The big question here should be not whether it would sell, but whether the item would continually sell over a period of several production runs, which the manufacturers need just to break even on the development and tooling costs. They have ALL said it, and this plays heavily into the decision making process.
The Jersey Central loco on the first page might sell out one single run. But they need more than that. How many other roads actually owned that loco? And would folks into scale fidelity buy that loco in roads that never had that model engine?
I agree with Swafford that there is interest in intermodal stuff. But for young and old, you NEED affordable semi-scale that will run on 027 curves as well as the scale offerings. And folks might not like hearing this, but the semi-scale offerings would probably way out-sell any scale ones.
This is the dilemma the train makers face. In the small 3-rail market, where the majority is STILL traditional semi-scale, how to make everyone happy and still stay in business?
And there is a real disconnect between what many would like to see made in 3-rail and the reality of what would sell. I heard someone yell a question to Mike Wolf on why MTH doesn't make this particular road, and his answer was fast and simple: "It doesn't sell."
Many wonder about the pitiful selection of O scale decals. Microscale at one time had an extensive line of 0 scale decals. They don't now because the 0 scale didn't sell - and that's from the owner of Microscale. Meanwhile the offerings of N scale and HO scale decals could make an 0 scale guy just drool. While I can't imagine putting decals on an N scale car, obviously people do it, because Microscale continues to offer more and more N scale decals.
