Of Course, No New Structures In N Scale (Walthers Releases)

[chuck geiger]

I just received the May/June 23 Walthers flyer. Massive new structure release and of course nothing new in N scale other than
a few push downs from HO i.e. pole/barn set and the warehouses.

1.) Culvers
2.) Chemical Distributor
3.) Chocolate Factory
4.) Dollar store
5.) Home Improvement store, same building as Bargain Depot.

They look awesome....

[Wlal13again]

I asked the Walthers guy at Springfield a few years ago why does HO get all these neat buildings and N scale gets windmills and outhouses? He said you guys don't build layouts, just modules so the market isn't there.

[peteski]

I asked the Walthers guy at Springfield a few years ago why does HO get all these neat buildings and N scale gets windmills and outhouses? He said you guys don't build layouts, just modules so the market isn't there.

LOL, and don't even modules need structures?   Even if there were no N scle layouts (which is false), and only modules, there are modules depicting large industries (like steel mills, intermodal yards, ports), passenger stations, towns, etc., etc. That is the stupidest excuse I've heard.   He shoudl get his head out of you-know-what.

[chuck geiger]

Great line, windmills and outhouses.

[Wlal13again]

LOL, and don't even modules need structures?   Even if there were no N scle layouts (which is false), and only modules, there are modules depicting large industries (like steel mills, intermodal yards, ports), passenger stations, towns, etc., etc. That is the stupidest excuse I've heard.   He shoudl get his head out of you-know-what.

 

My response to him was similar 

[Rossford Yard]

I talked to someone at Walthers at the National in Salt Lake a few years back.  Interesting discussion. The basics were that while N participation was thought to be about 40% of HO's, sales were more like 25%, at least for structures.  Thus, to get to the minimum needed for reservations (I have often been told that is 300 units of anything) they would need to sell over 1200+ of anything in HO to consider making it in N.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

As much as I want to take issue with their assessments of their market, paying my mortgage doesn't depend on me being right.

[John]

I'm quite happy building / printing my own now .. I still have a big pile of walthers kits that I need to put together some day

[Philip H]

I'm quite happy building / printing my own now .. I still have a big pile of walthers kits that I need to put together some day

The expansion of 3D printing may well take them out of the building business altogether at some point.  But their assessment of the market is sadly widely off - and has been for years.

[lock4244]

An old shoebox is an n scale industry, a toilet paper roll is a silo, and a paper towel roll a big silo. N scale needs no building kits... n scale wants none.

[nkalanaga]

When I started, 50+ years ago, that's exactly what I used!

I was the only modeler in the family (of anything), and didn't know any modelers, so "made do".  A length of 2x4 and some markers makes a fine warehouse for a junior high student with no experience and little money, and the trains run just as well.

[lock4244]

My old layout served many, many toilet paper rolls. And thinking about it, there were several warehouses that were actually sweater gift boxes. You improvise because you have to.

[pedro]

One needs to look no further than @Pomperaugrr and his Housatonic thread to see how it should be done. I’d like to sit the Walthers team down and force them to study it.

[signalmaintainer]

A former editor/publisher of Model Railroader, and someone who was never much a fan of N scale, joined Walthers' leadership team a few years ago. While correlation is not necessarily causation, Walthers' interest in N scale products since then seems to have ebbed significantly.

[signalmaintainer]

One needs to look no further than @Pomperaugrr and his Housatonic thread to see how it should be done. I’d like to sit the Walthers team down and force them to study it.

Yep, a superb layout with exquisite structures. I don't think it would make any difference to Walthers, though. They seem to think most N scalers only build T-Trak or N-Trak modules. So where exactly is the data on that?