NTS 2009 Report with photos

[POVC]

Okay, I'm going to copy my original mini-report, and add stuff I learned on Saturday; I'll put the new stuff in a different color font

As for the photos, rather than embed them into the thread, you can see them in my Picasa album; http://picasaweb.google.com/TimNixon5045/NTSHartford#.  These are the initial photos; I have a few more that I'll upload as time permits.

Athearn - As stated they had a sample model of a a modern 33K LPG tank car; they will be doing 3 variants - they had one model in N and the other 2 in HO on display.  They are reworking the F59 to allow easy conversion of DCC & Sound.  I asked about them doing an Alleghany as a follow up to the Challenger and Big Boy, and was told "don't hold your breath"; it was also suggested I go talk to Walthers about doing one since they are doing N-scale steam and they already have the research done from doing an HO version.  I'm still trying to figure out if the rep was being rude or offering me a hint that Walthers is considering doing one.

Atlas - nothing new in N on display; Cory indicated not much new in N for the rest of the year, but next year should be very good for N.  I suggested the 89' flat in N; he said he'd like to do it.  They had the Summer catalog (July-Sep) available; aside from the July announcements already on the site, the C-420's are listed.  August has GP38/40/40-2 in a bunch of schemes, more Evans gondolas, EV cabooses and 50' flat w/ single trailer.  September has more 90 ton hoppers, TM PS-2 and TM Thrall 4750's.  Road names and numbers for most of these have already leaked onto the Internet.

Bachmann - Centennial's were on display.  They are re-tooling the C&O H4 2-6-6-2 with VC12 tender to have DCC on-board and improved pulling capacity.  Bachmann also had pre-production versions of their new N-scale flat car w/ loads on display; they look a lot like the older Atlas car with wood decks and vertical brakewheel, and unfortunately they still appear to come with Rapido's.

BLI - They had the E8's on display (2 running) and one sample of the PA/PB.  They still say they are planning on doing the Mountain, and it will probably be the next release.

BLMA - Craig was showing off his new bridges and searchlight signals (see BLMA thread).  He also indicated he had 3 additional freight cars in the works; 2 from 1960+ and one from 1990+.  The first should be announced sometime later this year, the others at about 6 month intervals thereafter.  He also said he has a number of other projects in the works that he is "really pysch'd about".

Bowser - They indicated they hadn't had much luck with N-scale, but that they would be cooperating with other manufacturers on projects.

City Classics - They are doing two more buildings in N-scale!  His wife convinced him that there were enough people asking about him doing them in N that he should do a couple to see what demand was.  He wasn't going to announce them at this show, but he'd told a friend and the friend talked, so he figured he needed to announce them.  He had a single sign showing two 5-story buildings that he's doing in N; off-hand I don't remember which ones, but their two he's done in HO.

Con-Cor - Jim Conway announced they would be doing the New Haven's "Comet" as a limited run Special Collector Set in HO and N if enough pre-orders were received.

Deluxe - Nothing new to announce.  Was showing the Doublestack car sets with containers and orphan cars.

Digitrax - They were showing off the new DT-402D and UR92; they had loaned sets to all the layouts that used Digitrax and were demo'ing the units.

FVM - See Chuck's thread.  Matt indicated that more cars (repaints and new models) would be coming, but that the GEVO's were taking a lot of time and effort.

KATO - They were showing all the recent releases, including the jet-propelled RDC.  They only "new" announcement was the El Capitain.  I asked about other road names and variants in the SD70ACe, such as CSX and NS, and the SD70M-2; all I got back was a smile.  They did say they were looking into it, and if they thought demand was there, they would probably do it.  The discussion was a lot like the one with FVM over the GEVO's; there are a lot of variantions and it's not cost effective to do them all.

Intermountain - Nothing new to announce at the show.  They had the final pre-production version of the AC12 running at the show; it looked really smooth.  They also had samples of the SD40-2W, I asked if they would be doing other SD40-2 variants and was told yes, but not when or which ones.  I also asked about the U18B, since I thought I remembered them announcing it in N at a show a couple of years ago, but had seen nothing more on it; they indicated that they would also be doing the U18B (announced in HO) in N; they learned a lot of things from the HO model that they needed to go back and incorporte into the N scale tooling.

