Brian and Charlie,
There's a very big gap here though. In N Scale, for $250 you get a nominal 10
car passenger train, with a couple of two or four car addon sets for $50/$100
per set to make up the prototypical length train. This is truly affordable.
My concern is that in HO Scale the cost is going to be at least twice that,
with the every increasing costs, the price could be tripple or more in the
cost. That's $750 for a plastic set, which is reasonable on price at $75 per
car, the issue is, most people don't have that much to spend at one time.
Walthers has the right idea, release a car per month and folks can pick them up
as they are released, but an entire trainset, would be too much for a lot of
people to do at one time.
I would have loved a Rapido Canadian (two actually as when I'm modeling I need
to mix and match cars) but I couldn't afford to buy one set at one go, let
alone two sets.
I would have preferred that Rapido (and Kato should they decide that they're
going to do HO Scale Passenger Train Sets) released the Locomotives as the
first item in a "box set" that can hold the entire train. From there, they
released 1 or 2 cars per month that come in plain packaging and can be removed
from the plain packaging, and placed in the box set that the locomotives came
in. This makes it much more affordable for the customer to purchase.
If I could get them to do a train, I'd like to vote for a DZ or TCZ, with
separate number / name boards so that the cars can be used for other things
post this service.
James
----- Original Message -----
From: "Brian Ehni" <behni@comcast.net>
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 11:54:07 AM
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Silver Streak Zephyr
FWIW, I think either the 3rd set of the TCZ, or the second set of the DZ would
have wider appeal.
Thanks!
--
Brian P. Ehni
From: Charlie Vlk < cvlk@comcast.net >
Reply-To: < CBQ@yahoogroups.com >
Date: Wednesday, August 8, 2012 10:44 AM
To: < CBQ@yahoogroups.com >
Subject: RE: [CBQ] Silver Streak Zephyr
Brian-
No, the marketplace (consumers) have decided that Kato USA HO products don’t
sell. They have done similar items in HO that sell well in N and observed
from the sales figures that their market is not in HO. They continue to make
HO items but sales are a fraction of what they are in N on a item to item
basis.
Not every company should be in every market. Kato, for example, IMHO, should
not be in the freight car market because they do not have a production profile
/ mentality to support numerous releases of many roadnames with a range of
roadnumbers. Their production model is an item release once every few years
with perhaps 2 roadnumbers for 6 roadnames. It is their “way” and their
company. If they had more frequent production they would have gotten around
to your pre-72 ATSF SD45s…..it wasn’t because the Kato USA researchers/staff
were unaware of the attractiveness of that (and the other 100 that those units
could be painted) scheme.
It would be interesting if they decided to tool up the Silver Streak Zephyr as
a set (like Fox Valley did with the Hiawatha) and see what the market response
would be. I fear that more people would find reasons not to buy it then would
step up to the plate to support it.
Charlie Vlk
From: CBQ@yahoogroups.com [ mailto:CBQ@yahoogroups.com ] On Behalf Of Brian
Ehni
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2012 9:27 AM
To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Silver Streak Zephyr
So, based on the HO scale product mix Kato produced and sold, they've decided
that HO doesn't sell. There's a self-fulfilling issue for you.
I believe Kato has been ill-served by some of their own choices. For example,
why no pre-72 ATSF SD45s?
Thanks!
--
Brian P. Ehni
From: Charlie Vlk < cvlk@comcast.net >
Reply-To: < CBQ@yahoogroups.com >
Date: Tuesday, August 7, 2012 9:03 AM
To: < CBQ@yahoogroups.com >
Subject: RE: [CBQ] Silver Streak Zephyr
Brian-
Having worked for Kato and seen the situation from all sides during my Model
Railroad career (manufacturer, wholesale distributor, retail shop, and
consumer) I can tell you it isn’t a lack of caring that drives their product
mix.
Kato’s HO sales in North America have been a small fraction of what they sell
in N for the last twenty years…..especially after the “Kaizaned” RS2 and SD40-2
mechanism redesign disasters. I would say that even Model Power outsells
Kato, at least at the shops I am familiar with. The market response to the HO
SD80MAC, Business Car, Bilevel Commuter Coaches, F40PH, and SD40/SD38 has not
encouraged them to step up their HO production. N Scalers have voted with
their money and won the race.
Charlie Vlk
Kato apparently no longer cares about HO, judging by their recent releases.
Brian P. Ehni
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