Super S gauge sale at Charles Ro 11/15/14.

I would think that the cylindrical hopper, U33c, SD70, ES44, challenger, and Y3 all fall into that same issue, cost of new tooling vs small demographic market compared to O but they all got the green light.  Still does not make sense to me.  

Ben 

We need to be happy with what is being produced and make the most out of it.

I don't see the need to be "happy" about a company that showed pictures of a new product in an April catalogue, plugged it on their blog site in September, and perhaps accidently leaked on a Facebook page three weeks before promised delivery that it never bothered to start the project in the first place. Or a company that produces hoppers that don't look right, can't stay on most people's track or go through switches, and have a "fix" unrelated to the real problem.

As S gaugers, we do know how to "make the most of it" because we have had to build our own for so long. There are real fixes by switching the wheels on the hopper (still doesn't look right) or spending even more money by buying trucks from a much smaller company (looks correct; runs well).

By the way, that much smaller company recently announced some new product by, in order: 1) showing the actual product at a train show; 2) posting photos--not drawings--of the actual product on its web site; and 3) promising to deliver actual product in a few weeks. Their procedure was exactly the opposite of what Lionel did/does. It is true that the American Models new GP9s are not newly tooled product, but different paint on a 60-year-old American Flyer boxcar does not make it "new" either, even if a catalogue claims it is. Seeing Texas and Pacific GPs coming into the market makes me happy. So does the way American Models handled it.

"I would think that the cylindrical hopper, U33c, SD70, ES44, challenger, and Y3 all fall into that same issue, cost of new tooling vs small demographic market compared to O but they all got the green light.  Still does not make sense to me."

   The problem is that's four new locos but only one car to run with them when a train is usually 100 cars and two to six locos depending on era and territory. If they expect folks to buy their product they need to make enough cars to let us buy trains for our layout. They expect us to buy modern locos and pull old flyer stuff around a scale layout? Who hired those marketing experts ? .....DaveB

It looks like the Ro Super Sale prices ended - e.g. N&W Y3’s are now back up to $599, no longer $499.  The best prices therefore might still be at Nassua — http://www.nassauhobby.com/XC4...?objects_per_page=50

BTW, according to AM the container is in the port of LA, (made in the USA, but decorated in China) so the T&P sets should be showing up in early December.

That's the nice thing about AM, with the exception of the earlier products "assisted" by SHS, they usually don't announce until the stuff is at least in transit.

Rusty

I like the optimism Frank. I hope you are right. It certainly has the potential to be something special. Time will tell.

I just got an email from Ro about their "Black Friday Sale". The Y3s are again listed at $499.95. Prices good from 11/25-11/30.

http://www.charlesro.com/blackfriday1.html