I’ve noticed that since the Hogwarts Express was released overseas, there seems to be sudden growing interest in both the US manufacturers to produce British and other European locomotives. I personally am very glad to hear of this as maybe I can finally get a semi-affordable BR green A4 I’ve always wanted with Legacy or DCS [:)]
Until recent, the only way to buy British 3 rail was through Ace Trains; there have not been new offerings for a while. Even so, the rate of currency exchange make Ace and Bassett-Lowke untouchable for many US collectors that want British locomotives. Although OO is the standard in the UK, I wonder if British high-rail collectors will welcome Lionel and MTH locomotives? I don’t imagine Allen Levy is thrilled of this, although mass produced British O may spark new interest in the gauge and may very well be an untapped market for Lionel and MTH to drill into. With the added customer base, might we see more US offerings at lower price as well?
Things are starting to move in the right direction over here. Not only for British outline but for availability of US outline 3-rail O.
I think we are looking at the start of a much more active 3-rail O market here in the UK.
In the last few weeks lots of things have come to light,
I understand MTH were at the London toy fair actively seeking UK dealers. This was in late January. Then last weekend Hornby bought Corgi/Bassett-Lowke. At a guess this gives Bassett-Lowke access to a large amount of resources and economies of scale.
I don’t expect to see the huge prices of Ace or Bassett continue. Lionel have shown what can be done for a much more modest ammount. MTH’s Duchess is at a price point similar to Ace/Bassett but packs many more features.
I also would not rule out Bachmann UK importing Williams by Bachmann after a conversation one of the Lionel Collectors Club UK members had with them at a show this weekend. I understand this may be more likely if Williams do a complete set including track etc.
MTH has attended the European Toy Fair for several years - to nurture the small 3-rail market that models US railroads. I’m guessing that they see a potential market in Europe, and a bit more selectively, in the US for UK and European outline trains.
Both brands could create sales over here with some ease as long as they would take away the major hurdle: the 110V-60Hz/230V-50Hz incompatibility and sell a transformer that works on 230 V and still create all the trainsounds, effects, whistles, bells, horns, etc.
Indeed HO rules in Europe, but we have seen here very little sound effects and a MTH steam engine with protosound 2 that is puffing synchronic with the movements of the rods is simply amazing quality that has not been witnessed here. So, yes they will be able to convert some model train-operators from half zero back to zero, but only a piece of the market. It would be healthy for the competition in Europe and force the Märklins, Fleischmanns etc. to come up with train models that create more experience for less money. I would simply start with making the transformer available, use the current outlets, have a wide range of North-American train models available and perhaps only a limited amount of European ones (as long as you can sell them at both sides of the pond).
One of the some other hurdles that can be expected is that the current European Zero-scalers are mostly rivet-counters of the purest kind and this small community will rather build a brass model itself with all the details they think that are necessary then to buy a model. When MTH or Lionel will venture on the European market they will automatically meet those critical chaps and it will be vital to serve them partly (to avoid getting a bad reputation, because your are not to scale, miss the brake system details, sand tubes or whatever) and also re-create a TOY-train market in zero with all the extra fun that we lack here (unless you import yourself as I do).
Those are my first thoughts. Personally I hope to see more zero-3-rail toy train activity over here and would welcome all.
The Hogwarts Express is interesting, as an entry level set with a scale locomotive (except for the odd headlight on the smokebox). The Hogwarts “Hall” class may actually be British 1:43.5 O scale, rather than the US 1:48, since ACE appear to be offering a scale tender to go with the locomotive, presumably that which goes with the ACE “Castle” class.
The ACE website suggests that many of the Lionel “Hall” class have been sold in the UK, enough for the ACE tender to be provided in unpainted form so that it can be matched to either the Hogwarts or prototype scheme.
Lionel appear to have reacted to this by offering the same basic set in prototype colours as the “Shakespeare Express” set. The main problem would seem to be the passenger cars, which were shortened by two windows (say twelve scale feet) to meet the train set curve radius. Even the Hogwarts headlight appears to have disappeared from the smokebox.
This might have some US sales to collectors and to visitors to the UK who have travelled on that or other preserved steam trains.
But the price for what is effectively a scale model (at least as much as the old 700E was) might encourage much greater sales in the UK at least, although a two rail DC version might have much more impact since this is the most common O gauge system currently available, if at a higher price point.
Bachmann have a line of brass locomotives available in O in the UK, in 2 rail DC. But as might be expected these are costly. Both Lima and Rivarrossi had British and European O gauge at reasonable prices in the past. Hornby could revive these, and at least the passenger and freight vehicles might be used with Lionel 3-rail.