Walthers is now distributing Exactrail. What has me scratching my head is they've posted almost everything Exactrail has ever made on their site with tba or backorder (a few sold-outs) but no Johnstown Coalporters. Does that mean:
Exactrail is going to re-run items that they have already made?
Never again re-run the coal cars?
I hope that I can still order from the dealer I was using, they're doing a fantastic job with direct connections and now I can't buy Lunde Studios kits from them for the same reason.
Mine doesn't move.......it's at the station!!!
So far ExactRail has re-run some items but not universally. I think it is safe to say that nothing is sure, but they do seem to be rerunning many popular freight cars, its just a matter of time. I know they have rerunt the 40' box cars and the 62' beer PC&F cars have been rerun, and a few others, but in some cases the reruns weren't all identical road names. The hi-cube 60' box cars have rerun some road names but not all, and one or two new names thrown in. I know I was looking forward to the rerun of the black N&W version but it was not in the 2nd run.
I do think ExactRail has some very nice freight cars, many of which fill in niches of the 70's and 80's, which to some degree have been ignored in favor of older era freight cars or post 1990 modernish era cars.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
ho modern modeler Walthers is now distributing Exactrail. What has me scratching my head is they've posted almost everything Exactrail has ever made on their site with tba or backorder (a few sold-outs) but no Johnstown Coalporters. Does that mean: Exactrail is going to re-run items that they have already made?
I understand that when a manufacturer agrees to Walters distribution of their product, there are some contractual requirements regarding stocking levels at Walters, turn-around times on Walters orders, and so forth. Many one-man shops find these terms too onerous, and/or cannot afford to give the required discount to Walthers, and so stay with direct sales only. Of course, I've heard enough horror stories to wonder how consistently Walthers enforces the terms of the agreement.
Some of the larger and more agressive hobby shops contact the small manufacturers directly to carry some or all of their products through special and separate sales agreements. But it's a lot of work for the hobby shop. There has to be demand or anticipated demand for the product. I Know my LHS has been carrying Exactrail for some months now.
Fred W