MTH bought S helper. I wonder what? where ? and when, we will see this line of fabulous models... take off again. I would like to see this part broken off to a separate buyer. I wish i could do it!
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SHS was a tough sale to MTH 8 years ago and there were no other seriously interested buyers.
The odds are not good that MTH will find a buyer for the Showcase Line.
Rusty
I went so far years ago that I bought an SHS set with a ATSF freight F-something and cars and track and a layout. Aside from the bizarre transformer operating instructions (I just wound up turning it Up to go faster and turning it Down to go slower...go figure) it was the nicest-running set of trains that I had ever used. Superb. I bought Kadee's to replace those awful AF couplers (bad enough in 3RO, but definitely not valid in S scale) and was seriously considering the switch to S (not AF). But, I looked at all my very nice 3RO equipment, my layout, and the fact that so few of my favorite locos were (readily) available (really? No NYC J-1 Hudson? And the USRA 2-6-6-2? SP AC-9? And....), and could not pull the O-plug.
S is (was?) almost the perfect scale (1:56 scale truly would be perfect), indeed. As the hobby shrinks, I fear that S will be one of the first near-collapses. It will always be somewhere - heck, TT scalers are yet found in dusty corners - but as a mainline product, I doubt its viability. I hate that.
My opinion is S gauge is not in danger of disappearing but the sparseness of new product is frustrating. I think S scale will continue on with or without both Lionel and MTH. S highrail would shrink considerably over time without Lionel but MTH will have no impact. Lionel should at least consider picking up the Showcase line and then selling licenses or reselling the rights to segments of the Showcase line to others.
The freight cars would make a nice S gauge premium line to complement the "standard line" of Lionel AF freight cars. The engines are probably useless to Lionel because the current Legacy System with smoke unit will not fit unless the Legacy boards were completely redesigned. That will not happen just for a few S gauge sales. Unlikely the FlyerChief system would fit either. The engines are of interest to the scale segment who use DC or DCC and that is not Lionel's target market.
The track system would be of no interest to Lionel since they have a complete FasTrack system. Fox Valley could use it as an augment to their flex track for buyers who want a compatible sectional track option but would they want to expand?
There is no installed base of DCS systems in S since only one DCS engine type has ever been sold.
Lionel needs to continue their efforts to make new engines. It looks like the Legacy Berkshires are well into production and maybe we could even have them by the end of the year. The next steam engine Lionel should make for S is the Hudson J3a in both Legacy and FlyerChief. Many operators want an SD40 diesel. That would be nice but maybe the issue is the Legacy system will not fit. All the existing Legacy diesels are larger engines and two motors, the Legacy boards and a smoke unit are a tight fit.
I would rather see Lionel keep making new engines rather than invest the capital in buying the Showcase Line if those are competing uses of Lionel's capital investments. I continue to be appreciative of the products in S gauge that are brought to market and support them with purchases.
I agree with D500. My ShS engines are the smoothest running machines I have ever seen! Detail and graphics, second to none. I have recently boughts some American products. I think they are pretty nice... and they seem to have their **** together as a company. USA. maybe they can run with some of the shs product.
JIm S.
@jim schleutker posted:I agree with D500. My ShS engines are the smoothest running machines I have ever seen! Detail and graphics, second to none. I have recently boughts some American products. I think they are pretty nice... and they seem to have their **** together as a company. USA. maybe they can run with some of the shs product.
JIm S.
In a backwards way AM has some SHS products. Before SHS became it's own stand alone manufacturer/importer, they helped finance several AM products like the FA's, RS3's, GP35's and heavyweight passenger cars.
However, I don't think AM is in a position to acquire the former SHS tooling from MTH.
Rusty
@Rusty Traque posted:SHS was a tough sale to MTH 8 years ago and there were no other seriously interested buyers.
The odds are not good that MTH will find a buyer for the Showcase Line.
Rusty
I feel that with a shrinking customer base in the model train world we are in that time frame where it will be a case of survival of the fittest with manufacturers.
I’m sure we will see other well known names fold and not just in the US.
As a former S scale modeler. (FYI: I was pursuing the "scale" side of S, i.e. Kadee couplers, combination of code 100/83 rail, scale-type flanges, etc.) I do not foresee a good future for the scale. After several years of trying, I gave up and left S. It's a very frustrating scale to model within due to a serious lack of of key products needed to attract those looking to move to S scale. The AF side of it will continue to survive, but will experience contraction. Hopefully S (AF) will stabilize at a market share size so that some key products can continue to be produced by cottage industries, and/or small mfg companies, but that hope may be in jeopardy, also. Seems S is doomed to spend its entire life never really "launching".
I wish it weren't so, but in my estimation, the above is the way it will play out.
Andre
