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Model Forum / General / Railroads / May 2008[HO] Overland Models discontinues parts business
This message is from the Overland Models e-mail list: # # # For many years, we have maintained an inventory of HO-scale parts. Generally-speaking, these parts were used by modelers to make their plastic models more prototypical. Recently, we have noticed that the need for these parts has substantially declined. As a result, we have decided to stop carrying them, effective immediately. If you are looking for a particular part, you may find it at your favorite Overland dealer until it is sold out. We have sold all our remaining inventory to: American O-Scale Telephone: [262] 547-1919 E-mail: bdavis148@aol.com So, if your favorite Overland dealer does not have what you need because they are already sold out, you may be able to find it at American O-Scale. Brian Marsh President Overland Models, Inc. # # # ____ Mark Mathu The Green Bay Route: http://www.greenbayroute.com/ > # # # > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > # # # Well, at least that explains why he hasn't answered my emails inquiring about parts. -Pete Pete Roehling wrote in message news:482be8bb$0$20193$4c368faf@roadrunner.com... > Well, at least that explains why he hasn't answered my emails inquiring > about parts. I don't think that would explain his lack of a reply to you. > Pete Roehling wrote > >> Well, at least that explains why he hasn't answered my emails inquiring >> about parts. > > I don't think that would explain his lack of a reply to you. Well, there's probably some basic impoliteness towards -and lack of concern for- his customers going on there too; but no longer supplying parts makes for a good excuse to put off doing something that you weren't very inclined to do in the first place... I ran into the same problem when I had to return a factory defective loco to Overland: it generally took three emails to get an answer to most any question. -Pete On 5/18/2008 10:59 PM P. Roehling spake thus: >> Pete Roehling wrote >> [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Overland: it generally took three emails to get an answer to most any > question. So--and pardon my ignorance, not ever being loaded enough to even think about buying those high-priced Overland models--isn't the arrangement that Overland works through dealers? Could that be the cause of your problems? Or are you forced to deal with them directly?  SignatureThe best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. - Attributed to Winston Churchill >>>> Well, at least that explains why he hasn't answered my emails inquiring >>>> about parts. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > Overland works through dealers? Could that be the cause of your problems? > Or are you forced to deal with them directly? They understandably want you to buy your locos through a dealer, but parts are a different story. It's always been difficult to get Overland parts through a dealer. Since Overland doesn't sell many locos compared to say, Athearn, it doesn't pay many dealers to stock spares that they might not ever sell; and in my experience the dealers rarely -if ever- know what Overland has available anyway. When you add that to the fact that I'm over 50 freeway miles from the nearest dealer who'd even *try* to special order Overland parts for me, dealing direct with Overland is -excuse me- *was*, the only practical way to get what you needed before the advent of the next ice age. Frankly, I'm thinking of selling my Overland locos off on eBay before they begin breaking down. There are a lot of collectors out there who don't run their stuff, but I don't enjoy owning paperweights. (I should have probably seen this coming, since I bought one of their new SP AC-12s several years ago and it spun the drive gear on the axle of the rear engine the third time I ever ran it.) I returned it to Overland and then waited *15 months* while it got sent back to Korea *twice* for full disassembly and repairs. Getting any information out Overland during that period was closely akin to pulling teeth. It seemed that they simply didn't want to be bothered. -Pete On 5/19/2008 12:02 PM P. Roehling spake thus: > It's always been difficult to get Overland parts through a dealer. Since > Overland doesn't sell many locos compared to say, Athearn, it doesn't pay > many dealers to stock spares that they might not ever sell; and in my > experience the dealers rarely -if ever- know what Overland has available > anyway. [...] > Frankly, I'm thinking of selling my Overland locos off on eBay before they > begin breaking down. There are a lot of collectors out there who don't run > their stuff, but I don't enjoy owning paperweights. (I should have probably > seen this coming, since I bought one of their new SP AC-12s several years > ago and it spun the drive gear on the axle of the rear engine the third time > I ever ran it.) ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... SignatureThe best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. - Attributed to Winston Churchill > ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models > never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... Could be, although their diesels seem to be pretty reliable. I've never understood the collecting mentality anyway. Stamps take up so much less space... -Pete Pete Roehling wrote in message news:48326d79$0$30523$4c368faf@roadrunner.com... >> ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models >> never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... > > Could be, although their diesels seem to be pretty reliable. I thought you were thinking of selling your Overland locos now, before they began breaking down? You wrote that you had a SP AC-12 which spun a drive gear on the third time you ran it.... ____ Mark Mathu Whitefish Bay, Wis. >>> ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models >>> never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I thought you were thinking of selling your Overland locos now, before > they began breaking down? I am. Although they don't