Amherst Train Show - 2014

[eric220]

Anyone bug BLI about a certain steamer?

[VonRyan]

Anyone bug BLI about a certain steamer?

I was going to at the WGH show, but was too busy telling one of the Bachmann reps that they should go sit in the corner for their bodging on the NW2.

[POVC]

Anyone bug BLI about a certain steamer?

I was going to, but I'm getting really tired of hearing that "they will start tooling soon!"

Tim

[John]

I was going to --- but didn't make it to the show 

[Ike the BN Freak]

Not at the moment but it is something we can look into.

I'd be in for atleast 2

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Any word from MTL about an ETA on the SW1500s?

[packers#1]

If I end up with the job I hope to get at my University this summer, I may have to get a FVM heritage Ace, either the S&A (So glad they picked Southern Tuxedo over the original S&A; I kinda wish NS would bring it back for all their units) or the Wabash. Would I ever even be able to run it in the forseeable future? Nope; but it would be an epic shelf queen that would be interesting to use on a switching layout 

[TrainCat2]

Any news on the FVM H30 or H30a ????

[bbussey]

Test shots in a month.  I think Matt said the release date would be summer.  Should be painted samples at the NSE Roanoke convention.

[Scottl]

I"m kind of bummed by the releases this year, nothing really in the modern era when there are so many prototypes that would sell circles around transition era oddballs.  Hello Kato, BLMA, Deluxe ... 

[sirenwerks]

I"m kind of bummed by the releases this year, nothing really in the modern era when there are so many prototypes that would sell circles around transition era oddballs.  Hello Kato, BLMA, Deluxe ... 

What do you base your presumption on?  I would guess there are a lot of "transition" era modelers, considering railroads have been in considerable transition for most of their history, and only in the last 10 or 20 years having become stagnant with all those origami-looking diesels and minimalist freight car schemes and pitifully few passenger trains (and what passenger trains there are all kinda look the same.)  While there are plenty of steamheads, there are a lot of 1st and 2nd gen diesel era modelers too in N scale.  Possibly more than in HO.

[Scottl]

I think we all know what I mean by Transition.  I disagree that the modern railroads are stagnant, but obviously, it is a matter of opinion and we are all welcome to our own.  You call modern units toasters, I think transition locomotives look like blocks of wood.  It's all good.

In terms of models, in my mind it is a numbers game. Transition era represents a plethora of railroads, diverse locomotive models as the industry figured out how to make diesels work best, extensive North American passenger operations, etc.  Making models for that era often means a narrow segment of a diverse market place.  You put out a passenger car used by five railroads, you will sell to a limited market.  Some models are more or less narrow, and some are quite widespread.

By contrast, modern railroads are fewer, the number of contemporary locomotive models is smaller (all those toasters), and the freight car business has never been more concentrated into a small number of companies.  Passenger service is a ghost of what it was, including suburban lines.   Hence, putting out a model often covers a lot of ground.  You put out a GE diesel, it could potentially sell across a huge geography of interests.   

I know there are lots of Transition era modellers, and it is great that there are products and manufacturers that focus on those needs.  Just as there are some manufacturers that tend to focus on more modern models.  It's all good, and I stand by my comment that the offerings reported from the Amherst show were a big yawn from my perspective.

[trainforfun]

Disapointed to see or I should say not seeing pictures of the show , usually in the past years we had full report by some of the attendants ...

 

[bbussey]

I think we all know what I mean by Transition.  I disagree that the modern railroads are stagnant, but obviously, it is a matter of opinion and we are all welcome to our own.  You call modern units toasters, I think transition locomotives look like blocks of wood.  It's all good.

In terms of models, in my mind it is a numbers game. Transition era represents a plethora of railroads, diverse locomotive models as the industry figured out how to make diesels work best, extensive North American passenger operations, etc.  Making models for that era often means a narrow segment of a diverse market place.  You put out a passenger car used by five railroads, you will sell to a limited market.  Some models are more or less narrow, and some are quite widespread.

By contrast, modern railroads are fewer, the number of contemporary locomotive models is smaller (all those toasters), and the freight car business has never been more concentrated into a small number of companies.  Passenger service is a ghost of what it was, including suburban lines.   Hence, putting out a model often covers a lot of ground.  You put out a GE diesel, it could potentially sell across a huge geography of interests.   

I know there are lots of Transition era modellers, and it is great that there are products and manufacturers that focus on those needs.  Just as there are some manufacturers that tend to focus on more modern models.  It's all good, and I stand by my comment that the offerings reported from the Amherst show were a big yawn from my perspective.

Couldn't disagree more with your assessment that the modern era generates more sales.  Number of potential roads and schemes is the easiest way to sell a model because the greater the variety on a model, the more it appeals to a wider and more diverse swath of the audience.  The late transition era (actually the "decline" era of the 1960s and 1970s) offers the greatest diversity of all the eras.  Greater freight diversity as capacities and specialization expanded; greater selection of diesel power; passenger service, while on the wane, still existed; most of the railroad mergers had yet to take place; and the mergers that did took their time repainting equipment.  In addition to that, that was the era that the current subset of model railroaders with the most disposable income generally grew up in.  And people, for the most part, tend to model what they experienced in their youth.

The modern era has to be represented, because that's how new blood is brought into the hobby and it will become the standard bearer before long.  But currently, the late transition era by far is the most popular.

[Bsklarski]

Disapointed to see or I should say not seeing pictures of the show , usually in the past years we had full report by some of the attendants ...

 

I had to work Saturday so Sunday was the day for me. I figured that at least 5 or 6 people would have been all over this wth a full report and photos by 8pm Saturday. I can try to post what I took. Had I gone Saturday, I would have been more proactive.