RMT's Next Success Story?

[Jumijo]

Below is a link to RMT's new BEEF A units. From what I was told, the BEEFs are shortened F-3s. When I first heard of this idea, I thought the locomotives would look cartoony. Too short. Nope. They look great! And the B units also are very nice. I can see people buying them up to use as heater cars.

Read the description, and it only gets better. "The BEEF features interior cab detail with individual engineer and fireman figures, dual can motors, electronic reverse F-N-R, front directional headlights on A Unit, flexible diaphragms, operating metal knuckle couplers, cab windows, metal hand rails and detailed metal chassis with multi-wheel electrical pickup." At $69.95, how can you hate it? Should I buy a Santa Fe, or a Boston and Maine? I just hope they go a little faster than the BEEPs.

Such a deal!

http://store.yahoo.com/readymadetoys/rmpe5.html

[FJ and G]

Jim,

Glad to see you were not tempted to title the post with the obvious: "Where's the Beef?" that old 1980s phrase uttered by a little old lady.

The detailing looks pretty authentic. A good example of "selective compression."[:D]

When will my predicted "Eggliners" start turning out?

[Bob Keller]

I was ready to buy them at York! I tried to place a pre-order but was told to calm down, they wouldn't be here for some time ... sigh. If they'd had the locos and passenger cars at the show, I think they'd have sold out.

These bad boys will be running on my railroad for certain.

[Jumijo]

I've been buying some inexpensive locos for the kids to run. We have a Beep and a few Thomas locos, and we will purchase a Beef or two I'm sure.

Bob,
The RMT web site is predicting an October delivery date for the BEEFs.

David,
That little old lady was Clara Peller. She has long since passed on.

RMT is also coming out with passenger car PEEPs. Simarly shortened and priced. They ride on a single six-wheeled truck-from what I hear. I can't recall if they are streamliners or not.

I'll wait and see what others have to say about these before I buy one. I think they will be great, but the early Beeps had a coupler issue that needed some pretty radical fixing - cutting the body shell's opening wider. If these BEEFs have bugs, I'll wait till they get worked out.

Jim

[brianel027]

This does go to show that there REALLY is a market for these kinds of smaller trains that the others for the most mart have chosen to ignore. And RMT's product is priced at a point where it is affordable, especially when compared to the others.

I'm sure there will be a few comments that this is too "027" and non-prototypical. Oh well. There's no shortage of products these days being made for those other buyers.

I've been saying for almost 15 years that the kinds of products RMT is making are EXACTLY what the hobby needs and that these very products WILL be successful. Good job Walter.

[JeffPo]

I don't know, jaabat. I think I agree with your first assessment. They look too short to me. While I'm sure they would be fun to play with, it looks just a little too wierd for me to invest in one. Now, I wouldn't refuse one as a gift ! :)

JeffPo

[Jumijo]

Brian,

RMT's products are very nice. You get an aweful lot of value for the money. Short money, too. As "cute" and unique as their products are, I firmly believe they sell so well based on the price and also the quality. Other train manufacturers could learn a thing or two from RMT.

Jim

[Frank53]

I think this is pretty cool myself:



How slow are they Jim?

[Jumijo]

I wonder if these are being made from new tooling or if Walter found some obscure, forgotten molds again.

Frank,
The Beep's maximum speed is a scale 40 mph. A little too slow to hold a kid's attention, but slow enough that you absolutely never have to worry about it flying off the tracks. I saw some Buddies at a train show and they seemed to go faster.

Jim

[Bob Keller]

The car samples were heavyweights - a coach, a baggage car (with a single door), and an open ended observation car that reminded me of that single truck novelty car that Walthers did some years ago.

Because I see so many products, I get excited about very few. I'd have stuffed these babies in my pockets to get'em back to Wisconsin. Two thumbs up.

Just taking a leap, I'd guess that the next stop for RMT would be a half-GG1, which, of course, does have a prototype. I'll bet that would sell, too!

[Dr. John]

The BEEF - What a great idea! I love the fact that both the A and B units will be powered. Running them in tandem will virtually eliminate stalling problems on switches. I'm looking forward to seeing all the roadname choices.

You know, if they could shorten the Lionel / Williams 44 tonner the same way, they would just about have their first scale model!

[Jumijo]

What would Walter call half a GG1?

A Gpoint5?

A GEEF?

A Ghalf?

A nicely done 44 tonner would probably do ok as well.

Jim

[FJ and G]

Jim,

The early Beeps also had issue navigating 027 track and switches but that has long since been worked out and one could probably assume that the Beef will be fine, or should I say "well done?"

[Craignor]

Folks,

I like the looks of these, I saw them and the shorty passenger cars (peeps) that were on display too. They look cool. I have three Beeps and am very satisfied with them.

My only recommendation for Walter is to sell a optional version of each Beep, Beef, and Buddy with a horn and a bell. Sounds would add alot of play value, but I am too inept to do an afftermarket conversion myself.

I would pay $100-125 for one equipped with sound.

[cnw1995]

These are going to be great - worth the price just for something different. May they fly off the virtual shelves! I can see a whole layout populated by these - talk about selective compression.

[Jumijo]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

Jim,

The early Beeps also had issue navigating 027 track and switches but that has long since been worked out and one could probably assume that the Beef will be fine, or should I say "well done?"

Very witty reply, David. The Beefs will no doubt be well done, but I think we can agree that as of now, they are rare.

I think the Beep's navigation problem was because of the coupler hitting the shell(?). The opening had to be enlarged.

