2013 American Flyer

It's great news to hear that Lionel are looking to have a catalogue with lots of new items but is it a case of putting the chicken before the egg or to run before we can walk syndrome.

 

My concerns are that with so much possible new choices, is that we may only be in a position to afford so much with a limited budget these days and that collectively we may spread our interest too wide which can in reality make the orders look unviable to produce specific items.

 

S is growing in stature now as more highly detailed items are being offered both in new and old eras as well as satisfying the die hard AF collector/operator as well as the overlooked for many years scale fraternity. Perhaps Lionel should take things a bit more slowly to enable more people switch into S which creates a greater customer base for all those new products to get minimum run figures to guarantee all items gets to market.

 

Regards,

 

Neil

I think it will only grow as fast as our pocket books will let it. I would think whatever is to be pumped out will be bought up. If not it would not be produced. My train budget was destroyed last year with the sd70s and the y3, oh and the second run of u33cs. As an individual I would agree I am getting to the point of having to decide between things I want because of product growth and not having an unlimited train fund. When prior there was such a narrow selection in s a few years ago that was not an issue. There would only be one or two things offered that I would want. So this what the three rail guys go through twice a year huh? Ben

Yep.

S was sure a lot less expensive when there was "nutthin' available..."

 

Great to be faced with such choices, eh?

 

Rusty

Good Day,

 

I look forward to viewing the new American Flyer Catalog.

A year from now many people will be surprised on how many 3-Rail and HO Model Railroaders have moved to S Scale. It will be the fastest growing scale in model railroading in the 21^st Century!

Regards,

Swafford

On the other hand, we won't be put in the position of trying to decide whether or not to buy something we don't really want just to "support S Scale." Lately I've been buying 3 rail O gauge stuff even though it's too big for my space and I really hate that 3rd rail - but I want to run toy trains (that I like vs. "what's available"), not spend hours looking for second hand equipment that turns out to be "not as advertised" too many times.

I think choice is good, and I'm glad Lionel might be doing more in S Scale. Also glad that S Helper got taken in by MTH instead of just rolling off into the sunset. Hopefully American Models will update their line as well. Heck, it would be nice if maybe Williams (Bachmann) jumped in too...

 

I don't want 100% of the stuff that O Gaugers have available to them, but 10% would sure be nice. Even 5% would be a huge improvement.

 

Cheers,

Ken

I don't see it but I hope you're right.

 

Cheers,

Ken

Hopefully that means that Lionel will still continue to pitch the new Flyer to the scale crowd. 

 

Seems like the SD70ACe and Y3 have begun to change some minds.

 

Rusty

I have a theory that many S gauge modelers are in S because there hasn't been much available historically and they actually like it that way. Several of the comments above seem to bear that out. Personally, I just don't understand the thought of asking a MFG to slow down. The ONLY scale I have ever heard that in is S. Just look at the O gauge crowd... They can not get enough product. Even if they don't have room to run it or store it, they continue to buy. Same with HO and N.

 

I feel just the opposite. I have put S on hold because even at this "fever pitch" they still aren't making what I want fast enough for me to do what I want to do. At this rate it will still take years before I can build the railroad that I want in S. And that is if I get lucky and they actually make models I want.

 

So please, don't ask them to slow down. If you can't afford something right now then pass on it and pick it up later. People that have been in S for a while are in for a change. Lionel and MTH are going to make S feel much more like O gauge jr. than what you are used to in S. That's just the way it will be. Get used to seeing lots more products than your budget will allow That is the way it works in all the other scales. S won't be any different.

Lionel has been 'going slow' on Flyer and S gauge for about 34 years. Pick up the pace, please.

 

Bob

Believe it or not, that was small part of the reason I got into S. 

 

But after I did a photo inventory of my locomotives a year or so ago(Scale, Hirail and Traditional Flyer,) plus look at all the freight and passenger rolling stock on the layout and lurking in  all the corners of the basement..,  IT JUST AIN'T SO!

 

Once you're in S for a while, you discover where the suppliers lurk.

 

I may not be as close to the poorhouse as I would've been if I stayed in HO, but I'm on the right street.

 

I always had a problem with the some of "old guard" that wanted to keep S stuck in the sixties.

 

The previous decade was pretty good to S folks, until the Sanda Kan shuffle happened.  It looks like we're on track for a second reniasance.

 

S should stand for superb, not stasis.

 

I'm glad to see Lionel ramping up S and MTH's entry (which in and odd sort of way, might not have happened if it weren't for Sanda Kan firing their customers.)

 

Flyer, Hirail and Scale.  It's all good.

 

Rusty

I agree with Bob here, let's pick up the pace and see more stuff.  The Y3 and SD70's are gems and I would love to see what is comming next.  I also have VERY high expectations for MTH and what they will bring to the party.  I'm also very glad to be in S scale at this particular time because I think it is going to make some very good advancements in the next few years.

 

I think that those who have limited means should simply be selective in what THEY buy, not try to have the manufacturers hold back just to make them happy.  That is like me saying to GM that becasue i cannot afford a new stingray, they should not offer it.

The point I was trying to put over is that if Lionel for example put 100+ new items in the catalogue, this being an extreme figure, there is no way that all of it will be made as there just isn't going to be the people out there in volume with the available spending power to get it all into production. My feeling if this happened then the split would be so wide that the number of items that actually would reach the market could be low. 

 

If you put out less but more than normal to meet the current level plus a bit more to entice new people then you will build up the S gauge fraternity for existing and the new people looking to join us.

 

Neil

I'm all for more loco's and cars, but Lionel needs to got on the stick with expanding the S FasTrak line and MTH with rebooting S-Trax and getting it out into stores.

 

The greatest selection of trains isn't going to mean a hill of beans to a person new to S without a readily available stock of track.

 

Rusty

The new motive power and rolling stock are fine and good, but I'd like to add to Rusty's comment to go big. I feel we need O-72 equivalent curves and switches in S. Even S-80 curves or what ever the geometry would work out to. And straight tracks that are at least the equivalent of 3 normal lengths. Then some serious layouts could be built, and then the wonderfully detailed models we have would look good, without the cabs hanging in mid-air on the curves. 

Casey

I'm all for more loco's and cars, but Lionel needs to got on the stick with expanding the S FasTrak line and MTH with rebooting S-Trax and getting it out into stores.

 

The greatest selection of trains isn't going to mean a hill of beans to a person new to S without a readily available stock of track.

 

Rusty

---

How about flex track and some real turnouts?

 

Tom Stoltz

in Maine

Lionell's Facebook page says that the American Flyer catalog will be released with the signature volume 1 catalog in April. Ben