More IM sd40-2 roadnames

[asarge]

Me too and with detachable hoods to mix and match. 

[sirenwerks]

I think I understood IM’s business model as announcements of new road names are free, they just only end up producing the ones that cross a certain threshold of pre-orders.

This.  I'm not sure they call it what it is - market survey - not production announcement.

[drgw0579]

> This.  I'm not sure they call it what it is - market survey - not production announcement.

I asked them about this.  The way it works is they spend  a fair amount of time figuring out what they want to offer.  Initial graphics are prepared and research is performed to ensure their model has the correct details  When its a model that they offer both HO and N, they may be fairly certain the HO model will have enough reservations to produce, but often not so sure about the N scale.  But what the hell, at least this is a way to find out for sure.  So N scale announcement *might* be called market research. But if they don't ask, they'll never know if there is enough interest.  It takes some of the risk out of offering less than popular road names.  Otherwise you get BNSF, UP and PRR.

The other thing is unlike other vendors, a dealer's "reservation" isn't a commitment to buy.  When the container arrives, their sales staff contacts each dealer to confirm the number they originally "reserved".  If for some reason something changed, the dealer can change the number he gets shipped.

Bill Kepner

[basementcalling]

I see several flaws in their model.

One, it raises false hopes. I can only control my own choices, and if a product is "advertised" and then not delivered, it leads people who requested a cancelled road not to place reservation s in the future.

2, it's not clear to lost people how they are using the list of names to genrerate actual production.

3. Pardon my skepticism, but if they can't get a basic set of road names even Kato could make to market,  why reserve a scheme in the second or third run until something is actually available to buy.

[jagged ben]

I see several flaws in their model.

One, it raises false hopes. I can only control my own choices, and if a product is "advertised" and then not delivered, it leads people who requested a cancelled road not to place reservation s in the future.

2, it's not clear to lost people how they are using the list of names to genrerate actual production.

3. Pardon my skepticism, but if they can't get a basic set of road names even Kato could make to market,  why reserve a scheme in the second or third run until something is actually available to buy.

Not particularly logical there... 

What's the worst that could happen by pre-ordering something that may not get produced?  That you don't have to pay for it?    The smart thing to do is to pre-order it anyway.

And I know, the objection is "But then I don't have the budget when some other company actually produces something I want!"  Ok then, cancel your pre-order and buy the actually produced item.   It's the best of both worlds, since it increases the chances that the model you pre-ordered will get produced, then end up on eBay in a fire sale when you finally have the dough again.

They are trying to game you, you have to game them back.

The bigger issue is that they expect people to pre-order new models that have never been produced.  They need to suck it up on the first run and produce some models so that people know what their buying.  The model is okay for later runs, not first runs.

[basementcalling]

Not particularly logical there... 

What's the worst that could happen by pre-ordering something that may not get produced?  That you don't have to pay for it?    The smart thing to do is to pre-order it anyway.

And I know, the objection is "But then I don't have the budget when some other company actually produces something I want!"  Ok then, cancel your pre-order and buy the actually produced item.   It's the best of both worlds, since it increases the chances that the model you pre-ordered will get produced, then end up on eBay in a fire sale when you finally have the dough again.

They are trying to game you, you have to game them back.

The bigger issue is that they expect people to pre-order new models that have never been produced.  They need to suck it up on the first run and produce some models so that people know what their buying.  The model is okay for later runs, not first runs.

I don't have time to waste playing their game, then keeping up with which things are on order, on hold, cancelled, or whatnot. They cancel more items than they make, so why waste time with a company with less than a 50% track record?

[drgw0579]

I'm not defending their policy, just reporting of what I was told.

I've been trying to figure out a better way to do this.  Maybe a website where you would "vote" on what you'd like to see in the next year or so.   If there was a lot of money to be made here, maybe you hire a fancy market research firm. 

Or once 3D-printing with the associatd 2-D paint application becomes practical, maybe you make everything to order.

[basementcalling]

Other companies do it to some degree. Almost every company has delayed, postponed or cancelled some project for lack of interest, usually judged by advanced reservations, but nobody does this to the degree I'M does. Dropping one of 6 or 7 road names on occasion is understandable, but not what fate awaits many of those listed roads.

[Philip H]

I'm not defending their policy, just reporting of what I was told.

I've been trying to figure out a better way to do this.  Maybe a website where you would "vote" on what you'd like to see in the next year or so.   If there was a lot of money to be made here, maybe you hire a fancy market research firm. 

Or once 3D-printing with the associatd 2-D paint application becomes practical, maybe you make everything to order.

The best way to do it is to hold off on more announcements of paint schemes until the first run is delivered.  Then they can get a real gauge of interest based on how these actually look and run.

[sirenwerks]

The best way to do it is to hold off on more announcements of paint schemes until the first run is delivered.  Then they can get a real gauge of interest based on how these actually look and run.

That, and the company, at least on first run of a new product, can work bugs out before scheduling second delivery. Rather than pulling back on an already contracted second run.

[Leggy]

Considering how iffy their last SD40/45 models have been, they should've focused on getting the first run out.....

[w neal]

Remember the DM&IR SD45-2? - I think they were. That was a real shame. They were not even close to the color of their DM&IR "tunnel motors". The company is great and staffed by some wonderful people but I prefer to paint my own stuff. I must see them in person first. No preorders for me thanks.

[Denver Road Doug]

What's the worst that could happen by pre-ordering something that may not get produced?  That you don't have to pay for it?    The smart thing to do is to pre-order it anyway.

Because it PISSES ME OFF, that's what could happen.

I'm so sick of placing orders for Intermountain items only to have them cancelled I could $%&@ing scream.   (mostly covered hoppers, to this point)   I get excited about getting an item I've wanted, and FOREGO OTHER PURCHASES of real products, and then boom nothing.  They call it preorders/reservations, others call it market research, I call it being lazy.  I have been a VERY LOYAL Intermountain customer for over a decade and have bought well into the thousands of dollars worth of their product.   I don't deserve this BS, and I won't play anymore.  I have ZERO confidence that anything they "announce" is done with any intention of producing it.

[pedro]

The modelers I know feel like DRD ^ does about Intermountain. Me too. They have zero cred at this point. Sub-par products delivered on a whim. No thanks, and definitely no preorders. Their scattershot system is a joke. Throw a bunch of s#!t at the wall and see what sticks. I MIGHT buy when and if they hit the street.

[conrail98]

It's also a budgeting issue for people. If I pre-order, that's money I need to set aside and not touch, sometimes in what feels like perpetuity, due to delays, etc. I could go either way on the whole pre-order thing. I understand the need to know how much to make, but at the same time, continuous delays from a manufacturer could be major food for thought the next time they announce something. As for IM, generally speaking, I don't like "2nd or 3rd" order/release being announced before the first has come in. If they're going to do multiple roadnames, say for mold reasons, then announce them all at once with different deadlines for pre-order and delivery,

Phil