springfield that an entire weekend at i-Hobby and Flying Models does better at the Weak Signals Show in Toledo. Go to Trainfest or Springfield MA and see how a real show is done.
When one of the consumer electronics shows was in Chicago, even Mayor Daley had to tell the unions not to kill the goose that lays the golden egg. They wanted to require a vendor to use an electrician plug a device in a wall socket. I agree that Trainfest is the best train show in the Midwest, if not the country.
