HOGTRAINZ Intermountain Update

[Ed Kapuscinski]

And they seem to be pretty darn good at it!  Not sure what their secret-sauce is, but they seem to be "making it" in USA.

As I understand their new metal wheels are made by an outside American-based company (but assembled into wheelsets in-house).  Of course, their loco mechanisms were outsourced (to China), but MTL doesn't produce many locomotives.

But keep in mind, MTL has relatively few manufacturing processes:
Injection molding (bodies, parts, coupler parts, boxes, etc...).
Painting
Pad Printing on bodies
"Ink Jet" Printing on bodies
Printing on labels
Resin casting
3D Printing
Assembly

Think about what goes into something like a locomotive. It has much of the stuff above but also includes a lot more. It's easy when you have a good infrastructure to supply subcomponents (ie, 00-90 screws of various lengths and types, motors, gears, etc...), but without that infrastructure, you've got a much harder climb.

It's the "network effect".

[CBQ Fan]

I updated my original post to state this was from HOGTRAINZ website and that I have no affiliation with them. Sorry for any confusion in the op. I assume the down vote was someone thinking I had something to with the site or decision which I had neither. I guess that is what I get for trying to get the information out as I was walking through the door to leave. 

[davefoxx]

I updated my original post to state this was from HOGTRAINZ website and that I have no affiliation with them. Sorry for any confusion in the op. I assume the down vote was someone thinking I had something to with the site or decision which I had neither. I guess that is what I get for trying to get the information out as I was walking through the door to leave. 

Brian,

My guess is that somebody fat-fingered the down-vote button on a cell phone, because there was nothing wrong nor ambiguous about your original post.  I wouldn't let it bother you.  It could also be that someone is so disappointed with Hogtrainz cancelling certain IM preorders that he/she down-voted the post in their frustration with IM and/or Hogtrainz, not you.

Personally, I don't see how anybody could blame Hogtrainz.  They had to take a loss, because some preorders were so long ago that they're losing money to honor the sale now, due to unforeseen price increases from IM.  Kudos to Hogtrainz for honoring the sales that they did take losses on.  I don't blame them for dumping preorders with no delivery in sight.  That's a business decision by Hogtrainz to prevent that mistake from ever happening again.  Fool me once . . .

DFF

[Mark5]

It probably would have been better if the the thread Subject was Hogtrainz Intermountain Update

As it was, when I saw it (before I clicked on it) - it looked like an update from Intermountain.

Mark

[CBQ Fan]

It probably would have been better if the the thread Subject was Hogtrainz Intermountain Update

As it was, when I saw it (before I clicked on it) - it looked like an update from Intermountain.

Mark

Good suggestion. Edit made

[peteski]

But keep in mind, MTL has relatively few manufacturing processes:
Injection molding (bodies, parts, coupler parts, boxes, etc...).
Painting
Pad Printing on bodies
"Ink Jet" Printing on bodies
Printing on labels
Resin casting
3D Printing
Assembly

Think about what goes into something like a locomotive. It has much of the stuff above but also includes a lot more. It's easy when you have a good infrastructure to supply subcomponents (ie, 00-90 screws of various lengths and types, motors, gears, etc...), but without that infrastructure, you've got a much harder climb.

It's the "network effect".

Well, that is why I specifically mentioned that MTL was/is outsourcing loco chassis manufacturing to China.  But they still have pretty robust model train manufacturing process going in-house, and yes some smaller items get outsourced to other manufacturers.

Even before manufacturing migrated to China, there were very few companies in U.S. that made their goods 100% in-house.  There are always some items that they got from another in-country manufacturer.

[ncbqguy]

Except for electronics and motors M-T has all the processes in-house to do a loco in-house...and those are farmed out even in some Chinese factories.
M-T does die-casting and I think they have screw machines for wheels and other parts.
Athearn, Model Die Casting and other manufacturers used to supply each other when things were done in the US. 
I wish some young guy would found a full-service train factory in the US so boutique importers would have a local source for product. 
A Kader in the US could be competitive with the right mix of robotics and skilled workers.
Charlie Vlk

[narrowminded]

I wish some young guy would found a full-service train factory in the US so boutique importers would have a local source for product. 
A Kader in the US could be competitive with the right mix of robotics and skilled workers.
Charlie Vlk

I agree but also know what it takes to start something like that from zero.  It's capital intensive and convincing someone with the wherewithal to commit to a venture like this is asking a lot.  BUT... an existing shop with some machine time and some clever employees, which isn't too big of a stretch, could make this happen.  Start slow and let it evolve.  As far as components, like wheels, from start of drawings to product available could be done in a month or so. 

