Read the full stories in MR Express:
Walthers: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/006/040zecdn.asp
Roco: http://www.trains.com/Content/Dynamic/Articles/000/000/006/039felou.asp
Bit of a surprise - I’d read about the Roco business this morning but Walthers buying Lifelike? Could be interesting. I wonder if they’ll integrate their loco and car ranges under the “Proto” name?
Walthers and Life Like, who’da thunk?
Whoa!
Well, it makes up for the loss of access Walthers used to have to Athearn and Model Die Casting. Once again they will be the distributors of a very popular line of equipment.
Had to check the calendar…Nope, it’s not April 1st. Wow! Maybe the rubbing problem with the Walthers trucks and frames undereath their gondolas and cabooses will get fixed now. (Wouldn’t that be nice. [:)]) Well, at least Horizon didn’t purchase them.
Tom
I’m thinking that the purchase of LL by Walthers will ultimately be a good thing, with their cars and engines being more readily available. Time will tell…
How much more available can they be? The products from LifeLike are already prominent in the Walthers catalog and the lower end trainsets are already at Walmart and Toys R us.
Tom,I suspect Horizon might go after one of the bigger fish in the pond-not that LL is a minnow mind you…The only real question is who is next on the chopping block? Atlas or Kato USA?
I suspected Walthers would strike back by buying a manufacturer as that only made good business sense and I even stated that…I called it the streamlining of the hobby…
Hang on to your engineer hat as this is not the end of the buyouts.
Wow! Just like the Big Railroads alot of merging and buyouts are going on out there!
[#ditto][#ditto][#ditto] I for one am VERY happy that Walthers did this.Now will see just how “great” Horizon is gonna be.[;)][^][:D]
I am hoping that the P2K line keeps its high standards.
Funny,since WHEN did these 2 stores EVER carry LifeLike? BOTH dont carry a [censored]thing for model railroaders!!
Maybe there will be better availability of Proto 2000 Locos. Sometimes it is hard to get certain roads. Also a larger line of Proto 1000’s would be nice.
RMax1
Guys What does Horizon buyout of Athearn and MDC have to do with the buyout of LL by Walthers? Can’t you guys stop being bias and attacking Horizon and look at the overall affects this means on the hobby?[V]
I guess acquistion fever has finally come to model railroading. Walthers needed this to secure a low end line. I wonder if IHC or Bachmann is next?
Enjoy
Paul
Paul,I believe you and I are on the same track…IMHO all of these buyouts can’t be good for the hobby in the long run…Sadly there is more to come…[:(]
Well, if it includes P2K and P1K, it was smart move for Walthers.
Interesting to say the least. I wouldn’t be surprised if Horizon’s buyout of Athearn/RDC was a factor in Walthers making this determination. Walthers now has a pretty much complete line under its umbrella - structures, passenger cars, track and now a very well received line of engines and freight cars. Will this be good or bad for the hobby? Time will tell.
My magic 8 ball sees one of the distributors buying out a DCC manufacturer.
It was also interesting to read the short article about Roco. Will we see Roco moving their manufacturing to China or Korea as part of the reorganization?
An interesting time to be sure.
I’m thinking this is going to be a good thing for the Hobby however that is based on very little expierience/time in the hobby.
Terry