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[wcfn100]

  I just don't understand announcing items that far out.

It never does seem right that a person could have two kids between the time of a product announcement and the time when they are actually released. 


Jason

[Dave V]

It never does seem right that a person could have two kids between the time of a product announcement and the time when they are actually released. 


Jason

Well, hell, my youngest was conceived after the BLI/PCM M1 announcement and will have turned 10 years old before they are delivered.

[bbussey]

I'm still waiting for the B&M Osgood Bradley cars and for ... a drum roll please ... the Turbo Train in N scale.  Not bitter - just getting a bit impatient. How many years has it been now?

You will see samples in Springfield in three months.

[CBQ Fan]

Well, hell, my youngest was conceived after the BLI/PCM M1 announcement and will have turned 10 years old before they are delivered.

That has me laughing my backside off!!!

[Dave V]

That has me laughing my backside off!!!

...if only I were joking...   

[sd45elect2000]

I like the reefers. I'll be buying some, especially the URTX cars.

[Puddington]

I am not sure where the Turbo thing comments come from.  I have zero interest in it and would not buy one.  If you made one it would be cool for those whe like it.  But I have never heard of one in the Chicago area and not classic enough IMO for me to buy simply to have. 

I guess you prove my point.  You said you will never produce multiple N runs per quarter.  You currently have 8 products in some stage of research, development or production.  So with no delays or issues you are looking at three years out if you can only produce 2-3 N scale items a year.  And that does not factor in the impact of increasing your British offerings.  I just don't understand announcing items that far out.

Please show me 8 Rapido N scale items that have been announced:

1. Panarama cars - in production - Dec/Jan
2. N GMD-1 - in production - Jan delivery
3. Osgoode Bradley - first samples in - delivery mid - fall 2015
4, FL 9 in final design stages - mid - late 2015 delivery
5. N reefer - Pre production samples in - late 2015 delivery

So where are the other three?

We have more than eight total projects (all scales) in development so I can't see where you get the number eight... GMD-1 1100, LRC engine, LRC coaches, mid train dome, HO reefer, VIA orders, F40PH2D, FP9A's, F9B's, FPA-4 FPB-4, APT-E and other stuff in development you are not aware of....

All of which fit into a plan..... unless something goes awry... you simply don't understand or accept that delays happen...so be it.

The N scale schedule would see two 1st quarter deliveries (not by our plan but by happenstance) and then one in the late summer, one in the fall and one late in 2015

I said you won't see regular 2-3 N scale deliveries per quarter; your "watermark" for creditability. You won't; not for a long time, if ever. We are a small company; we have different markets we serve and diversify our product mix to serve the widest range of modellers.

[Puddington]

It never does seem right that a person could have two kids between the time of a product announcement and the time when they are actually released. 


Jason

No, it doesn't but for fun let's look at a Rapido HO project; the LRC locomotive. Announced in 2007, finally being made now... how could that happen????

Well; when you need "x" number sold to break even and your pre orders are 500 - 600 short of "x" what do you do.... you either cancel or wait and try and drum up orders... but then "oops" the economic melt down happens and no one has hobby money so you put the project on hold...tick, tick..... then, in 2011 you go back to the drawing board, honour the original price for those who ordered and re- announce... slowly you get enough orders to commit and in late 2012 you say "go".... BUT wait; it's 2007 quality tooling... "STOP".... you then have to re-tool... tick, tick, tick... finally, in early 2014 after 4 tooling go arounds it's ready...... and that's how you find yourself with a seven year turn around...

Might never happen to Kato, Atlas or Athearn...or it might but that's what happened... the moral of the story; no one lost their money to us; no one didn't get fed, lost their home or had a major injury because the LRC didn't get made and when it arrives it will be right...

You can think what you want about long delays but they happen - and no one wants them to because after all, we get paid by delivering models, so logically there must be a reason if we don't....

[CBQ Fan]

Please show me 8 Rapido N scale items that have been announced:

1. Panarama cars - in production - Dec/Jan
2. N GMD-1 - in production - Jan delivery
3. Osgoode Bradley - first samples in - delivery mid - fall 2015
4, FL 9 in final design stages - mid - late 2015 delivery
5. N reefer - Pre production samples in - late 2015 delivery

So where are the other three?

We have more than eight total projects (all scales) in development so I can't see where you get the number eight... GMD-1 1100, LRC engine, LRC coaches, mid train dome, HO reefer, VIA orders, F40PH2D, FP9A's, F9B's, FPA-4 FPB-4, APT-E and other stuff in development you are not aware of....

