Cancellations

The usual reason for cancellations is not enough orders to make the run realize even a minimal profit.

Several dealers had crazy "blow-out" type sales on MTH European electric engines this summer. I love odd electric engines and picked up three different ones for about 40% of MSRP, new from an authorized MTH dealer. 

Perhaps the German market isn't has good as was once believed?

The reissue of Great Northern R-2  which I ordered was cancelled also. I was not notified till after The projected release date.

After an item l ordered and was drooling all over was cancelled, l view the system as hopelessly unreliable and it has to jump out or the catalog and grab me by the throat before l bother with the hassle of pre-order (don't like the rules, don't play the game)

Ok I have been educated.

just because it's all petty and shiny in any catolog does not make it a real deal.

and preorder is how the industries judge production.

Not just MTH. The Lionel modular engine shed I had on preorder got cancelled too.

Curious if MTH ever published a list this year of those items cancelled?  I pre-ordered the RockyMountaineer GP-40 locomotive, and I sure hope that's made its way into production.  The MTH website date shows Aug 2017 as an ETA.

I noticed that the GN R-2 (20-3698-1) that was cancelled returns on MTH's website searches.  However, when you click on the item number, you never get to the product page... Just goes back to the MTH homepage.  Is that normal behavior nowadays for products that MTH cancels?  

David

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

Curious if MTH ever published a list this year of those items cancelled?  I pre-ordered the RockyMountaineer GP-40 locomotive, and I sure hope that's made its way into production.  The MTH website date shows Aug 2017 as an ETA.

David

Why would you order that?  LOL!

I'm still holding out for my Tinplate Caboose.  If they cancel this they'll get an engine and several cars back in the mail! But alas Andy said it will be made so I'll wait, not patiently, but I'll wait.

  It also shows Aug 2017...after showing July 2017, June 2017, May 2017, April 2017...  I know David used to monitor Lionel's shipping schedule pretty closely but MTH can be just as bad at watching dates go month to month.

Rich Foster at MTH is still of the opinion that both the black and Glacier Park paint schemes of the GN R-2s will be announced again....just need some more orders to justify expense of production.  Jim  

Rocky Mountaineer posted:

Curious if MTH ever published a list this year of those items cancelled?

Not that I know of....or that we (LHS) ever receive...snail- or e-mail.

The MTH website date shows Aug 2017 as an ETA.

That's probably a good thing....sort of.  If the website still has an ETA date, it's a good bet it will be made.......someday.  Which is the 'sort of'.........the ETA date is notoriously erratic.  A customer called us to say 'Where's my engine?  The website says its ETA is December 2017!'  So, I called MTH.   Production is now scheduled for February 2018, delivery '..sometime after April.'

I noticed that the GN R-2 (20-3698-1) that was cancelled returns on MTH's website searches.  However, when you click on the item number, you never get to the product page... Just goes back to the MTH homepage.  Is that normal behavior nowadays for products that MTH cancels?  

Not typically, in my experience.  Another customer has had an order card in our file that's rather brown around the edges it's so old.  He came in one day and said 'Hey, did they ever make my 11-90064?'  If you enter that in the "Product Locator" of the MTH website, you'll see the answer.

Per Jim's comment above re GN R-2, maybe the return-to-homepage is a new form of "In Limbo"

David

I tend to empathize with the folks at Lionel, MTH, Atlas, Bachmann, et al, that have off-shore (read: China) manufacturing in trying to accurately project/keep a promise to the WIN-ners (Want It Now!) among us retail customers (or front-line dealers).  It must be like trying to put on a delightful show for the kids with a bunch of marionettes that have a variety of elastic rubber or rotten cotton strings attached to all of the appendages!  

Want it now?  I think 8 years is wouldn't be considered now. 

MartyE posted:

Want it now?  I think 8 years is wouldn't be considered now. 

David

 

I'm still holding out for my Tinplate Caboose.  If they cancel this they'll get an engine and several cars back in the mail! But alas Andy said it will be made so I'll wait, not patiently, but I'll wait.

My oh my, late and canceled orders. And all this time I thought BSG waiting for so many years for our S FEST cars, that we were the only ones. We have been promised so many production dates, to be run with this order or that order, I wonder if we will ever see the "SPRECHER" refer that has been on order and "promised to be made" forever.  So many S gauge customers who ordered these cars and now when inquiries are made to MTH, we do not even get the courtesy of an answer, wish it was still S Helper Service.

Ray

I can't complain...my caboose came!

My Lionel Aux tender for the Reading & Northern 425 was cancelled too.  I had asked about this at YORK and was told not many pre ordered so they pulled the plug.  DRAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BANJOFLYER posted

Ray...maybe there's a glimmer of hope on your 2016 S-Fest cars...

Mark, I think there may be a flickering of light out there, do I dare breath that I may blow it out?

Thanks for posting that response, I am still holding out hope for the delivery.

Ray