News flash-
Kader Industries (owner of Bachmann) has just been given clearance to purchase Sanda Kan (make Aristo and USA stuff, among others).
- This is true. See the news release: http://www.trains.com/grw/default.aspx?c=a&id=1214
WOW, 1/29th?? Sanda Kan also makes LIONEL and K-Line in “O” gauge.
I know.
That’s why I said “among others”.
The Ames Super Socket is coming to a locomotive near you, eh?
Dave,
I do not post very often but I read most of the forums each day. I totally respect your knowledge and ability and have had many of my questions anwsered by you over the years. For that I thank you.
Why do you post this on all of the different forums? It appears to me that it is for the purpose of making controversity between members. It has certainly worked on several of the other forums, but not so much here.
I realize that you have had problems with the Bachman management and that may be the issue you are wishing to promote.
Over the years I have seen you use the word troll many times if someone does not agree with you. It appears to me that in this instance that you are the troll that is trying to create controversity. You seem to get it started and then disapear.
These are my observations.
Karl Reichenbach
Absoulutely not.
This showed up in my inbox, FROM Kalmbach.
Since it is of absolutely no consequence to Bachmann, rather a salvation for other manufacturers who may have had a problem if this had NOT happened.
Obviously, you don’t really have a clue as to what is happening, and your post reflects such.
As this information was coming out, a very interesting item showed up from some fairly respected in the hobby:
“This is good news. If this had failed it would have made LGB going out of business look like small potatoes.”
The point of your post is what, to attempt to discredit the information?
The source?
Well, can’t discredit the source.
Since it didn’t originate with me.
Can’t discredit the information, since it also did not originate with me.
Maybe someday you will understand news is news.
Didn’t “work” here?
Really?
First thing that happened was the link was provided direct to the press release BY Kalmbach.
Still trying to figure out the reason for you post.
I have a degree of sympathy for Karl’s comments. The reason I say this is mainly due to the Title of the thread “Oh.Oh. Watch out 1:29 guys”.
It does have a “sensational” connotation to it which, if it was intended as such, sure was guaranteed to arouse passions in some quarters. Justification for the comments on this Forum is the Kalmbach communique. If that is the same as the one on the GR Home Page then only Lionel (not sure about Bachmann China) is the only 1:29 manufacturer mentioned. Yes I know that other 1:29 manufacturers are involved. and were alluded to, but more non 1:29 names were mentioned than were so why single out 1:29 without some explanation?
In the present worldwide economic crisis we should be pleased that a major manufacturing part of our hobby is still afloat. Maybe some of it won’t continue as it presently does, but the hobby certainly would not have benefited from another situation where major parts of it became unobtainable. It is worth remembering that we in Europe have seen this all before on more than one occasion.
USA trains…Aristo…
“Aristo-Craft, Athearn, Atlas, Hornby, Life-Like, Lionel, Marklin, USA Trains, Walthers and more.”
So, the 1:29 manufacturing factory has been sold.
New owners.
Maybe, just maybe, the sudden 20% increase after the first of the year is just co-incindence?
Trust me.
I often know far more about a specific thing than I ever will post about.
A most hardy, YES, I would also agree with Karl and Alan…
To that end, I will also add, you are a true trouble maker and starter of controversey, you never take the time to investigate the whole truth to a matter, and you love to start controversey and than just walk away, Like a virus in a computer…
Byron F. Custer
Well, once again, cluelessness prevails!
Now, stop and think.
I know that’s hard, but just try it.
If the thread had been titled “Kader buys Sanda Kan”, would you have even read it?
The thread title did it’s job.
Admirably so.
And just because it has generated lots of response on other forums and not so much on this forum, doesn not have as much to do with the subject matter as with those responding.
You can now return to non-thinking status.
I thought you were a chief? 
Except when I’m an Admiral.
