Roundhouse Bill posted:You guys can discuss the advantages of Scale S all you want, but the truth is that market is not growing to warrant the tooling costs by Lionel and MTH even with all your hoping. I talk with both companies regularly and they see no change of the ratio of Flyer and Scale.
Just because you want it won't make it happen. My feeling is you will have to adapt and rework.
It's not about the ratio, Bill. Anybody that has been in S for any extended amount of time is well aware of the ratio.
It's about product.
Case in point: Two models, same car type, two different markets...
Current MSRP per website: $42.95. Either car can be converted with relative ease and minimal expense to the opposite style of operation. AM's wheelsets (scale or hirail) are $5.95 for a set of 4. 2 pair of snap-lock couplers are $4.95/2 pair. Flyer compatible couplers $4.50/pair.
This concept seems to escape the good folks at Lionel.
I can understand that Lionel doesn't want to have duplicate product inventory. (I think they don't want any unsold product inventory.)
Lionel's current MSRP for a Flyer "traditional" boxcar (per 2018 Vol.1) is $59.99. To convert a Flyer car to scale it's throw away the underframe, throw away the trucks and couplers, build or buy a new underframe, buy new trucks and couplers and put it all together. Same goes for the new reefer, which retails for 5 bucks more than an equivalent MTH car. I can't think of any scale modeller who wants the new Flyer reefer for converting because of it's higher price and lower detail level.
And yet, Lionel HAS shown they can do it:
Now, if Lionel hadn't screwed up on the trucks (these have AM trucks mounted) and didn't offer these cars in all those screwy NS fantasy paint jobs, they would have gotten a better reception from the scale market (and probably the Flyer market, too.)
Last but not least. When I decided I wanted the MP Heritage SD70, Lionel was sold out of the scale wheel version.
So, hard cheese... Right? No. I bought the "Flyer" version...
and ordered the scale wheelsets from the Parts Department, mounted Kadees and PRESTO! Instant scale locomotive:
Same went for the ES44...
As far as MTH is concerned, the biggest gripe from all corners is they are sooooo daaaaang slooooow at reissuing the former SHS product line. Also, not a peep since the 2013 catalog. Folks get tired of waiting. Pure and simple.
Rusty
