I am trying to determine if I want to advance order a Walthers Mainline Plymouth ML-8 DCC switcher available 2/28/2017. I have never advance ordered anything because I have heard some horror stories about the availability date being extended and extended. Does anyone have any idea as to Walthers performance on this? I found an MR youtube clip review on the switcher and I really want it.
Bear "It's all about having fun."
I kind of want one too, as the blue one with white roof is almost an exact color match for the real locos used by the cement company that will be on my layout. But I'm not preordering anything, I'm going to wait, they'll be plentiful on ebay at a steep discount if you wait. I want a non-DCC one so I can put sound in it.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
bearman ...I have heard some horror stories about the availability date being extended and extended.
...I have heard some horror stories about the availability date being extended and extended.
If the wait gets to be too long for you, cancel the order.
I pre-ordered mine September 1, 2016 at my local hobby shop. If I get to thinking that the wait's too long, a simple phone call will take care of the problem.
If you've seen the video, it's pretty obvious Walthers has made at least one. That would be the one you saw. Doesn't it seem likely that Walthers would move this project forward as quickly as reasonably possible? You know, to make money from sales?
Ed
I pre-ordered a couple of locos through Tony's Train Exchange a little over a year ago, got a good discounted price and didn't have to worry about finding and outbidding someone else. Have only seen one go for less on ebay and that wasn't by much, both had shipping, don't remember how that compared. Have two more of a late 2017 release ordered.
Yes, there are delays, extensions and the like, but they are going to occur however you order or wait for them. They all come at once regardless. Mine did have a May/June expected date, came in August. Don't really expect the new ones before 2018. They are from a different manufacturer, so maybe I'll be surprised and get them this year. Who knows? Not something I am going to worry about, if they come to dealers, I'll get mine.
Have fun,
Richard
bearmanI am trying to determine if I want to advance order a Walthers Mainline Plymouth ML-8 DCC switcher available 2/28/2017.
According to the Walthers website, even though the models are not expected until 2/28/17, the non-DCC unlettered black model is shown as sold out.
Quite frankly, I glossed over the non-DCC equipped locomotives and honed in on the black, unlettered, DCC version which is the version I want.
I ordered two NS ES44ac locomotives in Jan 2016 with expected delivery by Nov 2016. That is now delayed until May 2017. These are not high end finely detailed locomotives. I think a 17 month wait for a normal DC model is ridiculous. I obtained two nicely detailed ES44ac locomotives from Inter-Mountain and will probably cancel the Walthers order. As a sidebar, I purchased a Walthers 130' turntable 2 years ago and it became so much of a headache, I physically removed it from the layout. It would not index correctly to the various tracks depending on what engines where taking a ride. It now resides in its original shipping box. As a customer, I am highly disappointed with this pre-order wait time routine that is becoming prevalent in the hobby and a horrible experience with a product costing several hundred dollars. Fortunately I have 300 locomotives and I decided that's enough for one lifetime.
After reading the responses it is clear that beauty is in the eyes of the beholer. Some people have had positive/ok experiences, and some didnt.
Perhaps it should be: "Clarity is in the eye of the beholder."
For example, it is clear from reading this topic that if you didn't pre-order a black un-lettered DC version of the model, you're out of luck. Or, if things go in your favor, will be doing some hunting around before you find one.
And it is clear that if you pre-order and get tired of waiting, you can just cancel.
And that the one I pre-ordered will be shortly waiting at my local hobby shop, where the nice man will make a few bucks to pay the rent when he sells it to me.
Actually I pre-ordered the DCC version early this morning. I will see how it goes.
Who wants to lay odds that on the day people get their call that their preorder is in, I can find the "sold out" black unlettered one on eBay?
