Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Ross,It’s an item for those who are not so “handy” and like a ready to install solution.
Ross Mansell said:Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
There is a lot of "change" right across the MRR hobby, with relatively few positive things happening. Two of whichRemote uncoupler from Massoth for LGB couplers
And the remote uncoupler from Kadee that is in development.
Have you seen the price of these new couplers? 79 EUROS per pair…exchange that for dollars…
This is almost humourous in nature. The true believers are starting to catch a glimpse of the light.
The company has been on the ropes for so long, they’ve got the impression of the ropes on their foreheads.
But, so far, they’ve always pulled the rabbit out of the hat at the last minute.
Hopefully, the long run of Polk Folk will continue. There are so many needy people who have to have the latest and greatest offering.
Soooo the new motor blocks are junk??? Glad I didn’t run out and by a pair.
Not junk, the motor blocks themselves are fine. The wheels are not in gage and the flanges are smaller than usual, so you might have problems.
Greg
I have a older pair where the motor is good but the wheels a bent. I was going to replace the because the loco wobbles down the track. I don’t want to buy new if I have to repair it before use. Anyone else have a issue with these? I found it kind of funny that Aristo seems to have limited stock on hand?
Curmudgeon said:Many years ago, on that manufacturer's site, I was severely roasted for having the audacity to compare the adulation the 'chosen ones' felt for the company products to the story book fable, "The Emperor's New Clothes". It seemed the family had the Midas touch and everything, in the mind of those chosen people, turned to gold.
This is almost humourous in nature. The true believers are starting to catch a glimpse of the light.
It seemed that no lemons passed out through the factory gate. Just ask the boss at the time, he will tell you that no one ‘officially’ reported a problem with the Mikado or the first run series Mallett. Well it seems that all of us are wrong and even those Consolidation owners who are having derailment problems must have badly laid track (obviously not using A*********T track). Ask the boss on this one.
Even their original brass rail was so close in look/design to a product line that they were once the distributors for, that the German manufacturers took them to court over copyright/design infringement. It took six long years of protracted courtroom battles before the American judge decreed that one could not put a patent on the design of something so basic as track and dismissed the lawsuit. The company survived this long battle and most likely will survive future battles in the marketplace.
When awaiting new products just remember the past. Where is the new sound board Revolution? Where is the new Koupler range? Where is the long awaited coupled signalling system? Where is the GG1? Where is the GP9? Where are the numerous other items that just vanished from view? We all have wish lists. Maybe the company also has a wishlist. The difference is that I keep my wishlist to myself and not tell the whole world.
When it seems that even the other manufacturer is heading towards a generic circuit board to enable third party electrics, the company is heading down the path of specific one brand electric components making the consumer choice very limited. Even the German maker was dragged kicking and screaming down the path of developing a circuit board that allowed third party decoders to be used.
The one item line I thank the family for is their stainless steel track. Of cause, it was not perfect and needed a lot of tweeking to get right, but it works. To this day after numerous years of exposure, I praise the company for having the foresight to produce, at great expense to themselves, this excellent product line.
Tim-
Clearly stated observations.
As to the stainless track; yes, some real advantages. However, I encourage any users in sunny (hot) So. Calif. or other essentially desert locations, paint the ties to attempt to stop the deterioration. Also, stainless that has been subjected to a rail bender – at least on our railroad – has an apparent tendency to want to straighten even ever so slightly. Is this from heat? Memory?
Wendell
No need for stainless steel track, nor Aristo, other than competition.
Wendell, yes to both. For any metal to hold a specific shape it must be bent PAST that shape sufficient to exceed the material’s yield strength. This is a very fine line, difficult for even metal shops to get right. The addition of heat to the equation makes it even less predictable, unless you exceed the begining of the plastic state of the material.
Best suggestion, allow for a bit of variance between what you desire the shape to be, the shape it is when laid on the ground, and where it will end up over a couple of years. Not a great difference, but there nonetheless.