MicroTrains - They had the RPO on display; Eric said the first road name has been scheduled, but he couldn't remember what it was.  They have 3 more passenger cars in the works and plans for more.

North American Rail Car - They were showing both their first model, the Hawker-Siddeley 4550 cf Hopper, and the pre-production model of their next car, the Hawker-Siddeley Potash Hopper.  The new car is a variant of the first model, with round hatches and different brake details.  They are also working on third car for next year

Rapido - They had samples of their N-scale cars on display.  The rep indicated that they had been very well recieved and to expect more.

Traincat - Bob was showing off all the new toys he has been posting here, including the auto carrier.  He also mentioned he'd been down to the Hialeah autoloading facility with his camera and tape-measure, and that his next project would go well with the auto carrier.

Tru-Line Trains - they had a booth, and a couple of N-scale cars on display, but every time I walked past, the booth was either vacant or the rep was busy.

Walther's - They had an announcement for their 3rd passenger car (64-seat coach), displays of they current passenger cars (10-6 sleeper, baggage car), and announcements for new runs of the Difco dump car and Stack cars.  I expressed my disappointment to several of their reps that their N'scale offerings seemed "disproportately low" compared to HO; that every month their flier had 5-6 pages of "new" HO releases and one new N scale release (not one page, one period!).  I was told that they transition their HO stuff to N scale based on HO sales; if it sells well in HO they do it in N.  I was also told that they are very heavily invested in their HO named trains; most of their available tooling funds go to support them since each train has 5-6 new cars that need to be tooled.  I asked about them doing named trains in N, and was told it was unlikely (I suspect because KATO is already doing them).  The same rep also stated that there is an N-scale company that he wasn't allowed to name who was working on a Hiawatha.

Not in attendance - Red Caboose (now handled by IM), ESM (their stuff was on display at both the IM and FVM booths), Bluford (on display at FVM), Wheels of Time (also on display at FVM), Micro-Scale, Trainworx.

Tim

[sirenwerks]

...I was told that they transition their HO stuff to N scale based on HO sales; if it sells well in HO they do it in N...

While not new news, seeing that statement from a Walthers rep in print I just have to say out loud - that's got to be THE most idiotic marketing strategy I have ever heard. I know I'm preaching to the choir but the N scale consumer and HO consumer are not one in the same, and in some ways very polar. So their mindset is that N scalers get punished for HO folks being slow on the take or for HO folks not having the layout real estate on their 4x8 for large industry? Has Walthers ever freaking looked at an Ntrak set-up? What is in the water in Milwaukee?

[Chris333]

Tim,
In this photo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TimNixon5045/NTSHartford#5357600752561815618
What is the blue locomotive in the bottom left corner? I see it is N scale and have those crappy Bachmann couplers, but I have no idea what locomotive it is.

[wcfn100]

Tim,
In this photo:
http://picasaweb.google.com/TimNixon5045/NTSHartford#5357600752561815618
What is the blue locomotive in the bottom left corner? I see it is N scale and have those crappy Bachmann couplers, but I have no idea what locomotive it is.

Isn't that the 4-4-0?

Jason

[ljudice]

Thanks for the report - I think it's the most comprehensive report I've seen anywhere for any scale, BTW...

[Chris333]

Isn't that the 4-4-0?

Guess so now that I zoom in. I wonder if it will run any better.

[Dave Schneider]

...I was told that they transition their HO stuff to N scale based on HO sales; if it sells well in HO they do it in N...

While not new news, seeing that statement from a Walthers rep in print I just have to say out loud - that's got to be THE most idiotic marketing strategy I have ever heard. I know I'm preaching to the choir but the N scale consumer and HO consumer are not one in the same, and in some ways very polar. So their mindset is that N scalers get punished for HO folks being slow on the take or for HO folks not having the layout real estate on their 4x8 for large industry? Has Walthers ever freaking looked at an Ntrak set-up? What is in the water in Milwaukee?

As for the water, it used to be Cryptosporidium, but that just makes you sick, not stupid. As for the logic, I think these guys are lying. If it were true, than only a few items in their many pages of new HO releases is a great seller. It that were true, they would be out of business. This just seems like a throw away line from people that want you to stop asking them questions. As a consumer, it kinda ends the discussion. They surely aren't going to release their HO sales numbers so they can just hide behind these kinds of statements.

