Kato East vs. West?

[Rossford Yard]

Now what is this? 

 

North?

Seriously, Canadian roads have to be a whole different kettle of beans for the mfgs, no?  Anyone know what the % of N scalers from Canada is?

Profit bias????  Isn't that what companies are supposed to do?

supposed to do, must do, want to do, need to do, etc.  Of course, and that is my point.  Just as the proto railroads don't run trains without paying cargo, model mfgs don't make stuff that won't sell.  Or, won't sell as much as a sure home run.

[Alaska Railroader]

Profit bias????  Isn't that what companies are supposed to do?

supposed to do, must do, want to do, need to do, etc.  Of course, and that is my point.  Just as the proto railroads don't run trains without paying cargo, model mfgs don't make stuff that won't sell.  Or, won't sell as much as a sure home run.

Ah, maybe you guys are getting it now. We manufacturers have to do what sells and not what is on the Christmas list of every modeler. Although I must say it doesn't always work out to be a home run every time but that is the goal. Actually, a grand slam is the goal.

[Scottl]

 

[Philip H]

Ah, maybe you guys are getting it now. We manufacturers have to do what sells and not what is on the Christmas list of every modeler. Although I must say it doesn't always work out to be a home run every time but that is the goal. Actually, a grand slam is the goal.

Karin,
While I am really grateful for all the manufacturers here, and their willingness to let us look behind the curtain, the experiences of many modelers trying to buy stuff belies this point.  Kato could have been issuing new paintschemes on its SD40-2 every year since the dang thing was introduced - even with the latest round they missed huge purchasers (like my beloved KCS).  So there is the appearance in inherent regional bias even when discussing a product with high sales.

Please believe us - we don't want it all right now so much as we want it all spread about a bit more evenly.

[Alaska Railroader]

Please believe us - we don't want it all right now so much as we want it all spread about a bit more evenly.

Very understandable.

[Rossford Yard]

Understandable, but still maybe not economically practical?  I don't know, but I am always surprised at the oddball/low interest paint schemes offered.  Grateful, but surprised.  I guess I have always tilted from my real loves to commercially availalbe roads, liking trains more than anything in particular, so I am not the best guage on these things.

Somehow, more variety has become available than ever before, but it occurs to me that none of that variety helps a bit if its not YOUR road, in which case, it seems as if there is no variety at all!  Face it, when we look at new releases, its not "20 available paint schemes."  It's "my road or NOT my road."

[Scottl]

That CN map is going to rock when they take out KCS. 

Sorry, it's hard to take this old, tired topic seriously.

[Alaska Railroader]

Sorry, it's hard to take this old, tired topic seriously.

 

[DKS]

Sorry, it's hard to take this old, tired topic seriously.

I am sorry for bringing it up (I honestly didn't realize it had already been beaten to death so often as to cause offense). So why not let's let it die here and now.