Walthers North American Ethanol Series

[Trucklover]

Many of you may have heard about the new series of kits Walthers is releasing. There are 10 all new structure kits in HO scale, as well as a new SW9/1200 and all new freight cars also in HO scale.

I personally am very exited, and i will be getting at least one of each of the new structure kits (most likely more then just one of a few of them lol) as well as both road numbers for the new loco, and a few of the new freight cars coming out to go with the set.

These Structure kits, Locos and Freight Cars are due to be released starting in late October 2009 and continue till late September, 2010. A complete list of whats going to be released and when, as well as other information and pictures can be seen here: http://www.walthers.com/exec/page/ethanol

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I feel bad, i know they are trying to cash in on all the "green" stuff, but i have to say, those structures don't look that exciting. A lot of those sheds and things can be done with Plastruct or Rix or even evergreen sheets for MUCH cheaper than the price they are asking at walthers. I think if i were you, i'd only buy the kits with the unique parts that you cannot fabricate yourself.

Even so, i'm thinking it won't sell well. not only is it expensive for just individual buildings, but i don't think there are many ethanol plants anywhere on the eastern half of the country (or if there are, very few). it doesn't stop people, but we'll see.

[Trucklover]

I feel bad, i know they are trying to cash in on all the "green" stuff, but i have to say, those structures don't look that exciting. A lot of those sheds and things can be done with Plastruct or Rix or even evergreen sheets for MUCH cheaper than the price they are asking at walthers. I think if i were you, i'd only buy the kits with the unique parts that you cannot fabricate yourself.

Even so, i'm thinking it won't sell well. not only is it expensive for just individual buildings, but i don't think there are many ethanol plants anywhere on the eastern half of the country (or if there are, very few). it doesn't stop people, but we'll see.

I see your point Chris. But i have actually had a few other people besides myself reserve some of these kits for when they are released. One of the guys is building a European Prototype Ethanol Plant, so he has reserved a massive amount of these kits for a HUGE set-up hes planning. I also asked my Walthers rep about how many others have reserved these new kits so far, and he said there were a fair amount of people reserving them so far. I think this series will be right up there with there Steel Series that is out right now, and be a great seller and very popular quite honestly. True they are expensive, i agree with you there....

But the great thing about these 10 new kits is that they can easily be used in virtually any industry you can think of and model, and are not just unique to the Ethanol Plants, which i think will really catch modelers eye and say "hey, this kit would be great to use to model my xxx industry"

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I see your point Chris. But i have actually had a few other people besides myself reserve some of these kits for when they are released. One of the guys is building a European Prototype Ethanol Plant, so he has reserved a massive amount of these kits for a HUGE set-up hes planning. I also asked my Walthers rep about how many others have reserved these new kits so far, and he said there were a fair amount of people reserving them so far. I think this series will be right up there with there Steel Series that is out right now, and be a great seller and very popular quite honestly. True they are expensive, i agree with you there....

But the great thing about these 10 new kits is that they can easily be used in virtually any industry you can think of and model, and are not just unique to the Ethanol Plants, which i think will really catch modelers eye and say "hey, this kit would be great to use to model my xxx industry"

I'm not surprised that they are selling well. I think if i had the space and money, i'd almost do it (though ethanol REALLY doesn't fit Conrail or New Jersey that much, lol). It is the modern popular industry though, and as far as rail traffic, i admit that it brings in a good variety. any structure that can bring in more than one type of car works for me. Still, i'm willing to bet its going to be like those Ford Licensed structures. You're going to see a few of them pop up at train shows, but when they are gone, their gone, and i doubt they'll get re-run.

As far at the steel mill goes, the steel mill is actually interesting (it blows the socks off an eco friendly ethanol plant. Blast furnace for the win! ), and its production buildings all have interesting and unique facilities and machinery. I haven't yet been able to convince myself the ethanol plant is all that exciting, and it takes up the space of a small layout just to have all the buildings there. that is the other problem, relatively few of the buildings actually receive rail traffic. you'll get one track for hopper unloading and another to load the ethanol cars. all the rest of that junk probably isn't necessary.

I'll give you that in some cases, the kits can be re-purposed for other models, but i still think that a buildint that is essentially a big roof piece with some big wall pieces with nothing special about it should not cost nearly $80, especially when i can get styrene parts and build something for a fraction less, and all i need to do is cut carefully from wall stock, if i can't already find modular rix pieces. I suppose they'll catch all the people unwilling or afraid to do anything but a kit.

[Brakie]

One of my future projects is a ethanol plant using a Pikestuff building and add the needed silos and storage tanks.Of course this will be N Scale.

