Rapido announces delays on N scale passenger cars.

[bbussey]

Conrail version (CR 11) first. 

[Puddington]

If we add those cars I'll lose my bet with CBQ cause it will be 2020!!!! 

[Puddington]

Just for the record I am capping out at one section of atlas code 80 track to bbusey and one to puddington.  All additional betting closed!  . I think I actually only have 2-3 pieces.


So if production goes as planned are we talking Q4 2014 or Q1 2015?

My expectation as a customer is a reasonable, somewhat predictable production schedule.  If a company is going to expect preorders and produce to that amount with a minimal overage than product arrival should be more reliable.

Right now the schedule for the 10-5's and Cafe Bar Lounges is totally dependant on the tooling changes. production isn't an issue - if we get the tooling changes when Jason goes over in August then the end of the year is possible, if not then Q1 2015 is more likely.

[thomasjmdavis]

I think I face a grave danger of bankruptcy if the MT diner and baggage car, Rapido 10-5, M&R 6-1-4, and a Kato San Francisco Chief (just speculation, but they have most of it already between the Super Chief and El Cap sets), and Atlas code 55 flextrack all hit the shores at the same time. 

That said, I have approximately 110 passenger cars that are in some state that varies between a collection of loose parts and waiting for a final clear coat over the decals.  So there is plenty to do while waiting for slow boats from China.

And I would rather have an accurate model next year than another backwards diner with coach seats (as continues to be manufactured by another company that will remain unnamed, that was in a hurry 30 years ago).

[CBQ Fan]

I appreciate the confirmation.   

[rapidotrains]

Hi guys,

Here is the basic summary.

Our N scale versions of HO models we've already made are being produced at the same factory that produced the HO versions.  We think this is (in general) a smart policy because that factory has the experience designing the HO models and reduces the risk of detail errors cropping up in the N scale version.

The problem is that this factory has slowed down to a crawl in terms of new tooling.  At the factory that does MLW projects, we get a first sample in two months and all tooling corrections finished within the next four.  So the N GMD-1 tooling is basically finished and just waiting for production time.  It went from nothing to finished model in about nine months.  The extra few months was because we were busy on a different project, not because they couldn't finish it.

But at the factory making the Cafe-Bar-Lounge, 10-5 Sleeper and Osgood Bradleys, it's another story. We've been waiting for a year for the final corrections on the former and we have not yet seen the first samples of the latter despite the factory receiving the final go-ahead about six months ago.

I honestly have no idea why this is happening.  It may be that they are putting other clients first, or that their tooling shop is so busy doing day-to-day mould repair work that they don't have time to do the new tooling.  It is most likely a combination of the two. They do a lot of work for Chinese clients and they often get priority.

If we were to move the projects out of that factory, it could hurt our relationship with them for all of the other things they are currently making for us.  And then we'd have production delays on most things and not just new N scale tooling. 

So we're walking a very fine line. 

I'll be at the factory in the first week of August and I hope to have this solved to some degree while I am there.

Best regards,

Jason