I too have run into the new order on my layout. I use a lot of grain cars, modeling Oklahoma and the Santa Fe in the late 1980's. Two brands (cars) have dominated my purchasing, ExactRail and Intermountain. I purchased over a period of time the ExactRail covered hoppers I wanted, then recently started on Intermountain. I had some of their cars but wanted more. I was able to pick up a few here and there but in time I have cleaned out the best two sources I knew of for those cars and in emailing and calling around, cannot find any more of the IM cars I was buying execept for 4 which I grabbed immediately.
Now I can operate and get by with what I already have, but it disturbs me to see the source of the cars dried up. In an email to them, they told me no plans to offer another run of the cars. So another really fine car will become extinct, maybe for a short time, maybe never.
But I have been in the hobby long enough to have aquired a large inventory of what I wanted (needed) so the operating sessions will continue and life will be good, at least for now.
Bob
Railphotog NP2626: Interesting read and very significant! We can support US production, very simply by buying from Accurail, Bowser and other kit manufacturers! Learn that it isn't hard at all to build model kits as opposed to buying RTR! I beleive Bowser's latest diesel offerings were made in China too.
NP2626: Interesting read and very significant! We can support US production, very simply by buying from Accurail, Bowser and other kit manufacturers! Learn that it isn't hard at all to build model kits as opposed to buying RTR!
Interesting read and very significant!
We can support US production, very simply by buying from Accurail, Bowser and other kit manufacturers! Learn that it isn't hard at all to build model kits as opposed to buying RTR!
I beleive Bowser's latest diesel offerings were made in China too.
It says "Made in China" on the box of my Bowser Executive Line ARR F7A.
hminky Where are they going to manufacture anything in the US?
Where are they going to manufacture anything in the US?
Where?
Or, when?
Alton Junction
Where are they going to manufacture anything in the US?The US manufacturing base was gutted in the '90's by "vulture" capitalism, all the "moneychangers in the Temple".I was in the injection molding business in the '90's when it was leaving, that is all gone now.Harold
Bowser diesels are made in China. Bowser cars are made in the US.
Capitalism at work, the guys who own Bachmann suck everyone into their production facility.Then tell the competitors to find somewhere else to make their competitive product.Ahh, capitalism, Darwinism at it's best. Survival of the fittest.Harold
Hi!
Where are today's "Irv Athearns"???
There is a lot to be said in having a US made loco or car. The folks putting them together will know at least something about American (and Canadian) railroads, and be able to read the signage and recognize errors that have escaped the non English speaking folks.
And the other issue is the acquisition of after sale service and parts........... For decades you could write Athearn in California and get pretty much whatever you needed - and they knew what you were talking about. In example, think of Rapido's production of "Central Illinois" baggage cars..................
Will American models cost more? Well sure they will. But if they produce a quality product, we will buy more, and with higher production, prices can and likely will fall.
I would much rather pay a premium for something made in the USA (North America) than for something made on another continent...........
For what its worth..................
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
IRONROOSTER richhotrain: The only thing that this all tells me is that once you surrender the means of production to a foreign country, you are thereafter held hostage. The solution is to return to our roots and bring production back to the United States and employ American workers once again. Rich But how much of a price hike do we get with that? Or maybe we go back to our scratch building roots.
richhotrain: The only thing that this all tells me is that once you surrender the means of production to a foreign country, you are thereafter held hostage. The solution is to return to our roots and bring production back to the United States and employ American workers once again. Rich
The only thing that this all tells me is that once you surrender the means of production to a foreign country, you are thereafter held hostage.
The solution is to return to our roots and bring production back to the United States and employ American workers once again.
Rich
But how much of a price hike do we get with that? Or maybe we go back to our scratch building roots.
Acoording to that letter, product won't even be available for some period of time into the indefinite future. So, the real question is whether we will be paying anything at all.
If it were made in the U.S. at least it would be available even if we had to pay more.
And, I am not convinced that we would have to pay more.
The original reasons for shipping the means of production overseas are long gone now and forgotten.
NP2626 Interesting read and very significant! We can support US production, very simply by buying from Accurail, Bowser and other kit manufacturers! Learn that it isn't hard at all to build model kits as opposed to buying RTR!
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
After many years, in which outsourcing a production to foreign (mainly Asian9 countries was the name of the game, we will have to learn, that "back-sourcing" is the way to stay in a market. I know of a number of companies in Germany, who already went this way, not only for reasons of quality, but availability. People here are not prepared to wait for months and years for what finally is a toy (even if we don´t like that name)!
