I would add:
Train Control Systems
Soundtraxx
MRC
NCE
Details West Associates
Plastruct
Con-Cor
Mantua Classics
Modeling the Pennsy and loving it!
Another full moon!!!!!!!!!!
Charlie
charlie9 Another full moon!!!!!!!!!! Charlie
Looks that way, eh?
joe
kbkchoochUm guys, modeltrainstuff.com IS MB Klein!
Um, it was a joke. I've been a customer MB Klein/modeltrainstuff since the late 90's.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Hmmm. Am I the only one who would miss Accurail, Bowser, and Tichy?
Wayne
NCE and ESU... Ditto to Athearn, Atlas, Peco, Kadee, Woodland Scenics, Timberline Scenery, Walthers, NJ International, TCS, Bachmann.Probably others I've forgotten.
Modelling HO Scale with a focus on the West and Midwest USA
I would miss Accurail, even though few hobby shops near me carry there products.
Gordon
Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!
K1a - all the way
Modeltrainstuff.com
great prices and excellent website and service.
doctorwayne Hmmm. Am I the only one who would miss Accurail, Bowser, and Tichy? Wayne
Wayne, on this forum, it might just be you and me.
Sheldon
Naw Wayne, Accurail is my very best-favorite! I love that Accurail is committed to continuing with kits and loves those of us who want our model railroad products provided that way.
However, is the sky really falling? Again?
NP 2626 "Northern Pacific, really terrific"
Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: http://www.nprha.org/
Even though they make few kits for the modern era, I would miss Accurail as well. The ones I have bought I like very much. Same goes for Bowser.
- Douglas
Let's add
Lionel
American Models
MTH
BTS
Floquil
Williams
Weaver
Ye Olde Huff n Puff
Enjoy
Paul
I think if Tichy went under I'd either have to start a serious hord of kits or join a 12 step program, so add me to the list!
Two seasons in my Canada, Modelling and Paintball.
ATLANTIC CENTRALdoctorwayneHmmm. Am I the only one who would miss Accurail, Bowser, and Tichy? WayneWayne, on this forum, it might just be you and me. Sheldon
doctorwayneHmmm. Am I the only one who would miss Accurail, Bowser, and Tichy? Wayne
Bit lonely at the top? Or the bottom? or whereever?
Honestly I like Accurail and owned a fair number of kits by them. The issue with them is it is hard to find matches of their models to the prototype, if that matters to you. If "generic" models are acceptable then, Accurail is a great source of inexpensive freight cars. Since I have limited space and money, and no layout at present, part of my hobby is to research models vs prototype and try to buy models which match real freight cars as closely as possible for my era and location.
To the extent that I can find good matches or close stand-in's, I do buy Accurail and Bowser (don't know much about Tichy - but those might be craftsman kits - since I'm not a "real modeler" I avoid craftsman kits. Also keep in mind that Accurail and Bowser focus on more 40's-60's's stuff with only a little bit of 70's and 80's rolling stock, so that also may bias a lot of more modern modelers away from them. It's not a bad thing, it's just not their era.
Dr Gonzo I think if Tichy went under I'd either have to start a serious hord of kits or join a 12 step program, so add me to the list!
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
dti406 I would feel no sadness if "Botchmann" went under, I have never owned and will never own one of their products. I fixed way too many of them at the hobby shop I did repairs for. Rick J
I would feel no sadness if "Botchmann" went under, I have never owned and will never own one of their products. I fixed way too many of them at the hobby shop I did repairs for.
Rick J
Bachmann is owned by Kader, who also own factories that make products for several companies. If Kader goes down, it would significantly impact the entire industry.
Apart from Kader, the biggest losses would be Horizon (because of wholesaling as much as Athearn) and Walthers for reasons that should be obvious.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Second, if I had to pick a US company in this business that might be in trouble, I can only think of two: MTH and Broadway Limited.
Second, if I had to pick a US company in this business that might be in trouble, I can only think of two:
MTH and Broadway Limited.
I could easily see MTH abandoning the HO market. I don't know enough about the 3 rail market, but I always see MTH well represented at shows.
I have several personal axes to grind against BLI, but I don't think I'm alone in that regard. They have made some beautiful stuff, but they really need to get their act together. Wouldn't be surprised if they pull the plug.
