Model Railroading > NTS: No F unit jokes but ...

Just wondering if there is any sign of Athearn announcing a proper FP7/9 from the Highliner concept they purchased. The Intermountain one I have won't fit around the bend no matter how many times I flush.

ak-a-nuk in Oz

Lets just say, I got a rude reply to that from one of the Athearn guys at the show. I felt his reply was I know, but i do not wanna talk about it. The funny thing is, I was talking with the guys from Rapido Trains, and we were talking about what we needed for our Proto Type models for VIA Rail, CN, & CP passenger trains, and he brought up, that they were talkin with Athearn about the new CP FP7. When I asked the guy at Athearn about it, he was rude, and when I mentioned if they would do VIA Rail, to help with Rapido Trains, he just walked away. I feel that he was rude about it, but hey, you can't hide anything anymore, since the internet is the new age of talking and passing the word around the world.

Telus6429
Ian
Windsor, Ontario
http://www.trainweb.org/swontariotrain/index.html
http://www.trainweb.org/wmrc/index.html

Its funny how company's do that lately. I mean its a toy train not some new top secret Military project. These company's should learn to say whats in the works or planned as A. they can get more help to make a correct model and B. people can know what is expected in 1 to 3 years and can save money to get whatever model is being produced. As of now you get a magazine that shows a new model and its already sold out if you want to get one. As I said before - Manufactures are shooting themselves in the foot with this tactic and they will lose eventually.

When I was visiting California in April at a convention, I chatted with someone who is close to many in that company and he said they have "it". This was not the first time I have been told; even by someone at Athearn (through email). I said "it is the worst kept secret on the internet that you guys have the model (FP7/9) and when will it come out?". He confirmed but no firm date, er should I say, no date (or even intention) at all was the reply.

I din't get the rude response though. The person was forthcoming.


Ak-a-nuck-in-oz

Gosh, if they would announce their intentions that might keep someone else from doing the same thing...

However, I think I might know where they are comming from. If they make an announcement and it doesn't come out when they say it does, they have a lot of model railroaders jumping down their back and complaining...

Walthers has listed a Highliner FP7/9 conversion kit for at least 6 months:

328-5001 FP7/9 Conversion Parts Set $19.95

Doesn't say what it is exactly - I'm guessing new longer side panels and grills to use after you splice two bodies together.

That's a pretty obvious sign that they are developing something (undoubtedly with Athearn) even though the delivery date still says "TBA."

Dave

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Gosh, if they would announce their intentions that
> might keep someone else from doing the same
> thing...

To the contrary, it just might encourage someone else to put out the same thing. Then the race is to see who can get there first. Case in point. Remember the big splash BLI made with the CZ cars? They followed up with an announcment -way, way in advance- for the Daylight set and have yet to produce. Meantime, Horizon/Athearn saw what happened with the CZ and noticed the excitement for the Daylights and decided to follow suit. Now BLI is dithering, still hoping to get advance orders enough to justify a production run. Athearn is pushing their version. Modellers are wondering which way to jump and, in a lot of respects, it has not been good for anybody. BLI may drop the whole thing. The worst thing a business can do is let the competition know what you plan to do.

rdsexton Wrote:
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> The worst thing a business can do is
> let the competition know what you plan to do.

Well, you might be right but there just doesn't seem to be enough market share and profit in this industry to be playing those kinds of games. (And that includes the hobby shops and dealers that get stuck with something that doesn't sell and there is an overstock with the prices getting slashed.) Note all the older Proto 2000 diesels out there that are collecting dust in hobby shops or the boxes are wore from going from train show to train show.) But I can understand the Chinese have substantially lowered the unit cost and made it possible to produce items that would have never been tooled up in the old days even if the tooling is done here.

Making deals with the competition to corner the market or eliminate competition can be considered an illegal restraint of trade. Whether or not it hurts anybody, you gotta figure some of the die-hard Athearn haters, or Proto Haters or Walthers haters would just love to get the FTC involved in messing with things.

Personally I prefer to see more companies making the same engines, not only does it help help the prices down, or more detail for the $$ depending on your point of view, but it has also led to a wider variety of road names.

Now I'ld like to see market pressures start to work on HO passenger car prices. Some of them are getting freaking ridiculous.

It takes anywhere from $300K to $400K to design, engineer, and manufacture a mold for a model engine (HO scale). That is a LOT of investment $$$$ to tie up when you total assets are less than that of a decent burger chain.

Get real, people!!!! Asking a mfg. rep what his future plans are is about as dumb as you can get, regardless of the product line. Maybe he was rude but ya gotta ask: what would the reception be if you were at an Auto Show and asked the Toyota guy what next year's cars would be like? You think he would buy you a beer and spill the beans????

HaHaHaHaHaaa!!!

Spending Millions of dollars to design a car and 400K to build a TOY Train are two different things that cant even be compared. And I doubt that Horizon / Athearn's assets are that of a small Fast food franchise.