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
richhotrain The only thing that this all tells me is that once you surrender the means of production to a foreign country, you are thereafter held hostage. The solution is to return to our roots and bring production back to the United States and employ American workers once again. Rich
I'm glad that I have enough stuff to keep me going for years.
Paul
So it appears that, for the immediate future, it's Bachmann or nothing.
(In my case it's Bachmann, or Kato, or Tenshodo, or Katsumi, or (fillintheblank,) plus money exchange fees, international shipping, customs (if any)...
Thanks for the insight, Tom. Now we know what happens when one manufacturer/distributor achieves a monopoly. It isn't pretty.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
I don't agree that this is a can of worms. It's needed!
I saw this on one of the Canadian model railroad Yahoo Forums and was going to post it here and on the Atlas Rescue Forum.
IMHO, that letter provides an excellent perspective from the side of the manufacturers. I'm one of those modelers that was a bit frustrated because certain models took a very long time to arrive on the market, or models that were being considered for production were cancelled. So this letter helps to explain things from "the other side of the desk". It's respectfully well thought out and stated.
Will it make us any happier? Of course not. I knew what was happening, but reading it from the manufacturer's side helps me to appreciate their position more profoundly. So for me, it means that the liklihood of seeing another Athearn RTR run of FRISCO SD45s has diminished considerably. These are tough times and everyone is feeling the effects all the way around.
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
Here we go...
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
The following is the body of an email I just received. I think it is worth your attention:Industry UpdateThe hobby is in a manufacturing turmoil, due to a lack of production capacity now. There is no question; you have seen the delays from virtually all manufacturers. Pick any manufacturer’s name and their products are delayed. Why you ask? There are several reasons. The primary one is that the largest factory which produced models for a wide variety of manufacturers has shut its doors to those manufacturers. After it had been bought and sold several times, it was bought out by the Bachmann group and now produces models solely for Bachmann. This was a huge production facility, about 10 times the normal size of a typical Chinese factory. Or think of it as 10 factories operating under one name.There is no other "big" factory, equivalent in size. As a result, many manufacturers have been forced to scramble and find another factory that can produce their models. However, there is no other "A" size factory, the next size is "B" size, 1/10th of the "A" size. If you can imagine the size of China’s manufacturing sector, you might well say to yourself there should be lots of factories. There is, they produce lots of electronics, such as games, toys, appliances, telecommunications, etc. However, model trains are way down at the bottom of the list, as it is such a small market. Believe it or not, there are very few companies capable of model train production. There are about three "B" size main factories and some smaller "C" size factories. Then you have the issue of complexity. Our hobby products involve tool and die making, electronics, motors, plastic extrusion, assembly, and painting. All of this has to be done with fine tolerances. All of these areas require dedicated areas and skilled employees. Compare all of that to an example, a “Barbie doll”, with much greater tolerance for error. The result to you the modeler is that your promised future models have been delayed. As dealers, we and all other dealers are the recipient of modelers’ frustrations, as we are their direct contact. I can certainly understand and empathize with modelers’ frustrations. We have the same frustration, except it is multiplied a hundred times or more. We, as dealers and distributors, plan on models delivered in future months for our cash flow planning, staffing and other commitments. Every store, distributor and manufacturer is experiencing the same problems. There is no immediate fix or date when “normalcy” will return to the hobby.Another issue affecting production is working capital, or more specifically, the lack of working capital, both in North America and in Asia. The financial crisis of 2008 has hammered businesses around the globe. Working capital has dried up for many manufacturers. In foreign countries, a number of manufacturers may be taking funds from one customer and applying them to another, they are “robbing Peter to pay Paul” to stay in business. I know of a number of our North American importers, with manufacturers overseas, who are in this position of waiting, and waiting, and waiting. They have supplied funds to their overseas manufacturers for research and development, tooling, raw materials and production costs, and are waiting on receiving a pre-production sample. They may even have approved the sample and are waiting for production to occur, but they are still waiting. It is out of their control. Now is not the time to berate manufacturers for not delivering products to you. It is a global issue.
As one of the major dealers in North America, we have a large number of reservations. We are also a distributor and a manufacturer (with our own Pointe St. Charles caboose project). We like you are experiencing the frustrations of delays.The only thing we can say to you is to be patient. Take care.All the best,Tom Tomblin, President,Canadian Model Trains Inc.