I can't say I'd care too much about Accurail or Tichy, but I would miss Bowser quite a bit for their fine work on traction models. I love their PCCs!
Juan
Milepost 266.2 I could easily see MTH abandoning the HO market.
I could easily see MTH abandoning the HO market.
MTH has presented a number of excellent new HO steam locomotives of German prototype at the Nuremberg Toy Fair this year. Seems as if MTH is doing a lot more than just putting a foot in the door of what is supposedly the world´s largest model railroading market.
Back to the original question. I can do without any of the mainstream manufacturers as a more or less rely completely on scratchbuilding, using cheap and easy to get materials. I do need the odd kit or part, but there are a number of kitchen counter type businesses, mainly in the UK, catering for my needs. From my perspective, however, I think it would be a pity, if Bachmann and Broadway Limited would go belly up. Bachmann, IMHO, has made a step up improvement in quality, at still affordable prices, so has BLI. In the area of scenic materials and decoration, it´ll be a shame to see WS, Busch or Heki go.
Sir Madog Milepost 266.2 I could easily see MTH abandoning the HO market. MTH has presented a number of excellent new HO steam locomotives of German prototype at the Nuremberg Toy Fair this year. Seems as if MTH is doing a lot more than just putting a foot in the door of what is supposedly the world´s largest model railroading market. Back to the original question. I can do without any of the mainstream manufacturers as a more or less rely completely on scratchbuilding, using cheap and easy to get materials. I do need the odd kit or part, but there are a number of kitchen counter type businesses, mainly in the UK, catering for my needs. From my perspective, however, I think it would be a pity, if Bachmann and Broadway Limited would go belly up. Bachmann, IMHO, has made a step up improvement in quality, at still affordable prices, so has BLI. In the area of scenic materials and decoration, it´ll be a shame to see WS, Busch or Heki go.
MTH might do much better in Germany than they are doing here with HO, for a number of cultural and marketing reasons. As you well know, German modelers are much more "quality RTR oriented" and more open to the "proprietary" product idea.
Despite dramatic growth in quality RTR "modeling", the US market is still heavily influenced by the "model builder" approach of the past, and the lack of DC only models, the sometimes "heavy or crude to be durable" detail, the proprietary control system and the high prices all work against MTH with different segments of the North American market.
Among the 30 very dedicated and active modelers in our local round robin group, many with hundreds of locos and 1200 sq ft basement empires, there is exactly ONE MTH loco to date - and that owner is not overly impressed.
Who cares, as it seems that few ever go away forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Varney is still around even, but most don't know it. I can get Alexander again, Ayres is still available for the most part, plus hundreds of others, most just go to other flags although production goes away for awhile.
Hey, don't forget one of the oldest and most important of all..................
KALMBACH PUBLISHING !!!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
Sheldon,
while I would not say Mike is on the retreat in the US market, his move into the German market is quite audacious. Germany is dominated by the likes of Roco/Fleischmann, Marklin, Trix at the "middle" level" and Brawa at the top end. Apparently the price level of up to $ 800 + for a high quality, high detail RTR plastic loco is attractive enough to risk a quite sizable investment. There seems to be sufficient buying power around in this country, but you will have to certainly count me out in that range.
As you correctly state, the German market is more a RTR market, less a kit builder´s market and even less a scratchbuilding market. There is only one company offering loco kits, Weinert of Kirchweyhe near Bremen. Their kits are exquisite and you can produce museum quality locos from them, but this is just a tiny niche. DJH Engineering, formerly Model Loco, a quite successful manufacturer from The UK, failed completely in Germany, although their kits were competitively priced.
mobilman44 Hey, don't forget one of the oldest and most important of all.................. KALMBACH PUBLISHING !!!
Couldn´t agree more!
ATLANTIC CENTRALSecond, if I had to pick a US company in this business that might be in trouble, I can only think of two: MTH and Broadway Limited.
I second the notion, and I'll throw in Exactrail because of their new policy (can only get cars from them now). It's kind of a shame really, because I was looking foward to the 60' centerbeam and the FMC 4000 gondola
Loosing MTH doesn't really affect me, they've only made a few things I could use (Fs, GP35, and the 60' flatcar). But I'm making my own Fs from old Stewarts, I detail Athearn RTR GP35s to get one I want, and I'd rather have IM or MDC kits for the 60' flat.
