NTS mini report

[SkipGear]

I just want to see Athearn bring the Ford Model A and all it's variations to N. They are gorgeous in HO.

[asarge]

Yes they are Tony! They are way too old for me, but they are nice and sell pretty darn well.

I tend to regard vehicles as a scenery item and tend to be very careful with what I buy, but I applaud Carter for his efforts and things are looking good forN scale vehicles. We do need more lightweight, less detailed cars and trucks for autoracks. My personal wishlist from Athearn would be the Grain trucks and stake beds, as well as the Ford F850. Those are even better than the C trucks IMO.

[sirenwerks]

I am not holding my breath on that one either.  I gave John a CD with several photos of Ford C Series trucks with grain beds and several shots of a really nice F-850 flatbed with lettering for a blacksmith shop on the door.  That was nearly two years ago.  He said thanks, and I actually thought the photos might inspire them to do C Series grain trucks as well as the F-850 in N scale. 

With all that said, I still think we stand a chance of learning what Athearn's next N vehicle will be by the time iHobby rolls around in October.

Carter

Curious. It just seems logical the F850 would be here by now since the gap between the appearance of N scale models after announcement of their HO counterparts has been closing. The N Ford C took some time, Mack B and R less time, and the Flxible was concurrent. And while, afterwards, the truck variations are slow in keeping up, one would just think the F850 body type would appear similarly. Athearn seems to have a licensing relation with Ford already for N scale, proven by the C model. I'm curious what the hold up would be. I know I'm ready to buy a slew of them and it seems others are too, as the want for the F850 was repeated several times in another topic on this list. I wonder if, when it comes to truck models, Athearn has its ears on and is listing in here, good buddy.

[Mark5]

Athearn seems to have a licensing relation with Ford already for N scale, proven by the C model. I'm curious what the hold up would be.

As does Atlas. Perhaps the licensing is negotiated on a model by model basis.

BTW, is this the F850 we're talking about?

[sirenwerks]

I hope Atlas doesn't do the F850, I'm sure Athearn will eventually. As long as they don't have that assinine 'if it doesn't sell in HO we won't do it in N' marketing approach Walthers has. I would love to see Atlas do a '69 F250

[cfritschle]

Athearn seems to have a licensing relation with Ford already for N scale, proven by the C model. I'm curious what the hold up would be.

As does Atlas. Perhaps the licensing is negotiated on a model by model basis.

BTW, is this the F850 we're talking about?

Yes, that is the F-850 Athearn does in HO scale. 

I am not aware of the details of Athearn's license with Ford, but the license Atlas has with Ford appears to cover everything Ford makes or made.  Paul even told me it would cover Ford farm tractors!  (But I am not sure about any models that were current when Fiat acquired Ford-New Holland.)

On the other hand, I heard that the licenses Athearn obtained for the Mack Model B and Model R models were limited to just those two models.

Carter

[cfritschle]

I just want to see Athearn bring the Ford Model A and all it's variations to N. They are gorgeous in HO.

Yes they are Tony! They are way too old for me, but they are nice and sell pretty darn well.

I tend to regard vehicles as a scenery item and tend to be very careful with what I buy, but I applaud Carter for his efforts and things are looking good for N scale vehicles. We do need more lightweight, less detailed cars and trucks for autoracks. My personal wishlist from Athearn would be the Grain trucks and stake beds, as well as the Ford F850. Those are even better than the C trucks IMO.

Thank you for the applause, but all I am doing is trying to raise everyone's awareness of the need for more variety when it comes to N scale vehicle models.

Getting a manufacturer to invest in the tooling for a model that has already been made in N scale, such as the Ford Model A, (GHQ had several varieties) is going to be difficult.  Two years ago I asked Athearn specifically if they would consider making the Model A in N scale, and the reply I got was an astonishing "We would have to be able to sell 10,000 of each version!" 

I am not sure what the actual number of packages of injection molded plastic or diecast N scale vehicle models sold per body style for the first release is, but I am guessing 5,000 is reasonable a ball park number.  With something like 10,000 units being the break even point, it seems to be particularly difficult to convince companies to invest in tooling for new N scale vehicles models, that is unless the company's management models in N scale.   

Carter

[cfritschle]

I hope Atlas doesn't do the F850, I'm sure Athearn will eventually. As long as they don't have that assinine 'if it doesn't sell in HO we won't do it in N' marketing approach Walthers has. I would love to see Atlas do a '69 F250

Bryan,

I am certain Atlas will not make the F-850 in N scale since Athearn makes the HO version.  And, I will remain hopeful that we will eventually see it in N scale, but that hope has been fading a bit with time.

And, I would also love to see Atlas make the '69 F-250 since I still have the one I bought in 1974!  (Restoring it is just one of many retirement projects I am planning on accomplishing if I ever get to retire.)

Carter

P.S.  I apologize for hijacking this thread, but it is somewhat related to topic since we are discussing what was NOT announced at the NTS.  ;D

[sirenwerks]

And the hijacking continues... I really wish Atlas, and whoever picks up the N scale auto gauntlet, will strongly consider how Wiking sells its sets. The idea of getting 4 DIFFERENT vehicles in DIFFERENT paint colors/schemes is a huge attractor. Getting two (or more) of the same car in the same color works for loading auto racks, but not so much for filling parking lots. Even if it's a four pack of the same model, different colors/schemes would be so much palatable, IMO.

[wm3798]

I've got 4 bi-level MT racks to fill with good pick up trucks.  I've got one loaded with those resin cast 70 Chevies, but they're a little coarse for my tastes...

Lee