seem ready to fall apart right now, and I've not had many problems with their diesels in the past, *everything* breaks down sooner or later; and I'd rather not be the one left holding the bag when that eventually happens and repair parts are no longer available. > You wrote that you had a SP AC-12 which spun a drive gear on the third > time you ran it.... AC-12 = steam engine. The diesels don't seem to have the same problems, as I mentioned above. -Pete > > ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models > > never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I've never understood the collecting mentality anyway. Stamps take up so > much less space... When you've got two more locos than your layout requires for operation you're a collector. (the first excess loco is of course a "spare") When you buy a loco "because I like it", you're a collector. Regards, Greg.P. >> I've never understood the collecting mentality anyway. Stamps take up so >> much less space... > > When you've got two more locos than your layout requires for operation > you're a collector. You don't know any serious collectors. (And that's "collectors" as opposed to model railroaders.) A lot of these guys never run their locos at all, or, if they do, it's just to test it out once on a test-track when they first acquire it and then plunk it back in the box. An extra locomotive, or even ten, does not comprise a "collection" so long as it -or they- are being used on a regular basis. >>> I've never understood the collecting mentality anyway. Stamps take up so >>> much less space... [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > just to test it out once on a test-track when they first acquire it and > then plunk it back in the box. YES! I've read about those a.sholes: one who saw a friend (horrors!) running a brass loco on their set, and he tried to buy it to Save It. And then, and I could *not* make this up, there are the Factory Air(heads). I've read that, hell, what's the big Japanese? Korean? manufacturer of brass, who shipped all their locos in od cardboard boxes. When they learned of collectors who wanted "factory air" (aka, never open the box!), they started shipping them with plastic covers, so you could *see* this piece of art. They had "collectors" complain, because the boxes didn't match their other boxes!!!! I could box a *brick* and sell it to them, and they'd never know the difference! And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of disposing of unwanted income. mark On 5/21/2008 7:23 PM mark spake thus: > And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of > disposing of unwanted income. Or worse yet, driving the price of these precious models so high into the stratosphere that there's no chance of most of us mooks ever obtaining one. SignatureThe best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. - Attributed to Winston Churchill > On 5/21/2008 7:23 PM mark spake thus: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the stratosphere that there's no chance of most of us mooks ever > obtaining one. Brass collecting seems to be the model railroading equivalent of hoarding pornography. SignatureSteve > On 5/21/2008 7:23 PM mark spake thus: > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the stratosphere that there's no chance of most of us mooks ever > obtaining one. YEABUT!!!!! If it wasn't for the volume of sales that those 'collectors' provide, some (many) of those 'precious models' would never be produced for you to drool over. Chuck D. <snip> > And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of > disposing of unwanted income. You'll never own brass because other people who buy brass are idiots? If you held true to that, you wouldn't buy much of anything (cars, clothing, food) as there are an awful lot of idiots out there that do moronic things with just about anything you can imagine. ;-) Semi-more seriously, brass is just a medium, just like plastic, resin, or cast pot metal. The important part of brass is accuracy (or at least the attempt) to the prototype. If you want to model a steam-era railroad, and you don't model the NYC, PRR, UP, or SP (and if you don't scratchbuild), then you have to buy brass. If you want to model a decent (non-Bachmann/Life-Like) trolley layout, a non-D&RGW narrow gauge layout, or a non-Amtrak/PRR electrified railroad like NH, MILW, etc., you have to buy brass. I model the New Haven, and I have several pieces of brass (6 steam engines, a few diesels, a couple railbus-types, some motors, a few passenger cars) and run them consistantly. I also know a couple knuckleheads who would buy two of every brass engine because they'd keep one in the box with "factory air" in it and display the other (never run it, tho'). But just because they are crazy, doesn't mean I can't enjoy my NH brass. Paul A. Cutler III ************* Weather Or No Go New Haven ************* > <snip> > >> And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of >> disposing of unwanted income. > > You'll never own brass because other people who buy brass are idiots? <snip> No, because I'm not going to spend many hundreds or thousands of dollars when I can get a perfectly good plastic or metal engine. Sure, I'd love brass, the detail's incredible... but screw that noise, I have other things to spend money on, like gas, or my monthly commuter railpass.... mark > No, because I'm not going to spend many hundreds or thousands of dollars > when I can get a perfectly good plastic or metal engine. Sure, I'd love > brass, the detail's incredible... but screw that noise, I have other > things > to spend money on, like gas, or my monthly commuter railpass.... No one is saying that one should skimp on basics like gas or their job to spend money on one's hobby. If your objection to brass is because you have to spend money on gas or a railpass, then you shouldn't be spending money on plastic or cast metal engines, either. Real life comes first. Hobby money is what's left over after everything else is paid for. If you have the money to spend, say $800, you can buy 4 plastic engines with sound or one brass diesel. If you desire quantity