Manufacturers Breakfast

[ljudice]

Wow - what a pile of surprises at the Manufacturer's Breakfast this morning. For those of you who didn't hear - this is a summary:

- Kato will release a series of models allowing you to duplicate every train entering or leaving Grand Central Station on April 17th, 1962 between 3:30pm and 4:17pm. The trains include digital sound - including conductors announcing station stops and the furious complaints of angry commuters! Included will be a new third rail vesion of Unitrack. Kato engineers have taken measurements of the Spuytan Duyvil Drawbridge, but no further information on that tidbit of news. Kato is also doing a PA1 with integrated sound and mars lights in SP.  Modern modellers REJOICE!!! Kato will be doing three versions of MagLEV trains in late 2009!!!! Also a coalporter rerun on the horizon with new roadnumbers all the way around.

- PCM announced that their PRR steam program has progressed to the point where they will be able to deliver digitally controlled LIVE STEAM models. This was explained as a major breakthrough, since it allows their engineers to jetison the troubled digital sound system. The current development platform uses heaps of asbestos though, and this is not currently approved under EPA regulations. Some minor delays are anticipated. Modern modellers should be happy with their forthcoming PA-1 with diesel fumes - and get this... Coalporters in Antracite Road heritage schemes!!!

- Athearn announced PA-1's with sound - first roads will be SP and PRR.  Very strong possibility of a new release of their billboards coming in late 2008. 2009 should bring - guess what??? More coalporters!

- Atlas of course announced their long awaited coalporters. Strong hints that 2008/2009 should see a number of models that will be of interest to Ingersoll Shipbuilding fans.

- MiniTrix announced it's return to the US market - this time with a newly tooled all-Digital Alco PA-1 and gorgeously tooled Coalporters.

- MicroTrains - announced it's 109th and 111th body style:  50' double door boxcar with superior doors and no roofwalk and 50' double door boxcar with superior doors and a roofwalk. There will be NO 110th body style (had been strongly rumored to be a coalporter). Look for an Easter Bunny trainset and all new runner packs of scale test cars.

That's all folks!!! What a show!!!

[wm3798]

They must have been serving Corn Flakes and piss...

I'm not sure if there's any grains of truth in your post, but it sounds like whatever was announced wasn't your cup of tea.

I dare say the hobby manufacturers, like every other segment of the economy, are being cautious for the next little while.  If people aren't buying washing machines and refrigerators, they sure as hell aren't worried about what the next N scale diesel release will be.

I think we've had it really good for quite a while, and if the current trend is to hold off on the next Big Project, that's probably not a bad thing in the long run.

Lee

[Mark5]

You missed MRC's re-entry into N scale with an all Aluminum Alco PA-1 with fumes.

[bicknell]

It's not clear to me that any manufacturer announced anything that had not been already announced at the breakfast.

That's sort of sad.  The whole way to attract people is to have 4-5 "surprises".

[ljudice]

Just kidding!  ;D

[3rdrail]

Lou missed by a country mile. I posted some information on the Convention thread. No, there were no earthshaking announcements. Walthers did say they have a lot of N scoming, but would not divulge what it is, as the "boss" has not decided in what order stuff will be manufactured. There will be a lot less announcing in the future, as all the manufacturers are tired of being pilloried for "delays". For example, y'all know how flooding had messed transport up in the US. The flooding in China had been far worse. There is product trapped everywhere from inland China to the docks on the West Coast.

[ljudice]

Well a "FLOOD" of new products doesn't seem to be much of a threat to us, for sure!!!

Thanks Gregg, again for the update...

[brokemoto]

You forgot:

Kato will be offering:
1) every passenger train that ATSF ever ran or thought of running in every paint scheme used or proposed.
2)  BNSF phantasy scheme PAs
3) a shrouded USRA heavy mikado painted to resemble the Blue Goose
4) NW-2s with every slogan that Tio Pedrito ever used

Athearn will be offering:
1) an SD-90 with three speeds: not-at-all, one-hundred-fifty SMPH and Warp Six
2)  ATSF 4-4-6-2s and double boilered 2-6-6-2s
3)  Three-packs of ribbon-rail-gondolas, complete with rail loads, that operate only on twenty-four inch, or wider. radius curves.

Atlas will offer:
1) Red Riding Hood's Grandma's House complete with appropriate figures.  In a joint project with MT, boxcars illustrating the story will be available
2)  SD-24s in Grophusroggins, Scrogginzitley & Nerginville as well as Dewey, Cheatem and Howe Leasing and Goetoohal and Rott paint schemes
3) A new old line of products called REAL CLASSICS.  The first offering in this line, scheduled to be released in July will be the FM B/A-1-A passenger locomotive complete with Rivarossi Can Motor built to the original specifications.  If this locomotive pulls more than one car, makes a lap around the track without stalling or lasts for more than two hours of running time, Atlas will , at its option, refund your money or make appropriate repairs to ensure that it will not operate much longer.  Atlas also introduced a new hire for its Service Department, Mr. T. Bird, who brings with him his oversized hammer.

PCM will offer:
1) a new teakettle complete with a device to capture and package the vapour that escapes as the kettle boils.  This will allow anyone to set up his own PCM manufacturing facility.

Walthers will offer:
1)  In order to address the problems with the connector in the 0-8-0, all
0-8-0s will be shipped with pre-broken connectors.  This will, of course, necessitate a price increase.
2)  A new marking system for the catalogues whereby all items will be designated as having a 'sale price' regardless of the relationship of that price to MSRP.  This will, also, of course, necessitate a price increase.
3)  New to model railroading, Walthers will start issuing a Loyalty Card, called the Phillybillykay Card.  Holders of the card will be entitled to purchase items at full list price. If you do not have a PBK Card, you will pay a jacked up price.  The costs of designing, ordering, printing, advertising and mailing this loyalty card will, or course, necessitate a price increase.

C-C will offer:
1) Zephyr in PRR and D&H as well as GM&O and Southern
2) AeroTrain in VIARail and CN as well as Houston East and West Texas.
3) M-1000 in NdeM and NYCS lightning stripes.  The latter will be available in black, grey and Pacemaker Green colors, with the Pacemaker Green sublettered for the P&LE.

Woodland Scenics will offer:
1) a complete scenic kit for your NOTRAK module.  This kit includes trees, vegetation and dirt paths as well as hikers, bikers and a bum or two.  Also included are model locomotives and rolling stock from Mehano and AHM that the NOTRAK modeller can use to model displays.  In a new touch of realism, litter and overflowing trash cans will be amoung the detail parts in the kit.

A new manufacturer also appeared, Worn Out Logos, which will offer various items of Railroad related clothing as well as a new line of Posterior Headgear.

[ljudice]

Hey, I'll take that ribbon rail train!!!

FYI, NSCALEKITS is working on just such a model...

[brokemoto]

I forgot:

Bachmann announced PAs in A-B-A sets with powered A and B and an additional dummy A.  In the A unit would be a sound unit that included the prime movers' breaking their crankshafts as well as smoke generators for all three units.   Immediately afterward, B-personn announced that the project was suspended, due to the inability to find a suitable sound decoder that would fit into a dummy PA.

[lashedup]

I want my click back...