Guess I'm not going to buy any more Scaletrains

greatdrivermiles Aug 14, 2018

  1. greatdrivermiles

    greatdrivermiles TrainBoard Member

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    Wow, Ain't this a poke in the eye. Asked scaletrains if they were going to do an N release of their tunnel motors. This was their response. "ScaleTrains.com John Lowry: to date, N scale has not been profitable for us. If we were to offer a unique super-detailed locomotive like the SD40T-2, would you be willing to pay $25 to $50 more than the HO scale model? Shane"
     
  2. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Ran into that my self in Ho asked if they would release the early grill sd40-2 was told that's a river counter model only.

    Along with the sd40t-2's being rivet counter only also.

    Just cancelled my order for 2 sd40-2's

    They have good products but seem to be catering to the wallets now. JMO.
     
  3. Inkaneer

    Inkaneer TrainBoard Member

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    Well its a business and that is what businesses do.
     
    SecretWeapon likes this.
  4. jpwisc

    jpwisc TrainBoard Member

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    After the low sales of the Carbon Black cars I can understand their frustration. The SD40T-2 market was saturated by IM, it would be a risky move for them.

    I love their products. I have bought some of their ET44s and I have a good bunch of hoppers on pre-order from them. As long as they keep turning out N Scale products that are at the level they are, I’ll keep buying. I’m not going to hold a grudge for the products they don’t release.
     
    JMaurer1 and Mark Watson like this.
  5. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    I know inkaneer i know just a shame they want you to pre-order then you find out it's more than you can afford.

    Guess i'll sell or trade off my ho for older n scale.
     
  6. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Only reason I cancelled my -2 order i can get more in n scale for what they want for one -2 anymore.

    Grudge no just be real limited in what I buy from them.
     
  7. Mr. Trainiac

    Mr. Trainiac TrainBoard Member

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    That is a shame. As an HOer, I am ultimately unaffected, but I guess if they can’t get prices lower because people aren’t buying them, there is nothing to do. The Carbon Black was definitely a strange choice of car. I think they kind of shot themselves in the foot with that one. It is such an obscure car, I am not very surprised it didn’t sell. They look like great models, but I don’t think they were much in demand.
     
  8. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    I met the Scale Trains reps last year at the Orlando NMRA NTS/Convention. I had asked about them doing the 'veranda' version of the GTEL, and pretty much got the same response about not having enough support for their N scale products. They were concerned about their N scale 'carbon blacks' hoppers which they were displaying... and the lack of pre-orders. I was disappointed with the comment... but... they need to be profitable to succeed.

    I felt that one of the problems a company like Scale Trains has is they are at the upper end of the modelers market and there are other less expensive and almost as detailed products. They made a great model in the 8500 HP GTEL... some may say otherwise... but it is the only one currently on the market. Scale Trains could have come back with a 'Rivet Counters' Fairbanks Morse Erie Built and found a significant number of buyers at their premium price point because Walthers had not followed up with other releases of the LifeLike Erie Built. Instead they went with a modern locomotive GE Tier 4 GEVO which is close to other models being made (Kato, Fox Valley & Broadway Limited) at a lower price point than Scale Trains (of course... they are not 'rivet counters').

    In N Scale... Scale Trains needs to create a new model not offered by others... in order to get the necessary sales to justify the tooling. It is getting very difficult now to do this because there are other premium quality N scale manufacturers ahead of them (think Broadway Limited). I know there are many N scalers that would welcome more Scale Trains 'rivet counter' models... but... they need to be models not presently available by other manufacturers. I feel they could win over N scalers with new locomotives versus new rolling stock. Even Broadway Limited has found that their high priced rolling stock is not as well received as their locomotives... and they are competing head on in the EMD E and F units and the Alco PA units which is a tough 'row-to-hoe' against Kato and Intermountain Railway.

    I wish Scale Trains the best... the story of 'their creation' was very interesting considering all they had going against them.
     
    JMaurer1 likes this.
  9. JBrown

    JBrown TrainBoard Member

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    Why doesn't anyone what to make Baldwin engines?
     
