Walther's 2003 N/Z catalog is out. If you have $20 or so to throw away, get yourself one. It makes great bathroom reading. The pages are almost thin enough to use for....Oh nevermind!
I confess, I enjoy the catalogues, and in my opinion the Walther's catalogue is one of those great milestone's in the North American modeling scene. How many have flipped through the pages, planning their layouts around the "goods" that can be bought there.
I enjoy browsing their pages. Especially the layout photos. My copies get well worn from use! Boxcab E50
GUILTY! Hee hee... sooo many times I have done that, even tho only three of the layouts got anywhere beyond paper. But it's a fun source of ideas. I don't buy every copy tho, can't afford it.
As someone who does almost all my purchases from mail order, it's nice to have the catalog to see what's available from who, and a guestimate on the full retail cost. I realize that the Walther's web site has a more up to date catalog, but that assumes being able to spend time on the computer browsing and searching for items. Sometimes, I just page through my catalog, looking and thinking, coming up with ideas. Yet, there are many N-scale companies who aren't listed in the Walther's catalog. Jeff
i usually get the "n scale bible", it helps when you goto the hobby shop and have your order already to go with the walthers numbers for them. the lhs seems to appreciate it it saves them from flipping through looking for it and especially with christmas coming up the lhs i used is usually busy as heck. it is also a good hint for the wife for gift wishes, kinda like a kid with the old sears and jc penney wish books!
I have always had a problem with these catalogs from model rr companies. Any other industry- They send me catalogs for free trying to get me to buy from them. The model companies want me to spend my money just to see what they can sell me. Something just seems really wrong with that.
Just in case you're wondering what's new in the Walthers N Scale Reference Guide..... I found two items.... Walthers is doing the Steel Water Tank with two water columns and an oiling column as the second release in their built-up series. Also, ConCor is doing a PRR (high visorless headlight with centered keystone number plate) and generic (centered Sunbeam visored headlight with high front mount bell) boiler front for the GS4 Daylight. Whew!!! for a while there I thought the earth was going to spin off its axis, but now that we are back on the fantasy track all is as it was in the world. Charlie
I could not agree more!!</font>[/QUOTE]A very good point, but the companies that send us free catalogues probably have a lot bigger advertising budget than Walthers. If you belong to a club, the club should buy a new one each year and make a library of them for reference. If you have modeling buddies, then each year each buddy takes a turn buying the new catalogue and it can be passed around the group. I think of the The Walthers cat. as not unlike the Eatons and Sears cat of days gone by, sort of a Christmas wish book. It is also a good way to check the prices at the local Hobby store, the discount shops on the web and the prices being charged on ebay for old or new stuff. I would never throw one of these catalogues away. I find it to be a handy and enthusiasm building reference and it lasts a lot longer than a $12 bottle of wine. $28 in Canada.