I haven't said anything because right now it's a very iffy proposition but there's a possibility that, if something doesn't break soon, the full line of metal wheels will be made available within a year or so and made entirely in the USA.  This would be from one of my consulting customer's shops where the purchase of a proper machine capable of producing wheels in the quantity and price range needed for this market is being seriously contemplated.  And what's funny is, producing wheels isn't driving the decision other than in a very small way.  It would be viewed only as a small filler job for the actual product driving the decision, which itself still won't max out the capability of such a machine, hence looking for other products that could be brought up to speed in pretty short order and help to justify the investment.  Several products are being considered before to bite the bullet and loosen the capital purse strings.  I'm not holding my breath at this point but it's entirely possible that this will happen.  Obviously, I will announce it if it's to be.

[thomasjmdavis]

Except for electronics and motors M-T has all the processes in-house to do a loco in-house...and those are farmed out even in some Chinese factories.
M-T does die-casting and I think they have screw machines for wheels and other parts.
Athearn, Model Die Casting and other manufacturers used to supply each other when things were done in the US. 
I wish some young guy would found a full-service train factory in the US so boutique importers would have a local source for product. 
A Kader in the US could be competitive with the right mix of robotics and skilled workers.
Charlie Vlk

The key to this is the name of the company- if it is "(insert fictitious name here) Scale Model Supply", it won't go anywhere.  If it is "Miniature Electronic Vehicle Corporation ^TM" , we could raise $2,500,000,000 in the IPO. The primary purpose would be "to provide components for drones, robotics and in-home miniature transportation systems."  The very fact that there are already smart phone apps to control the "in-home miniature transportation systems" will be enough to convince the government that we need this technology in the US, so we may also be able to get grants and NASA tech assistance.

And here everyone thought those marketing classes were a complete waste of time...

[hegstad1]

So where CAN one preorder Intermountain stuff these days?  There are some items that are coming up (according to them) that I wouldn't mind throwing my interest behind.  I really don't care how long it takes. 

[thomasjmdavis]

So where CAN one preorder Intermountain stuff these days?  There are some items that are coming up (according to them) that I wouldn't mind throwing my interest behind.  I really don't care how long it takes. 

I was asking the same question on one of the "Intermountain" threads (maybe this one?) and one of our Railwire fellow members suggested Fifer Hobby. https://www.fiferhobby.com/ I had an phone conversation with them, and they said they would take the reservations, with the caveat that they are in the same boat we are in terms of not knowing when, or if, any of the reservations will materialize as actual models.
I haven't placed reservations with them yet for IM, but did make a MTL pre-order and placed an order for supplies and an Atlas baggage (oops, forgetting what came in which box, make that the MTL SP boxcar/hopper) car, and that order was delivered 5 days later half way across the country, so I am favorably impressed.

It also appears that IM has opened their own online retail site- if you don't mind paying MSRP. https://irctrains.com/  The only N scale they list (as I write this) under their reservation tab are autoracks, but one assumes they would take reservations for other IM products listed on their main site.

[Mark5]

In theory, any retailer that deals with Walthers could reserve Intermountain products.

https://www.walthers.com/intermountain-railway-company

[EspeeGoldenState]

Spring Creek Model Trains will do IM preorders.

https://springcreekmodeltrains.com/

Nothing down to preorder. Great folks to work. Been dealing with them for 10 years now.

Chris

[nkalanaga]

As far as I know N Scale Supply still carries Intermountain stuff.  I have a bunch reserved through them, and they haven't told me it's been cancelled.

Of course, I don't expect to ever see any of it, but the reservations are still on file.

[RockGp40]

I don't know if this is a barometer of the health of Intermountain or not, but, on that well known auction site, there are a number of new release 4750s listed by a single seller. I reserved many of these with Chulvis in 2016 and am excited that apparently they're here!

Come on, MBK!