Scale Trains Live video from 2/11/21 (5 new N scale locos in the pipeline?)

[learmoia]

I was watching the Scale Trains Live presentation this morning...

Shane mentioned 5 new N scale locos currently in the pipeline.. plus several cars.  He didn't go into detail or a timeline..   The question was either in response to loosing focus to the MTH tooling, or a request for an N scale SD40-2..   One of those.. "I can't talk about future products, but we are working on 5 new locos..

I didn't catch if he said 5 unannounced models, or 5 where you could assume the ET44, Dash 9 40C/CW, and Turbine are 3 of the 5.
EDIT... 5 new "N scale Locomtoive platforms" to be announced/released over the next few years.

I think he mentioned 20 new Scale Trains products in development apart from the MTH Stuff.

Spent alot of time stressing that they plan to aggressively expand to build the MTH models into the product line without sacrificing development of the core business.

Sounds like the MTH focus will be the excursion related stuff first.. (611, 4449 and passenger cars) then move into other stuff...  Not alot of tooling upgrades.. so Operator or its own product line.  He recalled a story from his Athearn days with the acquisition of the Front Rage and Tower 55 models that in the end it would have been cheaper for Athearn to tool their own models vs buy the tooling from the other mfgs +upgrades.

I found it entertaining that he kept saying Genesis instead of Rivet Counter   

You can watch the video below.

[learmoia]

And I appreciate how honest and open he is about the business and hobby.

As Scale Trains announces more stuff I'd be interested in.. I'll definitely be a customer!

[CSXBaltimore]

It was a good bit of information.  I definitely did appreciate that they did this and really like the company.

On the N scale loco side, I think we should expect them to trickle out over the next few years compared to the HO stuff.  There were quite a few conversations about when they would be announcing various HO offerings but I thought they got pretty vague regarding just about all of their N scale locos.  He mentioned towards the end of the video that we 'may' see one new N scale loco release this year. One thing that kind of made me scratch my head was how the pride in service units did exceptionally well but the same units in N don't seem to be close.  I would think that the great sales on the HO side would have really put some momentum to do the same on the N scale side, but other than indicating it would happen at some point, I didn't get the same enthusiasm from him for the N stuff as for the HO stuff.

Thats just how it came across to me. Ill buy just about every loco they make in my road names, I love their stuff. I just think we will be waiting a while between releases.

J

[C855B]

... EDIT... 5 new "N scale Locomtive platforms" to be announced/released over the next few years. ...

Now that is interesting. I'm interpreting this as implication they're taking the same tack as Kato and Atlas, tooling a line of chassis that can fit under multiple models. For that matter I'm looking forward to seeing the 4500GTEL turbines in the flesh to verify if they are planning for a U50 offering. That's one prototype that could seriously "pop" from their Rivet Counter treatment.

[basementcalling]

Now that is interesting. I'm interpreting this as implication they're taking the same tack as Kato and Atlas, tooling a line of chassis that can fit under multiple models. For that matter I'm looking forward to seeing the GTEL4500 turbines in the flesh to verify if they are planning for a U50 offering. That's one prototype that could seriously "pop" from their Rivet Counter treatment.

Yea, I would think a U50B is a given seeing the chassis is the same wheelbase, though wouldn't a U50 be narrower than the original 4500HP turbines? Not hard to shave the weight though.

I wonder if they would do the U50C seeing they were similar to the Big Blows? Not as popular a loco though, but in HO they don't shy away from offerings with limited appeal, i. e.  SDL39.

[C855B]

Yea, I would think a U50B is a given seeing the chassis is the same wheelbase, though wouldn't a U50 be narrower than the original 4500HP turbines? Not hard to shave the weight though.

I wonder if they would do the U50C seeing they were similar to the Big Blows? Not as popular a loco though, but in HO they don't shy away from offerings with limited appeal, i. e.  SDL39.

I'd be all over a U50C. Direct pipeline to my wallet. It was the iconic failure during my peak hardcore railfanning era, and impressive in operation.    However, ST did not anticipate the U50C in the 8500GTEL model. The frame is horizontal split and full width all the way up into the body. Only thing transferable would be the trucks.

That's why I'm wondering about the 4500GTEL. The "standard" may be a full-width carbody, but its immediate successor, the "Veranda" version, was a narrow hood with walkway overhang, on the same frame. If ST produced the earlier standard version with a follow-on Veranda in mind, the core would be there for a U50. That's what Con-Cor did, albeit the other way around, U50 first, Veranda turbine second.

[Missaberoad]

I would be down for a U50! Amazingly a couple made it to Minneapolis leased to CNW in the early 1970s.

[learmoia]

Another thing I was curious on, with the HO SDL39.. if the Export units end up doing well... would we see FCCA in the next run of C39-8s

Or some of the Brazil Export GE Dash9s (Vale/Rumo)....

~Ian

[squirrelhunter]

The platform comment is probably almost a guarantee that all 5 locomotives they are working on are some permutations of the various rebuilds Wabtec is doing on old C44-9W/AC4400CW frames.

They make nice stuff, but unless you need a UP GTEL or model after 1995 or so they don't have much to offer. Then again, looking at new releases in N, the sales on post 1990-95 stuff must be way better than equipment from other eras.

[Englewood]

I have a theory that the majority of N scalers are modern modellers, simply because they are younger than the average guy in the other scales and modern is what they've seen out on the rails.
Personally, the manufacturers have me figured out. Modern trains and big oddball trains - turbines, Big Boys, Daylights, complete passenger trains. And containers. I'm drowning in containers but I keep buying them.

[davefoxx]

Ooh, I could see me going on on a ScaleTrains N&W J No. 611, if they address some of the MTH flaws.

DFF

[learmoia]

The platform comment is probably almost a guarantee that all 5 locomotives they are working on are some permutations of the various rebuilds Wabtec is doing on old C44-9W/AC4400CW

I took it to mean frame/drive train or basis for a series of related prototypes.

I.E. E_4# or C4#-9
Another one could be SD4#
or GP-#/1#
Or C3#-7
Or U##-C
Or SD4#-#

Not 5 variations of an ES44... (keeping in mind that ST likely isn't motivated to do something in N that other quality/high volume MFGs are already doing..)..

[C855B]

... sales on post 1990-95 stuff must be way better than equipment from other eras.

I have a theory that the majority of N scalers are modern modellers, ...

A recent survey of 92+ TRW members disagrees with these notions. 1980+ modelers comprised only 29% of the respondents, with the "average" and "mean" modeling eras centering around 1970.

To a certain respect, "modern sells" because to a certain degree that's what's being offered with emphasis on modeling accuracy, take it or leave it. It is my opinion that 1960-1980 period is perceived as "covered" by Kato, Atlas, etc., nearly all of it with old-school tooling. If ST would step up to the plate with a series of "2nd Generation" diesels - not the least of which would be the SD45 they already have in HO - there is a market out there ready to drop coin on models a tad more faithful to 1:1 proportions than the 30- and 40-year-old tooling the traditional makers are leaning on.

[greenwizard88]

I just want some AC44C6M's and SD40-2's. I'd be down for at least 2 of each, probably 4 if they split the runs up.

[learmoia]

I understand the hesitation to do an SD40-2.

In the grand scheme of things.. with limited N market flooded with mediocre tooled/assembled Intermodel models, and sprinkled with a limited release Kato model. 

And I dont blame them for NOT doing it..

There are plenty of holes in N scale locomotives that Scale Trains can start to fill in.. GE U-C or C-7 series.