IM SD40-2W

[Atlanticflier]

Ed - that's a fine letter you put together to send to IMRC. I hope that they 'hear' you and I will be interested to know if IMRC contacts the Historical society for assistance.

Who knows, Maybe the SD-40-2 will be released without a 6-8 month notice and in 10 road names to start. Some manufacturers seem to be tiring of the extensive lead times on announcements, modelers tired of it a long time ago. 2-3 months is plenty of lead time for announcements, any longer and the 'luster' fades from another new announcement. (just my 2 cents).

Steve

[Puddington]

I now know why very few people have the guts to be a n scale manufacturer.... it's a freakin jungle out there.....

I am one who likes the products I buy to be 'right" but I'm not sure that beating the livin hell out of any company within nano seconds of their announcement is a value added activity. Ok; their previous products didn't meet some people's expectations; I'm with you on that; but some of the responses in this thread seem to border on "just plain mean"....

Just because a company screwed up in the past dosen't mean it can't produce a winner the next time up at the plate - Model Power rebounded to a large degree (not perfect) Bachmann seems to have a had a few winners and we've all beat on poor "Barfmann" before.....Not to mention that a lot of people give some companies a lot more slack than others ( Kato got a serious pass on the GS 4 screw up....Atlas can produce average stuff that get's rave reviews from the Kool-Aid drinkers, but Life Like got murdered, picked up and murdered again for a sight glass....inequality abounds)

IM has no defense of some of it's past errors; but, were I an IM owner and started to read this thread I would assume that I should just get out of the n scale business because my fate is sealed.....Is that what we want ? Fewer players....? Not me.

The idea of open communication with them is bang on - express your opinion. If you don't feel that they will meet your needs or they have been unresponsive then just say that you won't deal with them and let that be that.... why do we need to blast away on them for trying to bring a new model to the market ?

We should reward an annoucement of a new model with no more than, and no less than "If it's good, I'll buy, if it's not I won't"....but let's not actively try and bury it before we have seen it.......IMHO

[oakcreekco]

OK, I won't deal with them anymore.***

***But many are thinking that they are "burying themselves"

[Puddington]

OK, I won't deal with them anymore.***

***But many are thinking that they are "burying themselves"

Then the market will dig the grave; toss in the dirt and they will be buried; but all I'm suggesting is let's see the product before we blow it to bits.....

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I must disagree. By the time they've made them it's too late.

I think we all know IM's track record with similar projects, that's been proven. Now is the time to be proactive and reach out to them with pre-feedback, like I did with the email I sent.

I don't think I can say this strongly enough, everyone who's interested in seeing these be quality models needs to get in touch with IM and LET THEM KNOW!

[asarge]

Well, since you took the high profile approach and wrote a letter to them publicly rather than give them a chance to reply to a lower key private email; I'd be willing to bet you get not much more than lip service from them.

[Robbman]

I must disagree. By the time they've made them it's too late.

Given that they already have samples... it pretty much is too late.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

They have samples of the Canadian ones...

And Andy, I did send them a private note, but I wanted to share my ideas with others who may do the same.

[wm3798]

While I am sympathetic to Pud's point (having made a similar one a page or two ago), I think there is one more wild card on the table...  This ain't HO, and we don't have manufacturers falling all over themselves to produce an SD-40-2.  In the past 12 million years, there have been exactly two, maybe three plastic models of this ubiquitous work horse done (I'm thinking of Kato, Bachmann, and that abortion that ConCor did a long time ago... there might have been one other oddball in there, but it obviously didn't make an impression).

In HO, you can find this model at any level of quality from top to bottom, from the work-a-day Athearn blue box version all the way up to the best Katos.  In N, we are in the desert, and Intermountain now presents us with the possibility of an oasis.  The question is, is it a mirage?  Despite all their shortcomings, they DO release multiple road names (something Kato is loathe to do), they mix the road names up geographically (Bachmann gave us the same four paint schemes for 20 years, Kato the same 2...) and while the hood units have come with more than their share of issues, they do produce a damn good looking and good running F-series, which also continues to grow in numbers and variety.  So they CAN do it right.

Now, Ed's right, and Pud's right...  Offer criticism where it's due (and information where it's plainly needed), and offer praise where it's due (and money when it's earned).  Unfortunately, Robb may also be right, in that the horse may have already left the barn...

My guess (hope?) is that the lessons learned from the Tunnel Motors and the 45-2's will have some impact on the quality of the new model, although I'm not going to stick my neck out and say to what degree...  So, for the time being, we'll stay in our foxhole and wait until the shooting stops.

Lee

[nscalesteve]

They have samples of the Canadian ones...

19th of April SirTanley did post this picture on the Railwire...



...but you're right, they look more like Chinese ones ! 

[asarge]

What's really going to hurt their sales more than anything isn't the flaws the forumers find as much as what the price may be. The delaer wholesale price is not as good as most of the other loco producers, and their prices have been cheating upwards. people willstill buy what they need/want, but maybe in less quantity and buying on impulse has just about dried up.

[Puddington]

Don't get me wrong; Ed's right to provide input; lots of it, direct to IM. It's your right as a consumer to tell any mfg exactly what you want, and don't want; what you like and don't like. It's you right to "vote with your wallet" and to openly and (I hope) honestly review each offering and publish your opinion.

But I don't get slamming an "annoucement".... it's not "real" yet; there's nothing to judge, review or gauge it against. "Past performance" is just that - "past".....The Chicago White Sox stink; have forever... worst in the AL.... then the next year they won it all.... World Series Champions.... can this happen in our hobby ? - I have to believe that a mfg can have a systemic change; perhaps because they are reacting to input from you and I and they can come out with a champion after a few failures. Is this their champion; I haven't a clue, but neither do any of us.

What I do know is that if we wait in the tall grass; lick our chops waiting for an annoucment from a firm and then bury it before the electrons are settled down on the screen we risk providing a disinsentive to all mfg's to risk bringing us new products.

"Give the SD 40-2W a chance" - J. Lennon............................That would have been Jacob Lennon but no matter ........ ;D

[asarge]

Yes, I agree ED and everybody is right to put forth criticism and I expect concerns even on the announcement. Constructive criticism should be welcome by any manufacturer because it helps them improve the quality of their work........at least it's supposed to work that way. But there's a big difference between constructive criticism and sarcastic negativity that's only important to the person spouting it. Most companies don't even give the latter one nano-second of thought but they would be hurting themselves by not accepting constructive criticism.

My only point is that I personally would wait until IM replies before posting the letter, but Ed did the right thing by letting them know BEFORE the product comes out. Hopefully Doug will see it and redouble his efforts. Frank and some of the others may not and that may be what always bites them.

We'll see, but like it or not, IM is the one doing the product and maybe the whole SD40-2 line. We can wish it was somebody else, but that won;t help anybody, and unless they totally screw it up and turn it into an early Bachmannish loco, I can;t see somebody thumbing their noses when the railroad they model is announced.

[wcfn100]

But I don't get slamming an "annoucement".... it's not "real" yet; there's nothing to judge, review or gauge it against.

It's no diferent that you praising Atlas' 42' coil car over on the A-board.  You've never seen the car.  It's not 'real'.  But that didn't stop you from having an opinion the offering.


Jason

[Mark5]

(Bachmann gave us the same four paint schemes for 20 years, Kato the same 2...)

The Bachmann "SD40-2" does not count as a "scale" model.

Mark