Athearn June Announcements......

[Chulvis]

Nothing. Just HO Scale.

One would think with the start of the N Scale Convention today, which Athearn has been attending for the last several years, they might want to put forth a little effort. Well, maybe they'll have some kind of surprise to announce in Hershey....we can only hope.   

[asarge]

I'm not counting on it. Based on how little was announced in HO. We might get a little hint in the next few days or at Sacramento, but I'm not confident on any blockbuster news from them at Hershey, especially afte their comment to me at WGH in Atlanta. Boy do I hope I'm wrong!

[sizemore]

Yeah re-runs of the  Big Boy... :

Hopefully it's something cool...

The S.

[3DTrains]

One would think with the start of the N Scale Convention today, which Athearn has been attending for the last several years, they might want to put forth a little effort.

The economy is now beginning to show its worst effects on our favorite scale and that it may be a while before we see any true innovations. It took 2 to 3 years to get here, and it will take another 5 or 6 years for the industry, as a whole, to bounce back. In the meantime, we will have to accept re-runs and repaints.

Cheers!
Marc

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Thats if China decides to make them.

[Packer]

In the meantime, we will have to accept re-runs and repaints.

That's not always soo bad. Imagine if kato did a re-run of SD40-2s

I had been waiting for a while for athearn to re-run BN SD40-2s for years. As my luck soon as I start building some, they get announced.

[asarge]

In the meantime, we will have to accept re-runs and repaints.

Worst case, we might not even get alot of that.

[lock4244]

Good. No N scale means no temptation means no cost 

[lock4244]

The economy is now beginning to show its worst effects on our favorite scale and that it may be a while before we see any true innovations. It took 2 to 3 years to get here, and it will take another 5 or 6 years for the industry, as a whole, to bounce back. In the meantime, we will have to accept re-runs and repaints.

Cheers!
Marc

Depends on the MFG...

Kato is doing new tooling (all those passenger trains)
Rapido is doing new tooling (mostly HO, but not totally)
Fox Valley is doing the GP60M and GP60B, and pretty quickly after the Hiawatha project
Trainworx is doing the 85' flats and those drop bottom trailers (straight bottom ones, too)
BLMA is doing the 89' flat and the big reefer, plus the 52'6" gon was release not too long ago
Exactrail is doing the same reefer as BLMA and just released the 4427
MTL is doing the heavyweights, circus train, just released the 4427, and have something like two more new cars on the way
Bluford hasn't done a new body style in a little while, but they have been releasing the 86' boxcar and the two variants of their hopper like there's no tomorrow (and not re-runs with different numbers, but always new roads / schemes)
Walthers did just release their new ballast hopper
Heck, were even getting Pointe Ste. Charles (CN) cabooses RTR from Prairie Shadows (made by Rapido)

I get it, the economy sucks, but there is still a lot of good, new stuff in the pipeline.

[MichaelWinicki]

Good. No N scale means no temptation means no cost 

Unfortunately it also means no sales for shops and no sales for Horizon.

This is a "hit-driven" industry.  Not offering anything new can put a major cash-flow dent into a company and those resellers that support that company.

[MichaelWinicki]

That whole, "The economy sucks and the result is companies aren't going to release anything" simply doesn't gel with me.

Pull out some Model Railroaders from 1980-1982 and #1 notice how thick they are and #2 notice all the new products that were released.  And that recession was just as hard if not harder than this one, with larger unemployment and interest rates that were skyrocketing.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That whole, "The economy sucks and the result is companies aren't going to release anything" simply doesn't gel with me.

Pull out some Model Railroaders from 1980-1982 and #1 notice how thick they are and #2 notice all the new products that were released.  And that recession was just as hard if not harder than this one, with larger unemployment and interest rates that were skyrocketing.

This cannot be repeated nearly enough. I'm so tired of the damn "doom and gloom" crowd. One month of soft numbers and the whole sky seems to be falling. Ugh...

I think, if anything, what's hurting the "big boys" is their reliance on their established relationships on the manufacturing end.

Let's not forget the amazing innovations coming out of things like the Silhouette and Shapeways. These are truly disruptive technologies that I think can spell the beginning of another great period for our hobby.

[asarge]

It's not just one month of soft numbers. Between Atlas and Atheran it's like 3 months.

I think, if anything, what's hurting the "big boys" is their reliance on their established relationships on the manufacturing end.

Let's not forget the amazing innovations coming out of things like the Silhouette and Shapeways. These are truly disruptive technologies that I think can spell the beginning of another great period for our hobby.

Bingo. With all the new players out there, some of the older, bigger ones maybe feeling sonme pain associated with a more crowded marketplace. That bodes well for the scale longer term, but it doesn't do much short term. Not too mention that it all boils down to money, and I'd be willing to bet that money, or maybe a lack of access to it, may have something to do with less releases from some of the bigger players.

[CBQ Fan]

I would almost be afraid of what I would be spending if the economy was good!  Expansion into Amtrak, COLA, and all these MT and WOT heavyweights, plus through in some FVM.  It is crazy.  FT's in the wings.  It is crazy what is all coming in that is new.  I do wish Atlas would introduce some new engines, but I have got plenty of other things to spend my money on.

[asarge]

I think alot of us are in that boat Brian. Oh well, we can't take it with us! ;D