BLI has made a few things I would like (SD7/9, C30-7, Switchers, and the SD40-2). But the price, wacky electronics, little prototype detail (one of my C30-7s has the wrong sideframes), kinda crude molding, weird paint (the green on my C30-7s is kinda flourecent and the black flakes), and really limited runs has really waned my interest in them. However I do like their SW7 and NW2 for their metal frames (If I can get my hands on a pair of undecs or BNs I'll detail them up). However they seem to do a good job with steamers, and I wish they hadn't canceled their GN S2 Northern (want a steam excursion and like those locos)...
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
Packer ATLANTIC CENTRALSecond, if I had to pick a US company in this business that might be in trouble, I can only think of two: MTH and Broadway Limited. I second the notion, and I'll throw in Exactrail because of their new policy (can only get cars from them now). It's kind of a shame really, because I was looking foward to the 60' centerbeam and the FMC 4000 gondola Loosing MTH doesn't really affect me, they've only made a few things I could use (Fs, GP35, and the 60' flatcar). But I'm making my own Fs from old Stewarts, I detail Athearn RTR GP35s to get one I want, and I'd rather have IM or MDC kits for the 60' flat. BLI has made a few things I would like (SD7/9, C30-7, Switchers, and the SD40-2). But the price, wacky electronics, little prototype detail (one of my C30-7s has the wrong sideframes), kinda crude molding, weird paint (the green on my C30-7s is kinda flourecent and the black flakes), and really limited runs has really waned my interest in them. However I do like their SW7 and NW2 for their metal frames (If I can get my hands on a pair of undecs or BNs I'll detail them up). However they seem to do a good job with steamers, and I wish they hadn't canceled their GN S2 Northern (want a steam excursion and like those locos)...
I think you are wrong about Exactrail - direct marketing may well be what saves this hobby, not what brings it down.
Be it direct to the customer or direct to retailers, single point distribution (no distributors) has already saved Athearn and others. Even lines still handled by the remaining distributors are sold direct - Boswer, Intermountain, Campbell, Kadee, and long list of others.
If you want an Exactrail product, simply go on their web site and buy it. If you have some idea in your head that the price would be lower if they sold to dealers, you are wrong.
The reason they went to direct sales was so they could keep prices where they are rather than raising them.
Sheldon must only be speaking to those "old school" O-scale dealers who don't attempt to sell the MTH HO scale product because they consider it somehow inferior to O-scale.
The facts in my area of the U.S. are that MTH HO stuff is doing quite well at one fairly large train store that I frequent (who also does a significant mail order business). There have been very few quality control problems with MTH HO stuff--notably much less than with other "more popular" HO manufacturers. When I did have a problem with one SD70ACe (out of five) they (MTH) took care of it quickly with a complete replacement body (it had warped due to excessive heat from a bad motor). The end result is that MTH stuff is outselling some of the competition, which is visibly laying on the store shelves, unsold.
I no longer fool around with HO steam at all, and am actually buying Athearn Genesis diesels as of late, but the MTH HO steam is holding its own in this geographic area.
They have taken steps to make their engines run well in DC mode. I was very happy with an Erie PA-1 before switching to more "modern" diesels.
John
Nope, Wayne, you would NOT be the only one. Those three make up the majority of MRRing companies still offering kits anymore and ALL three are made here in the US. I'd miss Accurail for their rolling stock, Bowser for their Stewart diesels, and Tichy for their parts.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL dti406 I would feel no sadness if "Botchmann" went under, I have never owned and will never own one of their products. I fixed way too many of them at the hobby shop I did repairs for. Rick J You are most welcome to not buy Bachmann, but you are missing out on a number of excelent models, especially if you model steam. Sheldon
You are most welcome to not buy Bachmann, but you are missing out on a number of excelent models, especially if you model steam.
As long as they produce models that resemble your prototype. While I can't vouch for the 4-8-4 Niagara, many of Bachmann offerings in steam for the NYC are useless to me. Their 0-6-0, 2-6-0, 2-6-2*, 2-8-0, 4-6-0 - either never existed* on the NYC...or looked nothing like the NYC prototype.
So, while they may run well, Sheldon, Bachmann steamers are generally "duds" on my layout.
I wouldn't mind if MRC went away, except for the people who would lose their jobs over it.