Just kidding on actual betting since I'm sure that is frowned upon by our hosts, but if someone reminds me about these things when they truly ship I will start looking. As well as look for the blue unlettered one that I want. I was trying to find a good example of somethign that was preorder only, limited run, now sold out so I could go look and see if I could find one but didn't have alot of time this morning. I guess most anything from Rapido would be a good start. I know I can still find Atlas Gold Series Trainmasters with QSI sound on eBay, some even still new in box - I forget what they went for new, if it was $200 or $300 for the sound version, but I got mine for $100 long after it was sold out. That's why for the most part I'm not bothered by the trend to preordering, there's always some around. Plus I haven't seen much that I could use besides this Plymouth and maybe a brass item or two which I can't afford no matter how cheap it is. The only thing I did ever preorder, adn that wasn't putting any money down, just notifying a dealer I know that I wanted one, was the original PCM Reading T1, I got it when they initally shipped to dealers, and the price this dealer offered was the sound version for $20 more than the MSRP of the plain DC version. And that wasn't a special 'friend' price, that's what he sold them for at the next train show he was at, the few he had left. I've since picked up another one on eBay, those are also long gone of course, the whole COMPANY is gone. I do prefer the Loksound decoder to the newer BLI versions with their sound system, and the only real change is that the BLI ones have smoke, which I would just turn off anyway. Being the EU versions meant I was able to replace some of the generic sounds with sounds recorded from the real thing. ANd depending on who gets theirs going first (2100 is undergoing rebuilding and conversion back to coal, and 2102 is finally getting some attention up at the R&N), I suspect our friendly local ESU representative will get a full set of sound recordings. WHich of course means upgrading to a Select decoder, but hey...
With rare exceptions, I get my train stuff from my local hobby shop. That would be one of the bricks and mortar ones that people bemoan disappearing. You know, the ones where they have to make sales to stay in business.
Anyway, I tend to preorder there. When something's announced, I usually know if I want it, or not. If I know I want it, why be shy?
Interestingly, if I ever have a problem with a preordered product, that guy deals with it for me. For example, my pre-ordered BLI cryo-tank was defective. I brought it back the next time I was in and got a refund. Hey, no shipping costs. I have also rejected defective product on pickup. Again, no problem.
rrinkerbut if someone reminds me about these things when they truly ship I will start looking.
Okay, Randy. Got an email from Walthers stating that the ML-8's are here, and all in stock with the exception of the black, unlettered, DC model which is still shown as temporarily out of stock.
You can start looking on ebay now
Already did, haven't seen any yet. But I suspect Walthers saying they are in stock means they have them there and are in the process of shipping them out to those who ordered them. Anyone that preordered have theirs in hand yet? If the arrive this week I suspect the eBay listings will go up over the weekend.
So I was on eBay for something unrelated just now and I remembered to search for these locos. Currently there are 6 that show up on th first page if searching for "walthers plymouth" including two of the blue undec ones I want. I didn't scroll through all the hits - you get the old AHM one, as well as automobiles. But at least 6 are on eBay right now. Told you :P
Heck if I want another one there are several Atlas Traimasters, gold series with sound, under $200. That's just the Reading as-delivered Pullman Green ones, I skip right over the green and yellow second gen scheme stuff.
Edit: Trainworld list all variations, DC and DCC in stock. $70 for the DC one. Modeltrainstuff has just the Santa Fe one.
My ML-8 arrived last Friday at my LHS.
It pulls six cars, approximately-NMRA-weighted, on level track before it starts really growling. The Keep-Alive in the DCC version makes it a nice runner, for a four-wheel model. Right out of the box, it's much faster than the Athearn/Roundhouse Model 40 and the Bachmann 45-tonner, but I haven't fiddled with any CVs yet, to slow it down.
The Model 40 and the 45-tonner pull more cars in the same conditions (12 and 10, respectively), but the ML-8 just looks like a much more common small industrial/agricultural switcher, at least for the rural Great Lakes area.
-Fritz Milhaupt, Publications Editor, Pere Marquette Historical Society, Inc.http://www.pmhistsoc.org
I'm picking mine up tomorrow. I went with black, because B&M actually owned one.