HOGTRAINZ Intermountain Update

[CBQ Fan]

Micro-Trains should buy their F unit line!

[spookshow]

Welp, that's 7 IMRC reservations into the trash for me. Which is still less than the number of outstanding Atlas reservations I currently have. Those guys haven't exactly been timely lately either.

-Mark

[CBQ Fan]

It does feel like Atlas has slowed down their N scale offerings to a pace more in line with the ability to produce it.

[samusi01]

I should imagine this would affect Centralia Car Shops as well; the last product of theirs that I recall was a run of cabooses.

[OldEastRR]

I don't follow their N scale stuff anymore, but IM finally started cranking out reliable (almost monthly) deliveries of their HO stuff beginning with last summers release of the updated autoracks.  They are delivering their latest HO Tier 4 Gevo's this week, so maybe once their cash situation gets better, they can start to focus on the N Scale stuff more.

Just a thought.

Cheers,
Brian

It may also be that IM is pulling a Walthers and deciding doing N scale isn't worth the effort. I think they came into N in the "boom" times when lots of companies (including Walthers) were coming in. Apparently (I don't know for sure) their HO stuff is still rolling out regularly. When something is working as usual and something else is not, it's a clue that things are not going good regarding the latter. And that may be IM N scale stuff. Just speculating.

[Mark5]

Many model train companies are having supply chain issues (China).

Look at the (decline in) output in recent years for:

• Wheels of Time
• Trainworx
• Fox Valley Models
• Atlas (acquisitions yes, but overall output seems lower)

It might be this way for a while, but your guess is good as mine.

Mark

[mark.hinds]

It might not be entirely Intermountain's fault. 

Hogtrainz / BLW seems to have forgotten about my Atlas SP SD9 reservations during the changeover in management from Pete to his brother.  Pete was extremely well organized; his brother not so much.  SFAIK the engines were produced and sold out, without my being informed.  FYI. 

MH

[pdx1955]

It might not be entirely Intermountain's fault. 

Hogtrainz / BLW seems to have forgotten about my Atlas SP SD9 reservations during the changeover in management from Pete to his brother.  Pete was extremely well organized; his brother not so much.  SFAIK the engines were produced and sold out, without my being informed.  FYI. 

MH

Actually ,  the molds failed so these were never produced according to Atlas reps that I talked to in 2019 at the NMRA convention. They do plan to run them ,  but TBA... Not sure if the reservations have been transferred  over to Hog as the latest email s I have on these were from Pete.

[Philip H]

When something is working as usual and something else is not, it's a clue that things are not going good regarding the latter. And that may be IM N scale stuff. Just speculating.

With all due respect - and as noted well in many places above - this is some part IM's direct fault.  Over promising and underdelivering on vaporware makes people buy other products.  If IM had delivered half or even a third of the products announced in N the last 5 years they'd be doing quite well.  They have not, and have not been transparent with the modeling community as to why.  I won't preorder their stuff because I have no faith it will be delivered.

Which is sad because they did the grey KCS SD40-2 really well.  I'd buy another one or two if I could find them.  And I'd sink an entire year's modeling budget into the KCS white if anyone ran it, but so far that iconic '80's paint scheme seems to be eluding them.

[JMaurer1]

Dear Intermountain,

It's a double edged sword you are wielding here. If I don't pre-order something you advertise (and I DON'T like pre-ordering anything) and you don't get enough pre-orders, you won't make it, but if you do, it may not be at th price you said it would be. But if I DO pre-order, you still might not make it, but it may take years before you don't make it (I pre-ordered the Chateau Martin 40' milk cars in 2011 and still haven't been told you aren't making them...you just quit listing them as being made). This doesn't do anything to reaffirm the faith in your company and ability to produce product so I just quit pre-ordering ANYTHING from you years ago (and I'm not alone). When you first started your business, you had the entire industry for your taking, now you are becoming another disappointment (i.e. joke) like ConCor. So very sad...

[CBQ Fan]

I found their reimagined announcement and status page to be even more frustrating than their original format. 

[pdx1955]

I found their reimagined announcement and status page to be even more frustrating than their original format.

I agree .  It had promise in the beginning  but they fell back into their  old ways and it's just as useless  and meaningless.  All of these products  with production  goals met but not the ability  to produce...

[mark.hinds]

Actually ,  the molds failed so these were never produced according to Atlas reps that I talked to in 2019 at the NMRA convention. They do plan to run them ,  but TBA... Not sure if the reservations have been transferred  over to Hog as the latest email s I have on these were from Pete.

I've seen lots of images of these online, so I question the accuracy of your statement.  For example, a quick search came up with this:

 

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MH

[pdx1955]

I've seen lots of images of these online, so I question the accuracy of your statement.  For example, a quick search came up with this:

 

/>
MH

I should have said most were never produced (after reviewing my original 2019 post on this issue) , they had the mold issue then the factory shutdown...so there was a massive shorting of any who have ordered these. Some got out, just enough to tease us. Atlas knows that the full run amount was never done. So hopefully, these will be re-run again otherwise its back to 1988 with first release of SD9's in the black widow scheme...

[mark.hinds]

IMHO this thread should be locked by a moderator, as it does not reflect well on the Railwire. 

I'd say about half of the posts in it are from the same bunch of guys who seem to hate Intermountain.  OK; fine, cancel your reservations or don't buy from IM, but stop whining about it.  Unless you were foolish enough to pay in advance, you haven't lost any money in the transaction.  And that doesn't even take into account that this is a niche industry which is still suffering the effects of the Chinese factory collapse, followed by the Pandemic. 

I have bought a lot of IM products over the years.  I have always been happy with my purchases, with Intermountain's Customer Service policies, and with their visually well-organized website. 

MH