New run Athearn Bay Window Caboose anounced

[Bendtracker1]

Santa Fe, Erie, Milwaukee Road, Rock Island

http://www.athearn.com/newsletter/092011/09_N_BW_cab_092011.pdf

[wazzou]

 

[MichaelWinicki]

I'm sure the $30 retail will attract some attention.

[Puddington]

Ah, come on Bryan, tell us what your really think.............

[Bremner]

as long as they don't paint a SP caboose in Borg paint

[ljudice]

They already have - they did one of the Police cabeese with the UP logo sticker on it...

[Bremner]

http://southernpacificmodelerssociety.freeforums.org/download/file.php?id=1627&mode=view

 

[asarge]

And that's ALL they had for N scale this month. Not alot in HO either and the prices keep their steady climb.
 

[sirenwerks]

OMG, being in the bay window genre is the closest the Milwaukee car gets to the prototype. Why bother?

[Denver Road Doug]

Gonna eat a little crow here.  As recently as a few months ago, I defended the lack of releases due to the economy and the situation in China with Bachmann screwing everybody over.   But now, I just have to wonder.  Companies can't continue to release one "retread" or "pricey foobie" item per month and survive long-term. (not complaining about prices overall, just meant for certain "model not based on prototype" schemes) Atlas in particular has used the "we're almost there" card for well over a year now.   Thanks to BLMA's spine cars, I'm not in the bathtub with the razorblades yet but....S.O.S. and Mayday and stuff.

I will have to say one thing regarding these cabooses.   Regardless of foob-factor, I do remember as a youth while in HO buying a couple of bay window  Athearn cabooses including the ATSF one.   I didn't know much then, still don't, but I think if not for the high price tag they COULD have a seller on their hands, and might anyway.

[Dave Schneider]

I don't see how this release is all that surprising. They tooled a caboose based on a prototype and are releasing it is a variety of paint schemes for lines that had bay windows. We've been down this road before with just about every major manufacturer. I couldn't generate any hard feelings on this if I tried. It is just a business model....nothing personal. I like the looks of this Milwaukee foob more than the MTL one of a couple of months ago. I won't buy either of them, but I can't fault Athearn or MTL for trying to maximize their return on their tooling. My only complaint with MTL is when they write a false history on the package that gives the impression of accuracy. All they need to do there is say that the paint scheme is "based on...."

Best wishes, Dave

[TiVoPrince]

Glad 
that I got all the SP love that I needed in the past C-50-7/-8/-9 releases.  Certainly the tooling is of high quality and the SP market appears to have been flooded.  There appears to be no deception about the proto accuracy of the paint schemes being applied to C50-8/-9 bodies.  Applying paint schemes to reasonably similar bodies is a time tested process for N scale and I hope that those who get these pleasing yet inaccurate paint schemes are as pleased with them as I have been with mine...

Now, these could be more perfect if they had all-wheel electrical pickup...

[MichaelWinicki]

  But now, I just have to wonder.  Companies can't continue to release one "retread" or "pricey foobie" item per month and survive long-term. (not complaining about prices overall, just meant for certain "model not based on prototype" schemes) Atlas in particular has used the "we're almost there" card for well over a year now.   Thanks to BLMA's spine cars, I'm not in the bathtub with the razorblades yet but....S.O.S. and Mayday and stuff.

The model RR business has become like the video game or movie dvd business... It's all about "new".

If the suppliers/manufacturers aren't coming out with "new" then they're hurting their cash flow.  On top of that they're hurting their distributors and their retailers because they do not have anything new to offer either. 

[asarge]

Gonna eat a little crow here.  As recently as a few months ago, I defended the lack of releases due to the economy and the situation in China with Bachmann screwing everybody over.   But now, I just have to wonder.  Companies can't continue to release one "retread" or "pricey foobie" item per month and survive long-term. (not complaining about prices overall, just meant for certain "model not based on prototype" schemes) Atlas in particular has used the "we're almost there" card for well over a year now.   Thanks to BLMA's spine cars, I'm not in the bathtub with the razorblades yet but....S.O.S. and Mayday and stuff.

Economy and China are still valid reason's and continue to have an effect on the hobby. Looking at Athearn specifically I'm not surprised nor do I expect anything new from these guys in the forseeable future...if ever. Looking at the bigger picture, the business climate they and the larger manufacturer's operate in is challenging to say the least. The price increases on some of Athearn's HO products will lead to some lower sales on them and they will have a harder time introducing enough "value added" enhancements to justify the price increases on even their highest quality products. This will not bode well for the N scale product line as they will have less $$$ to spend on tooling new N scale models. This will apply to more than just Athearn.

Personally I look to the new kids on the block to produce alot of the newer mpdels coming out, but do worry that their pricing may also inhibit the market in the short term. Not alot they can do about it, but at least for now it's the world we exist in.

[ljudice]

A good time to start thinking about layout building and less about rolling stock accumulation!!! 

- Lou