Best wishes, Dave

[JoeD]

I think it's more a matter of potential volume.  N is now where near HO in sales and unless it's your core business...or you really make a committment to it, you go where the money is.

Joe

[asarge]

Isn't that the 4-4-0?

Looks like the old Bachman 4-4-0 cheap version. Heard they were reworking it. But it's still not Spectrum.

Tim, sounds like you caught Mr. Engstrom of Athearn after question 10,000. Sometimes he's not the nicest rep, but he's a good guy. No Athearn won't do the Allegheny. The rumor was Rivarossi was going to do the N version for Walthers, but then they collapsed and that was that.

I also figured that's what Walthers would tell you. That kind of marketing strategy is moronic, but there ainl;t nothing we can do about it.

[Walkercolt]

A not secrect from Athearn is probably the next steamer from them will be a NYC prototype, I'd guess a streamliner from what the Athearn rep told us, but I don't expect it this year. Being a Santa Fe guy, I asked about 3500 class engines. "Not in the immeadiate future, but very possibly as a future realease." My take on the deal is Athearn is working out a 4-8-4 mechanism for N-scale. When they get it right, they'll pour them out. Hornby's sintered tungsten frame caught alot of attention, and coreless 12V motors are coming down in price. This equals heavier engines with much more powerful motors. Now to find room for enough gears to make them run prototype speeds at 12 volts. Kato did it with the GS-4, and believe me, some Kato's have been taken apart by other makers and looked at long and hard.

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks for the report Tim.  The LPG tankers are the big news for me - and 3 variants no less.  Whoa.
 

[wm3798]

I heard that Chevrolet bases the release of their new models on the sales performance of Hamilton Beach blenders...

Thanks for the update, Tim.

So, what did the flat car loads from Bachmann look like?  I picked up an HO car for Andy a week or two ago with what looked like a slab steel load on it.  Not bad looking really.  If the N loads follow the same design, these will be pretty neat (provided they are removable for us loads in/empties out guys.)

Lee

[lashedup]

A not secrect from Athearn is probably the next steamer from them will be a NYC prototype, I'd guess a streamliner from what the Athearn rep told us, but I don't expect it this year. Being a Santa Fe guy, I asked about 3500 class engines. "Not in the immeadiate future, but very possibly as a future realease." My take on the deal is Athearn is working out a 4-8-4 mechanism for N-scale. When they get it right, they'll pour them out. Hornby's sintered tungsten frame caught alot of attention, and coreless 12V motors are coming down in price. This equals heavier engines with much more powerful motors. Now to find room for enough gears to make them run prototype speeds at 12 volts. Kato did it with the GS-4, and believe me, some Kato's have been taken apart by other makers and looked at long and hard.

I would think that logically Athearn would probably announce the UP FEF 4-8-4 in n-scale as they have so far been following their best selling HO releases with n-scale versions. Turbine units might be another followup, but who knows.

-jamie

[Denver Road Doug]

...I was told that they transition their HO stuff to N scale based on HO sales; if it sells well in HO they do it in N...

While not new news, seeing that statement from a Walthers rep in print I just have to say out loud - that's got to be THE most idiotic marketing strategy I have ever heard.

Kinda like an LHS I went into over the weekend.  They had PROMINENT advertising in a regional model railroad newsletter advertising themseleves as Exactrail dealers.  So I'm thinking "Great, been wanting to see the PCF boxcars I'll swing by and check 'em out".  Would've bought an SP on the spot if they had 'em and they were decent.  So I stop in, and the guy says, "oh, we didn't order any N-Scale".  So I ask him why not and he says "we just don't sell much N-scale".  REALLY?  I wonder why.

Anyway, back on topic...  I'm glad to see the LPG tank cars.  I could sound like a broken record and ask about DI's spine cars, but I won't.  I just wish they'd do us all a favor and ax the project altogether and let someone else have a shot at it.

[asciibaron]

Extreme Trains season 1 DVD - that means there will be more.  someone should have shoved a boxcar in that guy's mouth.