N&W caboose project Spring Mills Depot status

Sun Jun 25 20:01:45 EDT 2023

I'm sorry SMD isn't a large manufacturer. If they were maybe we could get products in a reasonable time frame. I understand it's 2 guys working in their basement and they have home lives, real jobs and have had to suffer through the Chinese thing we experienced several years ago. I also have spoken with many other modelers frustrated with their lack of progress. I have also heard and experienced that they aren't very communicative with potential customers and at train shows have more excuses than Carter has liver pills.
I think they make the very best quality plastic model trains I've ever seen. Probably more detailed and accurate than the beautiful stuff I have and have seen from Athearn, Atlas, Rapido, InterMountain and others to say the least.
I'm not privy to all their issues and excuses but I am familiar with working with companies and importers and understand, especially with brass imports, just how difficult the process can become. I have no information as to dealing with the financing aspects and don't pretend to know or care much about that.
Perhaps we, as N&W modelers, need better communication with other manufacturers. Remember several years ago BLI announced CF's? They cancelled the project "for lack of response and pre-orders". Perhaps there really aren't enough squeaky wheels letting the various manufacturers know we desperately need and want CF, CG. CH, etc cabin cars for our layouts? Maybe if we let BLI know we wanted them they would have produced them? The BLI cars I have seen are more than adequate and maybe not as detailed as SMD products but I and many, many more modelers would be happy to buy them. I was told years ago by one of the guys at SMD the latest excuse for delaying the I-1 was they found enough significant information on the cars and wanted to include those differences. We appreciate their dedication to producing accurate models but to hold up a product for many years because you found some cars with an extra rivet somewhere or another minor detail is crazy to me.
Carl, I'm sorry if I ruffled your feathers and you want to hide behind their endless excuses and protect them but most of us are tired of growing old waiting so many years for a loose promise from them.
Is there an N&WHS modeling committee? Wouldn't it be possible to try to get another manufacturer involved with this car? So much time and effort is wasted debating who has the best Tuscan Red formula and that time and effort could be better spent writing and calling our quality manufacturers and imploring them to help us.
Stick a fork in 'cause I'm done!
Roger HuberDeer Creek Locomotive Works 

     On Sunday, June 25, 2023 at 03:51:55 PM CDT, NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote:  

Roger,

I think you are being overly critical of SMD. You make the following broad statements:

1)    The SMD models are exceptional. Given.

2)    You understand the manufacturing issues. Do you know exactly what the problems were that SMD and other manufacturers were facing? Were the problems identical for all manufacturers, large and small alike? Did large companies have advantages (i.e. capital, a dedicated team to work on issues?) over small companies when it came to solving issues? 

3)    Other manufacturers have overcome these problems. See 2) above. 

4)    Other manufacturers are producing excellent models now. How do you know they are excellent? Have you examined and tested them all for accuracy, quality and performance?

5)    You know it’s 2 guys. These 2 guys are doing it ALL themselves. They don’t have marketing teams, production teams, teams that work with suppliers, sales teams, customer relations teams, etc. You name it. They have to do it all themselves besides work a job. 

6)    Other small companies now and in the past have been able … What small companies? Are their products comparable to SMD’s products? See 1) above. You can have something generic slapped together and distributed more quickly than a quality product that has been carefully researched, developed to include what is necessary to meet the specific requirements and details of the product and finally, produced to the highest standards expected by consumers. Of course what some customers expect and are happy with is an individual choice. 

7)    Just why is it Atlas, Rapido, Athearn and others … See 5) above. Do these companies only have a 2 person staff that handles the production of a product from beginning to end and deals with problems that might arise along the way?

8)    I don’t know anything about Rapido either but I would bet that SMD’s products are as good as and probably better than anything Rapido produces. That goes for all of the other big manufacturers you also list. Atlas and Athearn have produced some real junk in the past. How many of those big manufactures would even think about producing such a variety of quality N&W cabooses? If you want variety, quality, attention to detail and value for your money, you may have to wait because only a small company of 2 guys are trying to do what the other big companies won’t do.

Carl Miller

Kingsville, MD  

From: NW-Modeling-List [mailto:nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org] On Behalf Of NW Modeling List via NW-Modeling-List
Sent: Saturday, June 24, 2023 5:04 PM
To: NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Cc: NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: N&W caboose project Spring Mills Depot status

The models by SMD have been exceptional without any doubt. I understand the manufacturing issues that happened with the Chinese but it seems all the other manufacturers have overcome these problems and are producing excellent models now EXCEPT SMD! I know it's just 2 guys but other small companies now and in the past have been able to get an announced product out to the market in a REASONABLE time frame. SMD took forever to get the B&O I-12 cabs out to long waiting customers and they have taken longer on producing the B&O I-1,2,5, etc cars. Just why is it Atlas, Rapido, Athearn and others are able to get a product through research, development, production and into the hands of the modelers in a short period while SMD is many years behind?

As to poor quality of Rapido I can't say as I own none of their products except a streamlined coach they did many years ago and it's an excellent model. I haven't heard many bad reports on their stuff other than a few guys who received a damaged item during shipping. 

Roger Huber

Deer Creek Locomotive Works

On Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 10:13:57 AM CDT, NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 

I don’t think the statement that they don’t produce is fair. They have been overly ambitious in announcing their production schedule and were crippled by unforeseen circumstances like every other manufacturer. It’s fine IMO to call them out on that but the comparison to Rapido is unwarranted. The models that they have delivered have all been gorgeous and support/customer service is good. I have a Chessie cab, a few covered hoppers, and 20 or so DODX flats in hand or on order and all are among the highest quality models available.

Full disclosure – I did request my payment back a couple of years ago and received a prompt refund. I don’t doubt that they’ll get the CFs done but it was a sizeable chunk and the value of the money invested elsewhere exceeded the discount at that point.  

I’ve voted for Rapido with my wallet quite a bit as well. Probably a lot more than Spring Mills. Between the RS11s (which are bad on many levels), the B36-7s (also with prominent errors), the E8s (significant errors) and other well-documented mistakes, I am very thankful that Rapido is not doing the CFs. I’m just a Monday morning QB but to me, there seems to be some type of internal communication/quality/consistency gap they are fighting within their project management team coupled with an aggressive operational tempo. Some projects are great and some not so much and my guess is that “cranking out product in record time” is at the root of their quality issues. I want them to succeed and they are getting better but at least with Spring Mills, I haven’t encountered models that disappoint me.  

Greg Davis

St Pete, FL

From: NW-Modeling-List <nw-modeling-list-bounces at nwhs.org> on behalf of NW Modeling List via NW-Modeling-List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Date: Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 1:45 AM
To: NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Cc: NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org>
Subject: Re: N&W caboose project Spring Mills Depot status

They're extremely ambitious in their projects but just don't produce. I sure wish Rapido would assume the CF project so we could have the cabins in our lifetime. They crank out beautiful items in record time.

Roger Huber

Deer Creek Locomotive Works

On Friday, June 23, 2023 at 01:48:34 PM CDT, NW Modeling List <nw-modeling-list at nwhs.org> wrote: 

I pulled my $2500 deposit almost 3 years now. Last info that I have is that the B&O caboose are next and that maybe several years before they are done.

Then the N&W caboose will be next. New reservation will be higher price.

Stephen Rineair

From: NW Modeling List
Sent: Friday, June 23, 2023 12:10 PM
To: NW Modeling List
Subject: N&W caboose project Spring Mills Depot status

To the Group:

N&W caboose project Spring Mills Depot status???

Does anyone have any update on the status of this project?

I still have my deposit with them.

Eric Raitch

Gainesville, Va

20155

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