Walthers could ease my pain and produce that kit in N Scale.

[tomustang]

I am suprized there is a demand for this, even when the hype of ethanol has gotten shot down since they realized its not eco-friendly. Still just a small supply on a layout would be sufficient for me, nothing big.

[Brakie]

I am suprized there is a demand for this, even when the hype of ethanol has gotten shot down since they realized its not eco-friendly. Still just a small supply on a layout would be sufficient for me, nothing big.

Actually Walthers has a excellent marketing plan..


You see Walthers will be releasing a RTR Trinity 30,145-Gallon Tank Car( $39.98) and a Trinity 6351 4-Bay Covered Hopper( $34.98) a Evans 4780 Cubic Foot 3-Bay Covered Hopper( $29.98) plus a North American Ethanol SW1200 with DCC/Sound($239.98) to go with that Ethanol kit.

[2-8-2]

Personally, I think all this eco-friendly stuff is a bunch of malarkey...but that's another topic.

That said, I also think Walthers is barking up the wrong tree with this line of products. We like dirt, soot, grime, grease, and big factories that make a lot of smoke.

[doctorwayne]

Personally, I think all this eco-friendly stuff is a bunch of malarkey...but that's another topic.

You're certainly right about ethanol - its production and delivery has a bigger so-called "carbon footprint" than the petroleum products which it's supposed to replace. In the Third World, it's eating up rainforest faster than farming, too, in addition to taking farms out of food production.

That said, I also think Walthers is barking up the wrong tree with this line of products. We like dirt, soot, grime, grease, and big factories that make a lot of smoke.

Right again, especially for those of us modelling the transition era or earlier. Nothing says "prosperity" better than belching smokestacks, both on locomotives and factories. At least in the good old days, you could see the pollution that was killing you. Nowadays "This product may contain chemicals which are known to the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm." covers everybody's butt, but leaves you no safer.

Wayne

[Green_Elite_Cab]

I am suprized there is a demand for this, even when the hype of ethanol has gotten shot down since they realized its not eco-friendly. Still just a small supply on a layout would be sufficient for me, nothing big.

While i wouldn't say i'm surprised there is a demand, i AM surprised that they are making it a huge complex with so many different expensive kits. Its going to cost you a few hundred to build the whole thing, and in the very end, they are boring, uninteresting structures that take up a huge amount of real estate, and I'm guessing most modelers don't have that kind of space to devote to ethanol plants. I just don't believe in paying $80 for an oversized "corn unloading shed". It looks like those fermentation tanks and corn silo/elevators don't need to be that much either. I'm almost positive there are rix/plastruct tanks and silos to match that would look just fine.

I think Walthers should rethink this, but its to late. only time will tell how well they sell. we'll know in a year i suppose.

[eightyeightfan1]

I'm almost positive there are rix/plastruct tanks and silos to match that would look just fine.

They do look like it' be nice kits, and easy to assemble.
You could even use some of the Rix structures, such as the Engine house, with some kit bashing to make believable ethanol plant buildings.That and the silos and tanks Rix offers would make a more economical substitute, and even a smaller, taking up less real estate on the layout, and still make it look plausible.

Walthers "Theme" kits have always been pretty pricey to began with.

[2-8-2]

Walthers "Theme" kits have always been pretty pricey to began with.

Their Empire Leather tannery kit was on sale for the longest time, I imagine for the same reasons:

• A) It was too darned expensive.
  B) It was too big.
  C) It was boring.
  D) Because of the above, no one wanted to buy it.
  

[eightyeightfan1]

Another thing I noticed, Walthers isn't really offering that many "rail served" industries like they used to. Granted, they can be adapted for rail service, but initially, they aren't.

[Brakie]

Another thing I noticed, Walthers isn't really offering that many "rail served" industries like they used to. Granted, they can be adapted for rail service, but initially, they aren't.

Kinda like those neat looking Pikestuff industrial buildings..Those buildings are better suited for truck service not rail.After all one needs to add the production area,storage area,shipping/receiving area and other things like a break room and 2 restrooms..A 50 foot box car would overwhelm the dock area..Of course adding silos could called for receiving rail shipments of (say) plastic pellets in covered hoppers or tank cars of(say) plasticizer.

[csiguy68]

i was talking to my local hobby shop about this series the other day. he stated that he is getting a lot of pre-orders on this series . granted a lot of the orders he said were not from around here, but he feels the series will do very good, how ever not as good as the steel mill series . they do look like nice buildings though. but it isnt something i am going to buy.





todd