Re: New Walthers heavyweights

The Flyer (unless some stores got something different) was a text only teaser. Basically zero information other thean "we're doing heavyweights to be out later this year.

Dave

I believe you are mistaking the new Rivarossi 60' cars just released after as you said being advertised for months. The new cars are going to be Walthers. Two years ago in a conversation with them at the International Hobby Show they said they would likely come out with heavyweights. These are coming due to the success with the Budd cars.

The flyer that arrived this week in my shop said Walthers cars there was no mention of Rivarossi as when they sent out the info on the 60' cars. Therefore the implication is clear that these will be Walthers product and apt to be from China.

The cars are completely new and have the smoothest rolling trucks I've ever seem.

Dave Jacksonville, FL

Let's clear some things up, all in one place:

- Rivarossi did just start delivering some new 60' heavyweight cars. These are NOT the cars I'm talking about.

- The new cars will be full-length, and Walthers brand, NOT Rivarossi.

- Delivery will be late this year/early next.

- As Dave Henk said, the flyer is sketchy. No pictures, no list of road names. (Although they did say how many roads they were planning on doing. I forget, maybe 19?) No price given.

- Cars will be plastic, RTR, and the same level of detail as the Walthers streamlined cars.

I actually heard about these from the Walthers rep at Springfield, on

2/8. Details were even sketchier then, all he had to say was "heavyweights are coming".

I also discussed the Rivarossi situation with him. He said that Rivarossi was indeed in "liquidation", but that means sometthing different in Italy. It's more like our "reorganization". As far as they knew, Rivarossi was a going concern, and they expected to continue to receive product from them, beyond the 60 foot cars now being delivered.

Of course, he also cautioned that the info was what he had as of the time he left the office, and that it could change at any time. But as of 2/8, there was no sign that Rivarossi would shut down.

Peter King in NY

It's pretty clear that the current Rivarossi cars, even the new 60 ft. 'shorty' C&NW (prototype) cars just released from Walthers', are NOT the "new heavyweight cars" that Walthers' is referring to in their flyer. These won't be available for some time yet ... perhaps a year.

Dan Mitchell ==========

RWBo>

Rivarossi is only producing what Walthers ordered, since Walthers paid the court overseeing the dismantling of Rivarossi.

Rivarossi is no more. According to the latest rumor - partially confirmed - Roco has purchased their HO molds (Rivarossi, Lima, and Jouef) and will produce selectively in Czech Republic, and Märklin/Trix ended up with the N scale molds (Lima and Arnold). The Lima division (at least the warehouse part) of Rivarossi is also still shipping some new items from 2003 to some European vendors, but no one seems to know why or how these decisions are being made. This may have stopped as this is being written.

+GF+

This is basically what I have heard. One reason that Walthers is going to go their own way and produce HWs. Another reason is the success of their LW venture. They have found that prototypically accurate cars are selling good (probably much better than Rivarossi ever would as those cars have been around 30 years). They also see the success that BL is having with their line of extremely accurate HWs even though only one has been released at this time. Also, as was said, the probability of getting Rivarossi is a big question mark, not good for any importer.