Yes, but . . . Walthers has bought out a number of H0 manufacturers in the past. Off the top of my head, IIRC Ulrich was one example. In pretty much every case, there have been only a couple of items re-released, sometimes nothing. H0 folks were waiting for the re-release of many things that never were run again. So it’s not like Walthers was buying all obsolete tooling. What it does is keep other large active manufacturers from making the same items IMO. Whether that’s the intention or not, that’s what happens. What is more irritating is that Walthers would include many N scale items in early announcements, then cut most of them in the final release announcement. Again, you could interpret this as a marketing ploy to keep others from making a competing product. That dropped product list would make a good “to-do” list for the smaller guys who could just make a variant of the Walthers H0 product. The product idea was under consideration after all. In the end, IMO it looks like the manufacturing arm of Walthers is a smaller part of the operation than we think. And that part does not get a lot of $$$s devoted to it out of the whole pie. Economic times dictate what will come down the pike. But with Walthers, IMO don’t hold your breath for N scale stuff. Go ahead and lobby for what Walthers has already made in H0. But IMO if you want an absolutely new product in N, go and request them from the small N manufacturers. If they could coordinate together (big “if”, it would be more work to coordinate the project), larger industries could be modeled in N with each manufacturer taking a part: structures, RR cars, vehicles, detail parts, etc. Stagger release over a few months time to accommodate pocketbooks (which would also mean getting factories to ship on time). Structures, released separately or in groups, should be generic enough to facilitate bashing. We all apparently seem to like what Walthers did in structures previously. But their Cornerstone N modular stuff was a flop as was the attempt to package them into building kits. So then is the N world going to take a wait-and-see attitude with the next Walthers structure(s) and thereby convince the bean counters that making N scale buildings is a bad idea?
One could change the saying from calgon take me away to say someone else take ethanol kit building away... and produce it instead of just hanging there and maybe someday producing it...:tb-confused:
Sorry to keep beating on Walthers but here is the next stick to stir the pot. http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/up_cities The name trains keep coming.....in HO.
And in N scale, we've got Kato turning out a name train every year. I think I'd rather have Kato doing this than Walthers, if I have to choose just one. I saw another thread on another forum once asking why Kato ignores HO so much. :tb-biggrin:
SteamGhost, Just a word of appreciation, for picking up and following-up on my train of thought. Good points of discussion. Judging on previous Walthers performance, I've always felt that once the stock ran out that would be the last we'd see of the Cornerstone buildings. What annoys me is that Walthers, once carried everything that was available on the market including Athearn as well as other product lines. Today, Athearn is visibly absent from said catalogs, as are the other brand names. Not that it really matters to me. Just another point of anguish...sort of...ok, expression of anger toward them. I don't appreciate Walthers, inadvertently controlling the market by buying up mom and pop's as well a small companies, just to close them down. I don't know if others have noticed but foreign companies are coming in, buying up American manufacturing plants, just to close them down. A glass plant in Victorville, CA. was purchased by a foreign company and is now sitting dormant...ghost town...closed. Tony H, There you go stirring the pot. LOL There's no reason why Walthers, or any other manufacturer of model railroad goods, can't produce an HO and N scale version of the same thing. If monies are properly allocated. There is a flip side to this. Take note of what's been happening in the world of Kato products. Has anyone noticed how they favor us N scale types? We are getting all kinds of offerings from Kato (N Scale) while nothing is being produced for the HO Scalies...grin! Just thought I'd throw that revelation in there for a warm and fuzzy moment. Did it feel as good to you as it did to...oh gosh...someone is going to read way to much into this statement. mad: Have fun!
After e-mailing Walthers about structures I received a nice reply-a form letter type-but,still nice... I wonder how we could contact Phil? Maybe he would listen
I just had a thought...Hey I can think! Grin. I want to be very careful expressing this idea. Naw. If, a big IF, it appears Walthers has a moratorium on N scale, is there any reason why we can't boycott? I think you can pick it up from there. Just a question and I'm not suggesting we should...but a threat, might be the door knocker to get their attention. If you get my drift. Over the years I've had nothing but respect for the folks at Walthers. However, I fear they've gotten in over their heads and are to diversified, to do justice to the product lines they own. Just a thought.
Well, seeing as how the new run of 2-8-8-2's is now arriving, I'd find it hard to accuse Walthers of a "moratorium" on N scale. I'd characterize it as a "lack of progress." But I hesitate to accuse any business in this economic climate of being too conservative; I'd rather Walthers "run away and live to fight another day" than go down the tubes because of poor financial decisions. I'll give them a year or two for things to turn around in the economy as a whole, and then see . . . John C.
If it weren’t for Walthers I’d have a big empty layout. Just check out all my postings on the other Walthers post here. What gets me is the disconnect that seems to exist between Walthers and the hobby shop owners and e-tailers that sell their products. Having visited a lot of shops in several states as well as having spoken to many dealers e-tailers at various shows, the consensus I’ve arrived at is that these shop owners stock and sell very few of those big HO kits Walthers produces while simultaneously receiving a constant tirade from their N-Scale customers asking when the N-Versions are going to show up.
I'm sure that Walthers would love to still have Athearn and others in their range, but since they are owned by Walthers direct distribution competitor, Horizon, that seems unlikely . . . David
Well Kato has done some of the UP cars in the past now if they could do the missing cars, we could have little yellow Streamliners running all over the place!
I am all for that. I would also love to see Kato make a Hiawatha. I won't even demand that it be the Olympian Hiawatha. Although, seeing as how I am currently making my OWN Hiawatha maybe they should wait a couple years so that I have at least a little time where I have something unique.
The Walthers production model as they are doing with the UP cars is how I'd like to see Kato do passenger trains, do the cars separately and let you buy the ones to make up the train you want. At least N scale has Kato though. On the subject of Walthers making new models, how many of the Life Like locos that have come out under the Walthers name would have actually been started under Life Like ownership and Walthers have just thought, "Oh well, we might as well finish these".
Well, I'll give Walthers credit for upgrading the 2-8-8-2 with traction tires and a fabulous sound/DCC option, which we probably wouldn't have gotten under LifeLike. And there is no better turntable out there for N scale than the Walthers built-up. So they haven't been completely asleep at the switch; just maybe overly careful - for example, I'll say this again: why on earth would they not produce the steel cars (slags, torpedos, etc.) in N to go along with the steel mill buildings AND knowing that there is literally NO ONE ELSE making these? Seems odd to me, but I don't own a hobby business; I just buy the stuff. John C.