Del, stainless is nice, does not need cleaning very often, but most railroaders (I believe) don’t have the long arms and deep pockets required for it. The more I read this and other fora, I see more people looking for cheaper than brass. That stainless steel isn’t.
Bob C.
Aluminum.
Jeeze, descending into track vs. battery when the topic is Aristo survival.
Yep, I understand from another forum that basically I am personally the reason for Aristo’s demise because I brought to light the problems with the Consolidation… funny, I wish I had recorded the conversation years back with Lewis, he stated that the Mallet and Mikado had disappointing sales, and it was only because they required large curves, and he was NEVER going to make that big of a motor block/steam loco again…
When I told him his problem was the terrible press he got from slipping drivers and torn up gearboxes and valve gear/siderods, he just went blank…
Greg
oh… forgot to mention my brand new Consolidation locked up the other day… ran over and grabbed it off the track… yep slipped driver, out of quarter, locked up the drive train…
None so blind as those who Will NOT See.
Who mentioned track vs battery? I thought the thread had morphed to cheap track?
It’s all your fault Greg. Man up!
Tim Brien said:Tim.
SNIP Even their original brass rail was so close in look/design to a product line that they were once the distributors for, that the German manufacturers took them to court over copyright/design infringement. It took six long years of protracted courtroom battles before the American judge decreed that one could not put a patent on the design of something so basic as track and dismissed the lawsuit. The company survived this long battle and most likely will survive future battles in the marketplace.
The AristoCraft track in question was not just close in look and design as the LGB track, it was a straight out pantographed copy of the original.
Whilst AristoCraft may have “won” the ensuing court case, they were morally wrong to knock it off in the first place.
Whether or not AristoCraft understood what morally wrong meant, they were worried enough to change their track design anyway.
BTW I still have a piece of the old Korean made AristoCraft track in my possession to prove my point.
As to their survival. Who knows?? Do they deserve to survive. I guess that depends on your point of view.
Ross Mansell said:
..they are German made couplers and the money will help bail out Greece!!
TonyWalsham said:You make a good point, Tony. I'd like them to survive because I believe that the more competition is out there, the more choices we hobbyists have.
As to their survival. Who knows?? Do they deserve to survive. I guess that depends on your point of view.
But now that you mention it, I have to agree with you: their deservedness is questionable, given the unending litany of problems people have had with their products. I won’t repeat them here… it’s painful to relive them.
My own take on the company’s future is negatory…
I get the company e-letters. Lately it has seemed that they’re running a series of fire sales.
The latest one arrived today, extending the last sale for another few days. That sale is for the wide radius switches in stainless steel, slo-mo switch motors, and the Consolidations. The very tempting prices suggest a ‘going out of business’ state of affairs to me.
I’ve heard the history - AristoCraft has gone through this before and has always managed to survive…
At this point I think the only thing that can save them is a turnaround genius at the top… Given the company’s reputation, I wonder if even the trademark would be worth very much to a potential buyer at this point. Does the name ‘Lionel’ ring a bell?
When a company is in crisis, the likely outcome has as much to do with the personalities at the top - their strength of will and character - as any other factor.
I wish the company well, but they must make product quality Job One. It’s ironic that, in my experience, one of their best products was the track whos design they ripped from the German Mfr. in the incident mentioned above.
I’ve spent enough of my time trying to make silk purses out of Aristo-Craft sows’ ears. Nowadays I’m reluctant to buy from them. Even at fire sale prices, a junker is always going to seem like a waste of time and money and a constant source of irritation.
Careful…
I guess you’re talking to me, Bob. :rolleyes: I agree, one has to be careful, and thanks for the heads up… I certainly mean the company nothing but good, now and in the future, and I think I have made that clear. At the same time, based on my experience, they absolutely must persuade me that they are carving a new path when it comes to product quality and product adherance to conformity. Were they to do this, they would find me among their strongest adherants and supporters.
John: Not necessarily you, just a general “be careful where this thread is going” warning to everyone…