FVM Wagontops, round 2 + new Gevo version.

[SkipGear]

FVM announced more Wagontops today, due in March...

http://www.foxvalleymodels.com/Sep-11-BO-Box.jpg

Also new variation on the ES44DC....including CSX 5500 "Spirit of Cincinnati".

http://www.foxvalleymodels.com/Sep-11-GEVO.jpg

[Smike]

Nice, but what I wouldn't do for correct handrails on the CSX and NS units. The NS high front headlamp is a pipe dream. They are excellent models thou, not bashing them.

[Scottl]

It would be nice to have a CN/Australian cab on these units, they are otherwise superb.  CN is going to take over the US railroads anyway

[reinhardtjh]

Nice, but what I wouldn't do for correct handrails on the CSX and NS units. The NS high front headlamp is a pipe dream. They are excellent models thou, not bashing them.

Ditto.  I have a few, even with the incorrect details.  Beats having nothing.  NS now has 91 AC (8000-8090) units. I wonder when Matt will paint up some of them?

[babbo_enzo]

FVM announced more Wagontops today, due in March...
http://www.foxvalleymodels.com/Sep-11-BO-Box.jpg

I've lost something-somewhere or....
I'm still waiting the first run in the shops!

[ljudice]

Ditto.  I have a few, even with the incorrect details.  Beats having nothing.  NS now has 91 AC (8000-8090) units. I wonder when Matt will paint up some of them?

I mentioned them to Matt at Hershey and he was aware of them....

[asarge]

I usually don't care to get modern class 1 motive power. But might have to get the "Spirit of Cincinnati". More wagontops are good too, those are nice cars!

[rogergperkins]

  The B&O wagontop boxcars I ordered/reserved in Feb. 2011 are finally being shipped to me.  I am delighted you gave some preview photos.  I ordered one of each of the three road numbers, so I am expecting six cars.   Once I see how these look and run, I will decide on what to order from this next round.  I have ordered one of each of the three road numbers that are still coming in October 2011.
This new announcement could add at least nine more cars to the roster if the come with three road numbers per style.
 

[sirenwerks]

I've lost something-somewhere or....
I'm still waiting the first run in the shops!

I'm with you, waiting for these cars to drop onto Klein's website, or to get the email they will be, but nuttin'. It's nice though that FVM actually mentioned what year they're announcing in. The inventory sheet for the ribbed boxes on their website just says "Due Jan" (or another month) but makes no mention of a year. I guess they release those cars every January?

[SkipGear]

I'm with you, waiting for these cars to drop onto Klein's website, or to get the email they will be, but nuttin'. It's nice though that FVM actually mentioned what year they're announcing in. The inventory sheet for the ribbed boxes on their website just says "Due Jan" (or another month) but makes no mention of a year. I guess they release those cars every January?

Turnabout's fair play.

 MBK got the Bachmann 2-10-2's a full month and a half before any other distributor got theirs. My 2-10-2 hit the layout for the first time this past Friday. Victor had his loco apart and in pieces Aug 9th.

FVM takes care of LHS accounts before the distributor accounts from what I have seen. Sometimes it pays to be the little guy.

[sirenwerks]

FVM takes care of LHS accounts before the distributor accounts from what I have seen. Sometimes it pays to be the little guy.

From my vantage, living 20 minutes away from the new site and having been a customer since I was a wee lad that could comfortably fit down the aisles of its old North Gay Street store, MBK is a LHS - as it is for a lot of us, especially B&O modelers. This is, after all, BALTIMORE, the B in B&O, the start of it all, had it not been for us the Ohio part never would have happened.

[Blazeman]

BLW just contacted me that my order of the wagontops has shipped.

[bbussey]

From my vantage, living 20 minutes away from the new site and having been a customer since I was a wee lad that could comfortably fit down the aisles of its old North Gay Street store, MBK is a LHS - as it is for a lot of us, especially B&O modelers. This is, after all, BALTIMORE, the B in B&O, the start of it all, had it not been for us the Ohio part never would have happened.

Don't forget that MBK fills its advance reservations/requests before posting the cars on the website for general sale.  They send automated email notices and wait a reasonable amount of time for people to confirm.  So in all likelihood, MBK has received their cars well before today.

[SkipGear]

I thought MBK had stopped doing pre-orders for retail customers. They list the stuff when they have it and it's a free for all from there. I know for a lot of you guys MBK is the LHS, but they are also a distributor. I'm not sure how they handle pre-orders for the shops they distribute too.

I have no love lost for MBK because of the Bachmann deal. Our shop lost 3-4 pre-order sales of these locos because the customers got tired of waiting for the loco's to arrive at our distirbutors. MBK apparently bought up the entire first shipment of them. I fault Bachmann just as much for letting it happen.

We try to avoid dealing with distributors that also act as a hobby shop for just this reason. It sucks when the distributor you are buying from is competing against you in the same market. They have the advantage of being able to buy at distributor wholesale pricing, have the product available for sale a week or more before it get's to you, and can under cut the same people they are selling product too.

[sirenwerks]

They have the advantage of being able to buy at distributor wholesale pricing, have the product available for sale a week or more before it get's to you, and can under cut the same people they are selling product too.

I believe that's known as a tactical advantage and is acceptable business practice.

Bryan, they don't do advanced res for indie customers but send notices if you sign up for product, in advance of the product hitting the website, so you can be waiting to pounce.