A few quick points…
- The “Ames Super Socket,” as Dave calls it (otherwise known as the “Non-proprietary plug-and-play electronics socket”), already exists in nearly identical form in almost every Aristo-Craft locomotive they produce. In that regard, postulating that such a socket would soon be “coming to a locomotive near you” as a result of this merger/acquisition simply isn’t true. The movement was already afoot. Whether other manufacturers opt to sign on is still entirely up to them.
Sanda Kan is strictly a contract manufacturing facility. As such, there’s no expectation that they would–or even could–dictate what goes into the locomotives they produce in terms of major components. Their engineers can suggest–and may even tweak–designs based on their experience, but they cannot simply impose another client’s standards at the expense of the first client’s design. If those standards are proprietary to any one manufacturer, there are serious legal issues at play. (Search MTH v. Lionel)
- For those interested, here’s a link to the Aristo-Craft forum, in which Lewis Polk asserts his very favorable opinion of the deal: http://www.aristocraft.com/vbulletinforums/showthread.php?t=8472 Lewis has been in the hobby business for decades, long before he started doing trains. I know him to be a very shrewd businessman. If something was rotten in Denmark (or China), I’d fully expect him to pull up the tent and move elsewhere.
Later,
K
TOC,
You missed telling them the 20% to 50% mark up by Jan 1 2009 by different train people.
Toad
SO your SIGNATURE says check your profile to see what you do I DID, IT’S BLANK, SO What is it you do??
Dave
Kevin-
Since the ORIGINAL socket, which often has the motor outputs inverted from the Ames copy, already comes in the AC units, then, obviously, we weren’t talking about AC, were we?
However, just to throw something out…
You know when Williams was acquired by Bachmann it’s now Williams by Bachmann?
That’s all.
Just remember that.
Dave, you miss my point. Sanda Kan is not in a position to dictate that client X use the same standards as another company owned by their parent company, Kader. Let’s put this in automotive terms (and assume GM still owned Delco). Ford goes to Delco with a product then want produced. Delco is not going to tell Ford that they have to use a Chevy-designed system instead. They want Ford’s contract (read “money”), and they’re going to do it Ford’s way. GM’s not going to care who’s writing the checks or what the standards are, so long as the checks are being written and products selling so that there are more checks coming.
The other half of that equation is that Bachmann and Aristo-Craft’s engineers have been in discussions about how to modify future generations of the socket–in whatever form–so that they are indeed universal. Where those discussions are now, I don’t know. I’m only on the committee that’s reviewing the standards. No one actually tells me anything. There has been no brow-beating or anything of that nature to get other manufacturers to climb on board. It’s purely a voluntary effort on their part.
As for Bachmann buying Williams, that’s apples and oranges to this scenario. Williams was a product line, like Ford, Chevy, etc. Bachmann bought it, lock, stock, and barrel, just as Marklin bought LGB. It’s a tangible, on-the-shelf asset that can be branded whatever its owner feels necessary for marketing purposes. Sanda Kan, on the other hand is for all intents and purposes a factory. It’s real estate, people, and machines. It would be more akin to Ford buying a production plant.
Later,
K
I have to agree with Kevin here–Sanda Kan is a production facility. I suppose Kader could start telling Aristo what do do, but why? What would be the point? Aristo could simply move to another facility. It would have some difficulties, but I stil can’t see why I should be upset about this
Please, yes, put it in automotive terms!
OH YES!
Jaguar.
Bought by Ford.
You got Jags with Ford motors, transmissions and drivetrains!
Oh, Lordy, Kevin, don’t you know better than to use automotive similarities?
Who said anything about Aristo?
Kevin.
I said an Ames Super Socket coming to a locomotive near you?
Funny what folks jump onto.
Who told you to be upset?
Really?
Big names in the industry think this is great.
The fact that one company holds what, 95% or more of YOUR model railroading manufacturing resource is a WONDERFUL thing, to be strongly desired.
Just so long as you remember it isn’t over with yet.
Kevin
You know TOC just wants to get folks going. He’s a retarted admiral from the Navy.
I mean retired…