All of which fit into a plan..... unless something goes awry... you simply don't understand or accept that delays happen...so be it.

The N scale schedule would see two 1st quarter deliveries (not by our plan but by happenstance) and then one in the late summer, one in the fall and one late in 2015

I said you won't see regular 2-3 N scale deliveries per quarter; your "watermark" for creditability. You won't; not for a long time, if ever. We are a small company; we have different markets we serve and diversify our product mix to serve the widest range of modellers.

I have 8 choices from the drop down box on your website between locomotives, passenger and freight.  For more details I would refer you to your website.

[Puddington]

Brian: The various passenger cars we make are all listed; coach, duplex sleeper; day niter, 10-5 and cafe bar lounge - three of which are cars already released in large numbers, but you know that. Other than the BN exec set which uses a duplex sleeper and coach we've not announced these so why would you count them as active projects? Similarily the three freight cars we made a year ago for Prairie Shadows are on the list - and as you well know they are not in production.

I'm afraid discussing this with you isn't moving the discussion forward so you may think or say whatever you wish; I will no longer respond.

[CBQ Fan]

Brian: The various passenger cars we make are all listed; coach, duplex sleeper; day niter, 10-5 and cafe bar lounge - three of which are cars already released in large numbers, but you know that. Other than the BN exec set which uses a duplex sleeper and coach we've not announced these so why would you count them as active projects? Similarily the three freight cars we made a year ago for Prairie Shadows are on the list - and as you well know they are not in production.

I'm afraid discussing this with you isn't moving the discussion forward so you may think or say whatever you wish; I will no longer respond.

That being said I am still planning on buying the cafe car in NP when it arrives.  I had planned on buying the sleeper as well but not so sure now.  I like the reefer cars, especially being 36' long.  Depending on when they arrive and what street price is I may grab a couple.  SP sleepers an cafe cars were also under consideration so we will see.  I do have to chuckle....please don't count items listed on our website as our products.  All in good fun.

[luvmrca]

"Well, except for those new freight cars.
http://www.rapidotrains.com/rapidonews61.html
Jason

Great announcement, Jason & Mike,

The HO meat reefers were well received and I have been hoping you would follow up in N scale.  My biggest problem will be figuring out which models to order with the huge selection offered.  The Swift cars will be at the top of my list.

My impression is that Rapido's N scale production process has improved considerably with the addition of Mike to the Rapido team.  With so many projects in the works at Rapido, a fairly small PD team  and the logistics of dealing with overseas manufacturers, I am sure the N scale projects have been assisted by Mike's focus on and interest in N scale.

Thanks, Mike, for your efforts and thanks, Jason, for making room for N scale products in your business.

I look forward to many more N scale products from Rapido and, hopefully, a Canadian in the not too distant future.

Andy
Calgary, Alberta

[John]

Bryan: I'm afraid Rapido will disappoint you forever..... we will never have several N scale products delivering a quarter... and short of MT I don't know who consistently does that so I guess we'll continue to disappoint you - sorry mate.

Pud .. just ignore those  folks .. they are always the first to find fault and complain .. screw them, sell your product to those who want it, and don't worry about those who wont. You can never make everyone happy.

[rapidotrains]

Hi guys,

I think we've mentioned before the issue with a lot of our N scale products.  They are stuck in a factory that has a very, very, VERY slow turnaround time. 

I alluded to this in the newsletter.  The reefer - made at one of the new factories - went from drawing to 95% finished sample in two months.  The OBs have been in tooling for over a year and the early sample is not nearly good enough to produce.  Mike is optimistic when he says we'll have a better sample in January.  I think we're going to have to restart the tooling in March with one of the new factories and deliver a 95% finished sample in June.  We'll then be able to deliver by the end of the year.  Based on our experiences with the Cafe-Bar-Lounge and 10-5 Sleeper, that will be faster than waiting for the old factory to finish the tooling we started over a year ago.

Don't get me started on that Cafe-Bar-Lounge and 10-5 Sleeper.  That tooling should have been started and finished within two months.  It was very easy to do.  We just approved the final samples last week - 2.5 years after we started the tooling.  That's 30 months when it should have been two.  At least the tooling is finished and they are in production.  That factory does gorgeous work.  They are just too slow for our needs.

By this time next year all of our N scale production will be in the new factories so things won't take nearly as long to produce.

But please, continue to criticize our release schedule without having any knowledge of what's going on behind the scenes.  And I'll go tell Carey Price how he could have saved that one New York goal tonight. 

-Jason

[wmcbride]

So, Jason, then the N Scale Turbo is going to be produced by the new, fast factory, eh?