Intermountain cancellations

[altohorn25]

This kind of thing really pisses me off.......

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Wow. All the GP10s.

The interesting thing in looking at all this is that there are a number of things I'd have maybe picked up one or two of when they were out. Neat stuff like the PC boxcars or big logo CR covered hoppers or some of the other private name hoppers. But it wasn't stuff I was going to pre-order.

I have a feeling many folks were in the same category.

Oh well, it's their business to run as they see fit. But I'm not gonna be pre-ordering anything from them in the future or getting excited about one of their announcements until it's "on the water".

[mu26aeh]

Also of note, nothing in production and only 1 item (bathtub gons) in transit.  Guess we won't be seeing anything anytime soon

[C855B]

I, for one, am concerned what the street prices are going to be once models are released.

Like I said, I've been waiting 5 years since pre-ordering the PFE mech reefers. Lots has happened in those five years, and I fully expect to be asked if I want to go ahead with the order given a 50% or so increase. Okay-with-a-grimace if it's one or two, but I ordered every number of six in two styles, and am going to have to think real hard if the dozen work out to $400 or more.

[Tom L]

I find it odd that they spend any effort to show (or would want to promote) all the stuff that they won’t be making.

Tom L
Wellington CO

[reinhardtjh]

Are you sure they weren't only referring to not running the undecorated ones anymore?

No, not really.  But other than some Santa Fe deco boxes they haven't delivered any in some time and any they had on pre order were cancelled.  I had about 20 of different schemes on pre order and all were cancelled.

[nickelplate759]

Yeah, they cancelled all announced future production of all the N-scale 40' boxcars, and the 50' AAR boxcar as well.
Not a good sign.

[mu26aeh]

Perhaps they sold off rights/tooling to someone who can get them out in timely manner

[thomasjmdavis]

Perhaps they sold off rights/tooling to someone who can get them out in timely manner

With all the changes, shutdowns, covid related closings in China, the tooling may not even in the same building, or in the hands of the same company, it was in the last time they did a big run- some of it may missing.

I'm getting kinda old to be thinking this, but IF the tooling still exists, AND they can get it back to the USA, it would be worth forming a company to buy the tooling and produce the product.

[lock4244]

I'm shocked they didn't get enough orders for the Toledo Junction SD40-2 

[lock4244]

Having watched the saga of IM pending cancelation and cancelations over the last decade, I feel the video below is a somewhat good representation of their ability to deliver... it's not impossible, but it is impossible.

Until they factory bodymount couplers on their cylindrical grain hoppers and the 4750's it's unlikely I'll be buying any more.

Also, after several runs of Sclair 4650 covered hoppers with a correct or damn near orange, the last run was inexplicably more of a pumpkin pie filling color. I contacted customer service about the error and it was left feeling like an idiot of choosing not to view the car in the dark only. I have over 600 cars from these guys... not cool man.

[nkalanaga]

Announce a new product, customers reserve it.
Wait multiple years.
Cancel the product for "lack of interest"
Announce another new product, customers reserve it.
Wait multiple years.
Cancel the product for "lack of interest"
Announce yet another new product, nobody reserves it.
Complain that the customers aren't supporting the business.
Go out of business.

[thomasjmdavis]

The two previous posts are excellent examples of the IMRC "business cycle" as experienced by N scale transition era modelers over the past years (since 2010? or whenever they adopted the offshore production/ pre-order only business model).
The major (and obvious) fault in the announcement of say, a boxcar, in 20 roadnames, 6 numbers per road name, with many lesser modeled roadnames, is that there is no "second choice" option in the pre-order system. Let's say they offer L&N, NC&StL and ACL cars. I am looking for 2 cars from southeastern roads for interchange, so I order 1 NC&StL and one ACL.  But, if one of those were cancelled, I would be happy to take an L&N car.  Let's say they have a requirement of 500 cars per roadname. Each of these roads get pre-orders for 375. If they had asked for "conditional" or "second choice" orders, at least one of those roads would likely have filled its quota, and possibly two.

I would also like to make a point to other manufacturers (one in particular) who complain about inadequate support for their products and  want us transition modelers to give up and go post 1960...
There was enough demand from ATSF and Canadian transition modelers to meet IMRC's minimum for an entire production run of "1937 modified" (ie- 10'6") bodies, and enough ATSF modelers alone to get them to produce the US version in (IIRC) 7 lettering schemes (5 map and 2 slogan) at 6 numbers each- a total of 42 different numbers.  And that after several previous runs of ATSF cars in both RTR and kits.  I don't know what the IMRC minimum orders are, but I have to assume that was one heck of a lot of pre-orders, just for the one road.

[amato1969]

Thank goodness we are blessed with several decal options and undec Intermountain boxcar kits in the second hand marketplace.

  Frank

[bigdawgks]

So if the IM 1937 AAR boxcar is truly dead, what do you suppose the chances are of Micro-Trains tooling one up? They certainly have done a lot of PS-1s as stand-ins for that body style in the past. Without direct competition maybe it's time they make a proper model for those roadnames.