Is Walthers ignoring N scale?

While paging through the latest issue of Model Railroader I noticed that practically every other page has an add from Walthers announcing new HO scale products. Now someone correct me if I'm wrong but I haven't noticed much new for N scale from the big W since the Superior Paper Company and the Lumber Yard. What's up? No new rolling stock, no new buildings. What will the big W fill their new N scale catalog with? Probably pictures and listings of products from other companies from which they can't fill orders. Same-old, same-old.

 

The big "W" seems to be missing the big "N".

 

Back in the day (Oh, five years ago.) when Walthers released a new HO scale kit, you knew the N scale version was only a few months away. Then Walthers got lazy, and cut back on how many HO kits became N scale kits. Now, we're lucky to get a half-dozen new Walthers products a year! What's happened in Milwaukee? There are many HO products I'd buy if they were made in N scale. Oh well, I guess Walthers can choose which portion of the market to ignore....

 

Guys,
I have noticed this trend as well, I think we need to do an email blitz to Walthers voicing our displeasure with their 'hit and miss' N Scale releases. I was particularly p/o'd when they blew off the N Scalers with the Jordan spreader, not to mention a volume of other items! They could have done that GP15 in N Scale as well, guess that's why I haven't bought much from them lately, still a little ticked!

2slim

 

Guys,

As 2slim says, the best thing to to is
voice your opinion to Walthers. The more
they here from the N scale world the
better. Maybe someone with some power will
WAKE UP!

 

i agree----theyre buildings are over priced--theyre freight cars are a joke and their catalog for nscale is a after thought---so whats new ?

 

Walthers in my opinion has neglected N. They seem to have it backwards - in N we have the luxury of more real estate than HO to model more convincing big industrial and city scenes that just can't be done in HO without a warehouse to put it in.

Take for instance the Auto series in HO - it would be of great value to me since my theme is 1960-1970 SE Michigan and would be able to use the auto plants and office if they were availble in N.

Yet writing to Walters (email) the only reply was "no plans to do in N at this time".

 

I have stopped buying the Walthers Nscale catalog about 2 years ago and refuse to buy it anymore. They ship me quarterly sales info from there warehouse the last flyer had about 2 pages of "N" scale and 30 pages of "HO".I think "O" scale had more items in it. Looking at the new releases "O" scales seems to have more than us with there prebuilt models being release all the time .Lets not forget all the kits they have but refuse to do another run of.I guess we should be happy they are doing the Steel Mill finally in our scale.It seems in the last year some big companies are turning there backs on us and I say we hit them were it hurts, the wallet.Walthers has to be one of the most unresponsive companies to email so all who write in I wish you luck.Many have tried in the past with no results from them.

 

You guys have a very good point-why support a manufacturer who has decided to neglect the n scale sector of our great hobby? We all work hard for the money we spend on rolling stock, buildings,etc. so lets get behind the people who go out on limb to bring us new equipment. Thats my plan-Walthers can take its overpriced junk and.........

 

What! You guys don't like waiting 6 weeks to two months for something you've ordered from Walthers?Walthers's doesn't give a rat"s tooter about us in Nscale.

 

How many of you guys find Walthers' quality to be as close to the KATO quality? I have never purchased anything from Walthers b/c I get the impression that they catter the HO crowd and I find very little N scale related items. The items they have for N scale look too cheap to me.

Just my opinion fellas, but you can try to convince me if you think I am wrong about Walthers

Rob

 

Guys, from a dealers view we could not care less if Walthers (or "Walley World" as the dealers call it) produces another piece of N-Scale or not. Their rolling stock is mostly very low quality and sells poorly. Perhaps the only exception to this is their Thrall Well Cars & Containers. The packaging on their rolling stock models is also ridiculously HUGE and is such a waste for a dealer like us where warehouse space is at a premium. We stopped stocking the Walthers buildings years ago. Most of them are designed and molded by Heljan of Denmark who in our humble opinion produces the most ill-fitting kits of all time. One of our customers once joked that "Walley World" should include a couple of asprin in the box with each kit.

[ 08 October 2001: Message edited by: swissrhb ]</p>

 

Are you sure he/she was joking?

 

Based on the responses to this thread it would look as if many don't care that Walthers has turned its back on N scale. I guess I would like to see them continue to produce N scale stuff. Their buildings while not the greatest are North American style. The rolling stock I agree runs like crap. This is due to the poor trucks. Of course this can be fixed with a set of micro train trucks. the pricing is high but not overly out of line with the MSRP of most manufacturers. So come on Walthers I for one want to see more North American modern day stuff for my N scale pike.

 

I don't understand this thread. You don't like Walthers N scale products, yet you want them to produce more? Is that so you can refuse to buy them?

It would appear from the perspective of an HO scale modeler that N is better than it has ever been. I just got the September MR (slow mail to Australia ya know) and every single new product review was N scale.

That sounds like a good deal to me.

 

While most of us agree that Walthers as a supplier is so poor that it's hard to discuss them without our blood pressure spiking. I for one don't want them to stop making (or contracting) new products. Yes the rolling stock should be sold without the trucks/couplers as they are the first thing to hit the trash can (just before the huge package), they still have some cars that aren't available from any place else. As for the buildings, they are one of a few who do produce north american structures, and yes the tolerances on the peices in the kits could be better. Yet I for one enjoy detailing the cars and improving the buildings. I just want MORE STUFF! You can go to any Ntrak, public or private display of N scale and go around and pick out the same few structures that are available from Walthers and Design Preservations, with a few from Bachman and Life Like. It seems that our towns are different yet all alike with the same buildings. This is why Walthers and other producers should not ignore N scale. There are a lot of us out there hungry for new and different products. If Walthers is too ignorant to realize this, then it is their loss. I just hope that there are other entrepreneurs out there like DPM who recognize the potential success in producing new and different products.

 

Here are some pictures that I took of a Walthers' UP bay window cabooses that I have improved to my satisfaction. Yes, the original left much to do (and some will argue that I didn't do enough), but without too much effort I got something that other manufacturers have not produced.






[ 09 October 2001: Message edited by: upguy ]</p>

 

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by HERMANzGERMAN:
It seems that our towns are different yet all alike with the same buildings. <hr></blockquote>

Sound's like the America I grew up in - sure there are variations in individual buildings (and can be duplicated with a bit of kitbashing) but the basic look and feel of most US main streets and industrial areas are all about the same... The Cornerstone Series of kits does a good job with that look and feel.

 

The Cornerstone series are half descent kits and have been for 10+ years yet how many new ones have they released vs ones they have pulled off their line. Check out their HO line I think they just released about 6 new kits yet Nscale only got one.As said before in this and other forums what about the large building kits like the autoplants which fit well with Nscale and have been requested with no results.I agree we should vote with our wallet. Not knowing about others I cannot prop a company that gives bad service and has been told that but ignores 1/3 of the market.Its bad business and its bad for our hobby.