Jim

[1688torpedo]

Now when Train Shops sell out the first production run & have none on their shelves. Everyone can ask; "Where's the Beef"?[:P][;)] Better watch out though. Walter may come out with a engine called "The Grits" & it will be made for shortline railroads based in the South.[;)][:P][:)][:o)] Take Care all

[phillyreading]

I just purchased & recieved a Rail Diesel Car from RMT and it runs great! The electronics in it have a three position F-N-R and you can also set the lights to stay on at one end or not along with turning off the reversing feature. Only have it three days and will see how well it does over a couple of years. Very affordable and looks great on 027 or GarGraves track, looks good next to a K-Line Plymouth switcher set.
The only thing about K-Line's Plymouth Switchers is that the roadname Strasburg for the Strasburg Railroad in Pennsylvania is not correct as Strasburg Railroad has only steam locomotives.
Maybe this will wake-up the larger companies making model trains that people don't want all the electronics on their trains.
Lee Fritz

[ChiefEagles]

Yankees will buy anything. [:0][;)] Got several Beeps to push hopper cars around. These will be interesting. Then you put in a Beep Commander with sound or Mini Commander with sound and you can contraol them with CAB1.

[Anonymous]

I'll sure be buying those BEEFs and the PEEP passenger cars, just as I bought a number of the BEEPs and have a couple of BUDDYs. I'm gonna outfit an entire display layout with there cute little critters, and just have fun. The scale-oriented folks can do their thing, and more power to them, but these neat buggers are just the ticket for a whimsical, carefree, and fun-filled little pike that just about anyone can afford and enjoy.

[Anonymous]

I can easily imagine an entire layout based on these little beefers and beepers! Especially if layout space is an issue. Is smaller rolling stock in the works? I REALLY like the Army related products.
Greg
Long live the V&T, and ARMY C Rations.[;)]

[thor]

Never heard of RMT until that article in the magazine and a reference to their website at OGR. Excellent prices and just what I'm looking for, they and Williams are getting my money before I buy any Lionel. Sorry Lionel but theres way too wide a gap and your stuff is really wonderful but out of my price range for the most part. Pity but there it is. I can only hope some affluent family members take the hint as I send them Lionel catalogs!

[Birds]

(clearing of throat...)

Woohoo!! Hoooraaaah!! Way to go!!! [:D][:D][:D]

I think these are a great size, length, and great price point. What a wonderful product to see brought to the hobby.

Can't wait until they show up.

Birds

[Craignor]

PhillyReading,

Relax, your Strasburg Plymouth is prototypical. I snapped this shot at Strasburg 4/16/04.[:)]

[MartyE]

YUK...but that's just me. I guess they'd be good for a my kids or something but the beeps didn't do anything for me either. I do think RMT does fill a void.

[jimhaleyscomet]

I CAN'T WAIT! I have 3 BEEPS and one caboose. I look forward to adding BEEFS and passenger cars.

I hope the shell is reversable like it is on the Beeps. That way you can purchase two A units and reverse the shell for an ABA all powered unit!

Who would of thought....A toy train manufacturer that builds TOY trains!

Jim H

[brianel027]

I'm with Thor on this one. I have little doubt in my mind that the high prices from the major players are more due to overall revenue needed for the entire company than what it actually cost to produce lower end items. In other words the lower end products are supporting the higher end products.

Counting all the new higher end product introductions in the past few years - some of these companies have got to have millions of dollars invested in new development and tooling before anything has even made a dime. And given that many of these products have somewhat more limited appeal, the answer (???) is to raise prices on the entire product line in order to help offset the tooling and development costs. Which would be wonderful if there was any new tooling for us non-scale 027 guys. The last item was in 1995. It took a full decade for Lionel to introduce a new item that would have appeal to non-scale operators.

The big players are doing this in as much for their own egos and market domination as for any other reason. And they won't be happy until they've wiped eachother off the map. K-Line decided they wanted to rule the world, forgot about their original loyal customers and followed a business plan that quickly took them out of business. So much for follow the leader.

So here comes RMT with products that many will hold in disdain. But most of us traditional non-command operators are hardly rivet counters, so these things aren't as important. What's really nice is to see that someone is actally listening to us: and it ain't Lionel and it ain't MTH. Well Dang! It's companies like RMT. And Williams, and now even Atlas! Lo and behold, the company that makes some of the very best scale pieces now recognizes there's are market for traditional non-scale trains!

Thor me too... I have no interest in having the new Lionel or MTH catalogs. I'm tired of having to search through 150+ pages to find maybe 6-10 pages of trains that might interest me. And then to see the continuing price increases in these particular trains that have long paid for their tooling and development ages ago.

I give RMT a lot of credit in this department. And Walter must be a genius because he's even figured out that it makes sense to put some modern road names on his decent products.... something the minds at Lionel just cannot seem to figure out.

[FJ and G]

Good analysis as usual, Brian,

RMT sees a niche and gladly fills it. Hey, the American way in action [:D][:D]

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Lionel, MTH and others, are you listening?

[FJ and G]

BB the beagle LOVES beef. WOnder if this would make a good chew toy for her. Oh my, seems she already chewed off the back end. [:D][:D][:D]

[johnandjulie13]

Being a relative newbie here, I did not know what a BEEP was. I saw the CTT article on the RMT Buddy, but that did not do anything for me since I wasn't interested in running subway type trains.

However, now having seen the BEEP and the upcoming BEEF, I think they are cute. Which means they won't be part of my regular running rotation, but I think they would be great to put on a temporary layout (e.g. around a christmas tree), or great for my son to run. You just can't beat the price.

Regards,

John O