  10. Traindork

    Traindork TrainBoard Member

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    Wow, sorry to hear they're having trouble making money In N scale. I've got one of their turbines, 4 of the Gevos, 4 carbon black cars, about 50 of the 53' containers, and 24 covered hoppers on order that are due next month. In other words, I really like their products. I saw their tunnel motor in HO and I was really hoping they'd be headed to N. I'd buy a bunch of them. N scale would be much poorer without Scaletrains.
     
  11. Frisco Branch Line

    Frisco Branch Line New Member

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    Unfortunately, the vast majority of the HO scale Baldwins are already tooled by Bowser. They don't do N scale locomotives. It's unlikely that there's enough Baldwin market in HO to support two manufacturers making the same models. So Athearn, Atlas, Intermountain, ScaleTrains, etc, would be challenged to spread the R&D costs over multiple scales. So until someone is convinced that N scale Baldwins would cover the R&D and tooling, it won't be happening.
     
    Ghengis Kong likes this.
  12. Frisco Branch Line

    Frisco Branch Line New Member

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    ScaleTrains has always been upfront about their pricing and delivery schedule. They don't ask for pre-orders on models they haven't tooled and don't have a price. They make a lot of nice models. A lot of them cost a lot more than I choose to afford. I'm ok with that. I'm glad there's people with more money than I have in this hobby. They make a lot of great products possible.
     
  13. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Strange I pre ordered 2 40-2's at 74.95 non sound/dcc but got my confirmation for unit's with sound and dcc twice what I can afford.

    Contacted them and was told that's what I ordered which is not what I ordered.

    I log every pre-order in a special pre-order book I have so I know exactly what I have coming.

    I questioned about this they said I ordered sound unit's .

    Though I've had sound in the past it gets very annoying after while so I don't do sound anymore.

    Dcc yes sound no so that's the main reason I cancelled my order.

    I just don't do sound anymore at least for a long time but not anytime soon
     
    mtntrainman likes this.
  14. Calzephyr

    Calzephyr TrainBoard Supporter

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    It would seem that Scale Trains would not even offer non-sound units at the lower price ranges since the models would have to be uniformly tooled to accept DCC/Sound... at least in N scale.

    BTW... I would 'second' a choice to make more Baldwin road switchers in N scale.
     
  15. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    Baldwin's yes yes yes .
     
  16. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    You guys can't expect a company, trying to make profits to stay in business, to basically say, "OK, we'll lose thousands if we make that model but, we'll do it just for you.

    Doug
     
  17. VinceP

    VinceP TrainBoard Member

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    No at least I understand but they should look at doing something that everyone else isn't doing.

    Yes I understand it takes money.

    For owner of my own tractor/trailer before getting run off the road by a person under the influence.

    Ending upside down and a business I can't return to.

    Yes it takes $ to make $

    My truck was $108,000 trailer $67,000.

    The model molds depending on what they are $15,000- on up.

    Point is they need to start looking at not pricing themselves out of a market.

    I think i'll crawl back into my prairie dog hole now
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 15, 2018
    SecretWeapon likes this.
  18. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I agree with doing locos as yet not done. Follow Atlas as in the early years - E8, FM C-Liner, RSC-2, WDT...

    Doug
     
  19. YoHo

    YoHo TrainBoard Supporter

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    The Tunnel motors look pretty and $170 For a rivet counter without sound ain't bad, but I agree it doesn't quite make sense why we need 3 vendors with that model. Of course I'M is really dragging to get the HO version out and scaletrains skunked am. So there is that.

    Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk
     
  20. Dave McDonald

    Dave McDonald TrainBoard Member

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    I purchased one of their Turbines and love it. I got the non-sound version. I was very happy to pay $350 for this model because it is one third the price of an Overland Models brass set and it looks better & runs better than the OMI version. I have been tempted to buy one of their BNSF GEVOs but don't model that new of an era. The Turbines must have sold well; there isn't one to be found anywhere. They sold well enough that ScaleTrains announced a second run last January at the Springfield MA train show. It does seem like the GEVOs are lingering though. I think $125 for the GEVO is a very good price considering the detail they have.
     

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