Okay Gentlemen, it is now apparent that we have two hills to conquer (as
I put on my missionary garb)! Rich wants to convert the larger O
community who don't have room for even an average amount of trackage or
finally have decided that the inside third rail isn't that good
looking. On the other hand we have guys like Chris who want us to
compete with the high end HO guys whose eyes might be seeing 40 ish or
beyond or might see a more dependable scale to operate in. Boy do we
have a chore ahead of us!
Obviously if Lionel had produced their products with the
thought/engineering that SHS had put into their stuff, we likely
wouldn't be having this conversation--we could then get into the nits of
picking the tiny issues.
On the other hand if the Lionel effort of supplying scale wheels fails,
then there is no reason for them to continue along that line--they can
make their money easier in other areas. Letter writing, critiques and
advice, after the fact is seldom appreciated by the corporate marketing
people who might loose market share and even their heads over botched
decisions (protecting your rear end seems to be paramount in government
and the corporate world--I just have my wife to deal with).
I think much of what Lionel is facing has to do with what I was talking
about yesterday, where a manufacturer can only devote so much time in R
& D before the product is late (never happens in our hobby!) or too much
money spent that recovery will never happen in a competitive and
fragmented market.
Now MTH on the other side, has more than a leg up because they now have
a very good line of well engineered products. With a bit of advertising
they will do well and can help grow the scale in replacing all us 'old
school' guys who have the layout filled with stuff--although I do have
room for a FM switcher, someday; a SD-45, someday,
; and maybe a 0-6-0, someday--that's where the wife comes in!
Bob Werre
PhotoTraxx
On 12/21/12 5:46 AM, richgajnak wrote:
Funny thing is, I'm not tossed into the stewpot by the folks I'm
trying to convert,(namely O-gaugers and other curious onlookers) but I
keep getting thrown in by the converted!
Hmmm, think it needs a little salt...
Rich G(ajnak)
--- In [email protected] <mailto:S-Scale%40yahoogroups.com>, Bob
Werre <bob@...> wrote:
>
> Rich, unfortunately many missionaries have become part of the stew (I'm
> relating to a cartoon series that ran for years in Playboy and other
> magazines). In my outspoken missionary efforts, I've been poked at a
> few times as the water got a little hot!
>
> Bob Werre
> PhotoTraxx
