New Tower 55 Products Designed for Authenticity and Detail
MUNCIE, IN – A new line of model train products has hit the rails. Tower 55 –
the new plastic division of Overland Models, Inc. – launches its line with an
initial offering that features top rail names including Union Pacific, GE Evolution,
BNSF Railway and Electro-Motive Diesels.
And best of all, the GE Turbine 1-30 series in Plastic.
I have noticed no one has commented on this great news. WHY???
This is a suprise I didn’t think Overland would ever attempt this. As long as the detail and mechanism’s are good this can be a winner.Lets hope they don’t get brass pricing however.From me a cautious thumbs up. Rob
Sounds good, so long as the prices are sensible - they need to be nearer to BLI (assuming similar levels of detail and electronics) than to their brass models.
For years, brass locomotives were the only ones that featured very high detail and accuracy. Then with the advances in tooling, die, and mold technology, plastic locomotive manufacturers are able to do the same thing. Within a decade sales of brass engines drop considerably.
So Overland is making what is, perhaps, a smart move.
This, to me, draws a parallel. In the prototype world, Alco was on top of the food chain for years in the steam locomotive market. Then EMC, later GM-EMD emerges onto the scene and Alco kept looking up since then. I hope that Overland doesn’t share in Alco’s fate.
On the Atlas forum a poster sent a message to OMI re the new plastic line, the following is part of the reply he got:
"Thanks so very much for your interest in our new line of products…Tower 55.
The new website is planned to go live on our about June 1, 2005. The introduction of the company took place at the National Retail Hobby Stores Association Table Top Expo in Las Vegas NV last week. Dealers that inquired very provided a press release indicating that the site would not be ready until June. Today we are loading the release and the first ad showing GEVO, SD70ACe and the Turbine.
The first production will be the UP and BNSF GEVO production units. Currently target will be late 2005. At this moment the prices have not been finalized as we are waiting for a couple of component prices before we make the announcement. When the website is up and running a full list of models, road numbers if available, and initial pricing for the GEVO units will be posted. Pricing for the SD70ACe will be close to the GEVO price, but it will not be announced in June. Same for the 3-unit Turbine which will follow later this Fall if not sooner.
In addition the models will come with sound as well. Details for the sound provider will come at the NMRA National Train Show in Cincinnatti this July."
So it appears sound will be a part of their new Tower 55 line. I cannot imagine anyone releasing a new line these days without sound, as it seems most major manufacturers are offering it.
One of the advantages of the brass market was that it was the only source for models of engines that had a limited interest (e.g. turbine locomotives, centipedes, narrow guage engines). Hopefully, by offerings the plastic versions at a reasonable prices, enough demand will materialize to make these offerings profitable. On the other hand, can these companies all make profits (necessary to stay in business) when the same model is offered four or five different companies in the same road names?
First of all,Overland doesnt make anything.They are importers, the brass models have all been made by other companies.
More than likly they will just contract a plastic model (with kato)for example and put the overland name on it.
Secondly, Overland Is owned by the Marsh family.(with whom I have had some dealings)Which I dont trust or have very much respect for (and well just leave it at that)
Marsh also owns a chain of supermarkets and convience stores though out central Indiana (All the Village Pantries).
Marsh supermarkets is also Headquarted in Muncie,IN
Interesting indeed. All the publicity stuff I have seen so far indicates that Digitrax helped in the design of the DCC component. Could this be the sound vendor as well? The Digitrax yahoo list has been debating rumors of a sound decoder from Digitrax. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
I would hope that Overland offers new models that have not been available in plastic such as the first ones they have listed.
I am emailing Overland with my interests and wants for the future models and if we all email them, we might just get some models that we have all talked about, but were never able to buy because of the very high brass prices.
I’m also wondering if Overland is going to be producing unusual diesels in their plastic line, or just sticking with versions of locomotives already offered by Atlas, BLI, Athearn or Kato. Though I don’t model diesels, it would be interesting to see some of the less common diesel models offered in plastic (E-2 or 5, Centipede, models like that), or perhaps more turbines. Since they will be offering the UP gas-turbines, perhaps they might be offering some of the steam turbine models as well. I was actually interested in the brass model they put out of the early GE steam turbine used by the UP in the late 'thirties, until I saw the price (about two Yellowstones worth of money). Let’s hope that Overland prices their new plastic line to be competitive with other manufacturers, and offers something new, not just the usual things you can get from other companies.
Tom
Right, and my Stewart DS4-4-1000 was built by Ajin. This has been the norm pretty much for ALL brass providers going back to the early PFM imports, and not really all that new with plastic, either.
Amen to that, Aggro–maybe we can get SOMEONE to field a plastic Yellowstone before they cart me off to the Home!
Tom [:D]
PS: In answer to your previous question–60 cars up a 2.2%. One-time thing, I’m not chancing that new motor or regearing system with any more.
ftwNSengineer,
In the second paragraph of your post, you say you “have had some dealings” with the Marsh family, and “don’t trust or have very much respect” for them. Are you referring to Tom, Brian, or someone else? While I have not had any dealings with Brian, I have known Tom for over 20 years, and have personally purchased brass models from him. He has been very knowledgable and friendly, & I wish you would keep your derogatory comments to yourself.
Bob Hayes
Plastic models from OMI are not new. During the early '90s, they produced some plastic RGS and C&S box car kits in Sn3. They stopped making the RGS kits when Bill Peters complained, but continued with the C&S kits. I don’t know if OMI still makes them, though.
Bob Hayes
