Maybe someone knows more than I do.....but fwiw.... I get asked this question a lot....and so do a lot of other dealers.
I thought everyone knew that the average time from announcement of a new item...to when it is actually here and available...is about 18 months. Other than that, I dont have any inside information, and even the manufacturers dont know, BC there are a lot of variables. They can call their reps oversees, but even then, its just a guess.
Here are the general lead times I get for arrival of an item..
Atlas..generally I know something is coming about 2-3 months out.
MTH...2 to 3 weeks out
Lionel..2 to 3 weeks out.
I would highly suggest that if anyone wants to know when an item is going to be available, PLEASE call the manufacturer. They would have a better idea than I would.
Sorry I dont have a better answer. All i can ask is for ppl to be patient. I post the info I get about the products that Im receiving, here on the OGR forum and on our website "Latest News" page.
Thanks......beth