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Well, having those blow outs pretty much puts the entire experience of pre-ordering, reserving or otherwise securing a model before it gets produced out of the way. One only needs to wait 6 months to a year and get it for half off on the FDT model.Once the hobbyshops discontinue pulling product to sell, the silence on the Broadway Limiteds's phones will be pretty loud. Then there is product that may or may not be produced. Modelers will not want to take the trouble or time to wait and see if one actually got produced. They will find it from the competition or subsitute it for another product that will fill the need.The vicious cycle will feed on itself.Regarding new products, I no longer rely on Monthly Issues of MR. I get it right here on these forums once someone says "HEY! LOOKIE AT THIS NEW ENGINE!" Huh? A bit of research is done online and within a few days you have a pretty good idea what's what.Then to read the official product announcement on the pages of the next month's MR? Ho.. hum.. too slow and too late johnny. And to find out in some cases that the model will be sold out or not produced at all. Not good for the hobby.I think the entire Hobby with regard to new products is seriously broken. Products like... Mini metals new trucks or the Rapido Passenger Cars work well when one considers how they are being produced, what models are availible and WHEN they are due at the LHS. No pain of worrying if engine X will ever make it to the LHS.In fact, forget the LHS for those engines, let's all sit on the internet and wait for it on Ebay or FDT.If Broadway Limited wants to recapture it's business. They need to do three things:Scrap FDT.Establish firm pricing for everyone.Eastablish and commit to a full production schedule all the way through. Dont be iffy or in any way shaky on possible production or new products. Either make the damn thing or not announce it at all.I have been following a number of products from PCM, BLI for over a year and almost more than two years since they are announced. Some are availible most are not. There is no new information which suffers from over-age and low-confidence as to the validity of the data. Such a such a product announced two years ago and continually pushed back in "Delivery date" does not a happy customer make.Take the recent NYC Mohawk 4-8-2 These forums has discussed this engine to perfection with most interested parties very well aware of potential features and in some cases learned enough to adjust thier orders to get the versions they want.. such as boxpok drivers.The durn engine is not even illustrated with photos or any information as to sound or availibility yet. I doubt I will ever see this engine at the LHS in person. Will I order one? Probably not as I am over-equippted in that wheel arrangement and am waiting on other products to actually come out of production and become availible so I can get them and move on.10 years from now I may find a copy somewhere and get it for 50 bucks because it will be obselete compared to the new engines in the distant future. Or any engines at all are produced.What happens if everyone produces an engine, no one buys it until it finally bubbles up as unwanted children on FDT or some other site far away from our beloved LHS?I recently noticed that dealerships are not moving new product very well. They are doing good work moving quality used vehicles and throwing the junkers back into the system for someone else to worry about.Makes me wonder if the entire process of Factory, Sales, Support and Repair is revelant at all. I can see a manufactor say.. no, we are not going to produce this engine because not enough people are interested in it.Might as well close and lock the place up and go home. We're all done in the engine business at that point.
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