NTS Salt Lake Report

[mcjaco]

Interesting and coincidentally, I got an email from Trainfest today, which I have also attended if coincident with work, and they say they are expanding by 30,000 SF this November.  They are somehow importing some foreign layouts including a diorama depiction of the D Day invasion.

Not interesting.  Ridiculous.  They want donations from people to bring overseas layouts over to the show.  So they ask volunteers (layout members) to spend 8 hours at a make and take table, and now they want us to donate money to bring in more layouts.  They're obsessed with making it the biggest show, and don't really care about the quality, or how they keep biting the hands that feed them (layouts). 

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Not interesting.  Ridiculous.  They want donations from people to bring overseas layouts over to the show.  So they ask volunteers (layout members) to spend 8 hours at a make and take table, and now they want us to donate money to bring in more layouts.  They're obsessed with making it the biggest show, and don't really care about the quality, or how they keep biting the hands that feed them (layouts).

They'll be hard pressed to beat West Springfield, which is measured in acreage.

[learmoia]

I think Atlas China owns much of Atlas's tooling, so they don't have to worry about production minimums (unless the factory demands it).

[Ike the BN Freak]

Atlas owns their tooling, one thing I heard from them was they wanted to own a storage building to store the molds so they could ship them out to the different factories as they need a run done

[Jbub]

Atlas owns their tooling, one thing I heard from them was they wanted to own a storage building to store the molds so they could ship them out to the different factories as they need a run done

That's exact same thing they told me when I talked to them at the show.

[Point353]

Atlas owns their tooling, one thing I heard from them was they wanted to own a storage building to store the molds so they could ship them out to the different factories as they need a run done

But, could they ever move their tooling out of China?

[MK]

But, could they ever move their tooling out of China?

Probably not.  It's against the rules.  The country owns your IP.

[CRL]

Honestly, I suspect China doesn’t care about making counterfeit model railroad stuff if Atlas decides to take their tooling and go home.

[peteski]

Honestly, I suspect China doesn’t care about making counterfeit model railroad stuff if Atlas decides to take their tooling and go home.

You guys are all  dreaming. China can do whatever they want with tooling that is in Chine, and tooling (and production) moving to USA is pretty much a pipe-dream.

[Rossford Yard]

Not interesting.  Ridiculous.  They want donations from people to bring overseas layouts over to the show.  So they ask volunteers (layout members) to spend 8 hours at a make and take table, and now they want us to donate money to bring in more layouts.  They're obsessed with making it the biggest show, and don't really care about the quality, or how they keep biting the hands that feed them (layouts).

Sorry, I just can't work up the anger against some mfgs, train shows, NMRA or anyone trying to do something for model railroading. 

I understand that some local petty politics and what not get going, and sometimes, a person with the need to be in control of something (bad home life, probably....) takes a position and maybe pushes a bit too hard, coming off like a tyrant or what not.  But, I would never expect any initiative to be equally welcome by everyone.  Besides, having been to Train Fest twice,  I would need an explanation as to how their quality is low because of indifference.  From my experiences, it is indeed one great train show.  Hope to get to Springfield some day, since it sounds equally great.

[JMaurer1]

Waited YEARS for Intermountains 40' milk cars (the Chateau Martin wine ones) WITH a larger preorder only to see them FINALLY cancelled. It must have been at least three years waiting. If you aren't going to make it, don't tell anyone.

[Rossford Yard]

I can understand the need for announcements to gauge interest, and low interest resulting in cancelled orders.  Not a new problem in MRR.  I recall an old MR magazine (or RMC?) cartoon where the guy says, "Well, we've advertised this for ten years now, maybe we ought to start thinking about production." (or something like that, going from memory, with the point being model railroaders from the 60-70's would find that true enough to be funny.  And, with production numbers now so low it is probably more mandatory than ever, even if yours is an old story.  Yeah, frustrating, but I understand why it happens.

And, interesting to the degree of how do we handle that situation?  When I first moved to N in 1990, I had no trouble modeling ATSF/SP/UP (Cajon Pass) in the 1980's figuring that was the most likely roads to be available, even if it wasn't my true favorites (and actually, long trains is and was).   And, that wasn't just by era, as I have known folks who would tell me that the XX road never ran their XX-X units on that section of Cajon, they were reserved for switching in the XX region, etc.  And others who like to narrow their modeling down to what was on their line on a specific day, etc.   

It just seemed intuitive to me that a less popular scale and very specific prototype was going to be hard to pull off with widely available products.

Obviously, not every modeler chooses prototypes based on presumed availability, but that flexible attitude has certainly kept my disappointment levels to a minimum.  And, as I expressed to Paul Graf, increased my appreciation of any mfg willing to produced odd ball road names/models just because they know there will be some out there who want them.

[basementcalling]

Not much announced this year that appeals to my interests, but I am glad companies are still making products that will sell, and thank you James for taking the time to post your pics for those of us who couldn't attend.

[nkalanaga]

Rossford Yard:  Prototype availability is why I started modeling the BN in the early 70s.  I still model 1974 BN, but when I started it was "today".  Finding a particular model in GN, or NP, or (shudder) SP&S was rare in early N scale, but the BN had all of them, so it was much easier to find SOMETHING that would work.  A GN SD45, an NP U28C, a BN GP40 and an SP&S C636 wasn't an unlikely combination in Pasco in the early 70s.

[Rossford Yard]

I strongly considered BN just because the F units lasted until at least 1982.  I recall (when still in HO back in the 80's) considering B and O, but the F units were gone in 1973 and the SD40-2 came in 1974, so they couldn't run together.  Also strongly considered SP back in those days simply for the variety of proto models and models of those models available then.

Overall, it seemed easier to me to pick a prototype based on availability than sentimental factors, especially in N.  Of course, I ended up modeling big city terminal lines (KCT and IHB) to justify running whatever I wanted, rather than moan that something specific wasn't available.  But, different strokes for different folks, and I am amazed at the number of relatively rare units and road names that have been offered over the last decade or so.