over quality, that's fine...no one will object to that. But one does have to buy relatively generic plastic engines vs. getting a specific engine that the railroad you're modeling had. For example, if you model the NH's mainline post 1956, you need FL9's as they were the main passenger power for the NH from then on. If you don't buy brass FL9's, you'll have to make do with either E-units or F-units...both of which are one axle off. If you can live with that, okay, but some of us can't. Paul A. Cutler III ************* Weather Or No Go New Haven ************* > You'll never own brass because other people who buy brass are idiots? (snip) > I model the New Haven, and I have several pieces of brass (6 steam > engines, a few diesels, a couple railbus-types, some motors, a few [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > it, tho'). But just because they are crazy, doesn't mean I can't enjoy my > NH brass. Thank you for a sane post. Q: Are you *sure* you belong here? -Pete > Thank you for a sane post. Um, you're welcome? > Q: Are you *sure* you belong here? Heh. Actually, back in the "Olden Days" (tm) of r.m.r, the sane people outnumbered the not-so-sane. One by one, most of these sane people left for greener pastures...mainly those that have moderators and where one can post pictures, etc. I'm still here because this is the last bastion of almost-free speech on the 'net for model railroading talk. There's no moderators, there's no corporations trying to stifle discussion of competitors, there's no megalomaniac that owns the place and bans people without cause. Of course, one has to deal with the consequences of that freedom (trolls and morons), but that's freedom for you. ;-) Paul A. Cutler III ************* Weather Or No Go New Haven ************* > I'm still here because this is the last bastion of almost-free speech > on the 'net for model railroading talk. There's no moderators, there's no > corporations trying to stifle discussion of competitors, there's no > megalomaniac that owns the place and bans people without cause. I know what you mean. I once helped form a motorcycle safety discussion board that started out unmoderated but involuntarily acquired a "sponser" after about a year when the server decided he needed more money than his ads could generate. Shortly after that, the sponser began banning posters who said anything negative about his products, and then barred anyone who dared to complain about his gestapo tactics. For some reason everyone stopped posting there shortly thereafter. > Of course, one has to deal with the consequences of that freedom > (trolls and morons), but that's freedom for you. ;-) Wink-wink, nudge-nudge. -Pete > And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of > disposing of unwanted income. Unfortunately, there's a great deal of engines that will probably never be available in another form, like my GN 2-8-8-0 and 2-6-8-0. Plus, at the time I bought nearly all of my brass, there weren't any other offerings with the beautiful detail that they had. The past 10 years has changed that of course, and now there's quite a bit of finely detailed plastic and cast locos. Brass is made to be run. Fine Scale Miniatures kit are made to be built. The dickheads that think they're going to use them as an investment and retire off the profits later are foolish, since they rarely gain much value beyond normal inflation according to some information I have read. Anybody trying to sell at a higher value is scamming you. SignatureRick Jones Remove the Extra Dot to e-mail me When dog food has "new and improved" taste, who tests it? > > And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of > > disposing of unwanted income. [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > information I have read. Anybody trying to sell at a higher value is > scamming you. As the standard of everyday proprietry models rises, the value of basic detailed brass will drop. (keep repeating that to the collectors and you should get the odd bargain! ;-) Regards, Greg.P. >> Brass is made to be run. Fine Scale Miniatures kit are made to be >> built. The dickheads that think they're going to use them as an [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > (keep repeating that to the collectors and you should get the odd > bargain! ;-) I've already noticed, on eBay and sometimes in magazine ads, that prices on some of the brass from the Good Old Days [PFM, Westside, Balboa, etc.] has leveled off and slowly begun to drop. Some of the older brass pieces seem to be about the same price, and sometimes slightly lower, than the new non-brass locos. SignatureRick Jones Remove the Extra Dot to e-mail me The Lake Erie & Oregon Railroad http://www.geocities.com/seventysixinchesoffun/ When dog food has "new and improved" taste, who tests it? > And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of > disposing of unwanted income. Whoa- why do you think the income used on brass models is "unwanted?" That's the word you used. You sound like a sour puss in that message. On 5/23/2008 10:10 PM Mark Mathu spake thus: >> And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of >> disposing of unwanted income. > > Whoa- why do you think the income used on brass models is "unwanted?" > That's the word you used. I think he was being ... ironic. SignatureThe best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. - Attributed to Winston Churchill >>> And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of >>> disposing of unwanted income. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > I think he was being ... ironic. That's a pretty brassy thing to say. Bet a nickel you're a copper. SignatureSteve >>>> And that's why I'll never own brass: this is a hobby, not a means of >>>> disposing of unwanted income. [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > That's a pretty brassy thing to say. Bet a nickel you're a copper. I zinc you're all full of it. mark "ah, usenet, where the clueless meet the opinionated" >>> ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models >>> never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > Regards, > Greg.P. So, I must be a collector then as I have over a dozen locos, most new, that have never turned a wheel whilst under my ownership. Could be because I haven't yet got around to building a layout to run them on. I must get around to doing that in the near future. Krypsis On 5/28/2008 4:58 AM Krypsis spake thus: >>>> ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models >>>> never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > because I haven't yet got around to building a layout to run them on. I > must get around to doing that in the near future. Well, you apparently have at least the desire to build a layout and run them. Most true collectors would think this beneath them and their precious jewels. SignatureThe best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. - Attributed to Winston Churchill > >>> ... all of which seems to confirm my suspicion that most Overland models > >>> never see a single volt of electricity through their little motors ... [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > Krypsis Being a collector doesn't stop you being a modeller, or vice versa ;-) Being an "armchair modeller" and a "collector" are the same thing. Greg.P. > Frankly, I'm thinking of selling my Overland locos off on eBay before they > begin breaking down. There are a lot of collectors out there who don't run > their stuff, but I don't enjoy owning paperweights. (I should have probably > seen this coming, since I bought one of their new SP AC-12s several years > ago and it spun the drive gear on the axle of the rear engine the third time > I ever ran it.) Just list them as "Never runs" instead of "Never run". SignatureSteve >> Frankly, I'm thinking of selling my Overland locos off on eBay before >> they [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > Just list them as "Never runs" instead of "Never run". I see: sort of like Ron Paul. >> Just list them as "Never runs" instead of "Never run". > > I see: sort of like Ron Paul. Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? SignatureSteve >Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? Did you ever see the movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? -- Ray >>Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? > > Did you ever see the movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? The ping-pong movie? SignatureSteve >>>Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? >> >> Did you ever see the movie, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? > >The ping-pong movie? That was Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert. -- Ray >>>>Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? >>> [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > That was Priscilla, Queen of the Dessert. Ahh, ping pong balls with whipped cream. SignatureSteve >>>>>Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? >>>> [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Ahh, ping pong balls with whipped cream. I take it they got the balls from Ping Pong after he fell from the Umpire State Building? >>> Just list them as "Never runs" instead of "Never run". >> >> I see: sort of like Ron Paul. > > Who's this Ru Paul everybody's talking about? Heh. A better analogy than some might think, as both have about the same chance of being elected President. }:-O -Pete >> Pete Roehling wrote >> >>> Well, at least that explains why he hasn't answered my emails inquiring >>> about parts. >> >> I don't think that would explain his lack of a reply to you. <snip> > I ran into the same problem when I had to return a factory defective loco > to Overland: it generally took three emails to get an answer to most any > question. On the other hand, when I had to contact Bowser for parts for the Pennsy Atlantic I just built, they were helpful, and if the guy answering didn't know the answer, he handed me off to ... Lee, I think, who *did* know it all. Nice guy, and fast response from Bowser, always. mark > On the other hand, when I had to contact Bowser for parts for the Pennsy > Atlantic I just built, they were helpful, and if the guy answering didn't > know the answer, he handed me off to ... Lee, I think, who *did* know it > all. Nice guy, and fast response from Bowser, always. Thenk yew for mentioning that. Hopefully it will throw a few more customers Bowser's way. Too often we enjoy cussing out the bad guys so much that we forget to bestow appropriate kudos where they're deserved. -Pete >This message is from the Overland Models e-mail list: ># # # >For many years, we have maintained an inventory of HO-scale parts. >Generally-speaking, these parts were used by modelers to make their plastic >models more prototypical. >Recently, we have noticed that the need for these parts has substantially >declined. As a result, we have decided to stop carrying them, effective >immediately. >If you are looking for a particular part, you may find it at your favorite >Overland dealer until it is sold out. >We have sold all our remaining inventory to: >American O-Scale >Telephone: [262] 547-1919 >E-mail: bdavis148@aol.com >So, if your favorite Overland dealer does not have what you need because >they are already sold out, you may be able to find it at American O-Scale. Sounds like they are getting stung by the risings costs of making things in China - the olympic games are going to make wages in china rise massively over the next 10 years so that could make it start to become cost-effective to manufacture 'at home' again. I don't know how this would affect brass model and detail part manufacturing though. Most of that is done in Korea now I think since it's too expensive to get Samhongsa to make small to medium runs in Japan. Then again the size of the runs Overland does are quite large. Craig. SignatureCraig Dewick - HO-Scale Railway Modeller and Professional Train Manager at http://lios.apana.org.au/~craigd or craigd@lios.apana.org.au if you're game! RailZone Australia - http://www.railzone.org - No Fundies! No RailCorp CodeCon! http://lios.apana.org.au/mailman/listinfo/aus_rail_safety for Oz Rail Safety |
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