Model Train Journal

...Odd that no one here has mentioned this here. This is also affecting other importers as well. Quite a discussion on OGR:

https://ogrforum.ogaugerr.com/topic/atlas-factory-shut-down?page=1

I didn't read all the OGR posts. However, we are in a trade war with China, and one has to figure this will affect what's available in the O gauge train market.

Not minimizing the impact of this on our hobby and the industry, but I tend to feel this is the amongst the least of our worries on the international scene . Just trying to keep some perspective on this unfortunate turn of events. Probably less of an issue than when Kader threw everyone under the bus a few years ago.

Trade wars, undermined relationships with our traditional allies in NATO, a President who apparently is in the pocket of a Russian ex-KGB tyrant, coastal cities in danger from rising seas, a war in Afghanistan that is now 16 years old, starving displaced refugees all over the place, and so on.
Thank God the economy is doing reasonably well, and the fact that the social safety net appears to be resisting collapse so far.

I feel badly for Atlas and the other affected importers, but I'm guessing there will be replacement factories found, either in China or other low wage countries.

Lionel is going to increase its domestic production at least somewhat, which is a minor encouraging sign. They are going to experiment with an entertainment center, retail operation in a nearby high traffic mall, which should increase exposure of the public to toy trains.

I'm hoping Atlas will survive this, along with the many other HO, N and Z manufacturers.

And Mike Reagan is available to repair my trains if no one else can. That guy is one of the single most hopeful things for the future of the hobby as he's in the prime of life. What is he, 45 or so?

I have a hard time feeling any sympathy for industries that moved overseas to get cheap labor.

My thought has always been, if the great bulk of the people in the US are unemployed because of this strategy, who is going to buy the stuff that these overseas factories produce? Probably sounds a bit over simplified, but I think it is essentially true. If you put the bulk of your customers in the poor house, who in the H*LL is going to buy your product.

Seems it's always about MORE (the more here being profits) and never about what is sufficient. Plain unadulterated GREED.

And don't blame all this stuff on Trump. It didn't all happen since he was elected. There was a guy in there for 8 years before him, and I can't think of one thing he did to make my life easier.

Rich

What happened to the rest of the posts in this thread?

Moderated.

I think there is so much atlas product out there that nobody would notice a 2 year stoppage. If they do it would only tack on another $400 to a natty boh car

Neil wrote:a Russian ex-KGB tyrant

I assume you're referring to Mike Wolf.

KeithL wrote:

Neil wrote:a Russian ex-KGB tyrant

I assume you're referring to Mike Wolf.

Now, it all becomes clear to me!!!

George

E7 wrote:.......... if the great bulk of the people in the US are unemployed because of this strategy................

Perhaps that is not the reason why the great bulk is unemployed.

And don't blame all this stuff on Trump. It didn't all happen since he was elected.

Indeed. It started in the early 80's when the US economy started to shift from a manufacturing base to a service provider base.

robert. wrote:I think there is so much atlas product out there that nobody would notice a 2 year stoppage.

It's always been true that there's far more available than any could actually use. Except, the collector/accumulators are driven to buy their next shiny thing and when that pipeline of new items dwindles, a very harsh reality comes to visit and they find themselves confronted by their grandfalloon staring them in the eye.

Neil wrote: Trade wars, undermined relationships with our traditional allies in NATO, a President who apparently is in the pocket of a Russian ex-KGB tyrant, coastal cities in danger from rising seas, a war in Afghanistan that is now 16 years old, starving displaced refugees all over the place, and so on.

Do you suppose some medical doctor could come up with a blood test for "Trump Derangement Syndrome" and then develop a cure for it.

China is the biggest Communist country in the world and yet Americans don't have a problem buying all the cheap Chinese crap they can get. China has become the biggest economy in the world thanks to American dollars....

When China takes over Taiwan then we will see some REAL problems.

"I assume you're referring to Mike Wolf."

The name sounds familiar but it's been so many years that I cannot recall who he is . Didn't he use to run a train company?

Except for a few tinplate train that were made in this country when Mike acquired the tooling from Williams MTH has always been an importer from Asia. Says he owns his own manufacturing facility in China. However China or some Chinese company would own the controlling interest as American companies are not allowed to own their own companies in China.

China imposes tariffs on everything we ship to them but they want everything they ship us to be tariff free. Maybe one of these days the American people will wake up as to how bad the rest of the world has been screwing us

Neil wrote:"I assume you're referring to Mike Wolf."

The name sounds familiar but it's been so many years that I cannot recall who he is . Didn't he use to run a train company?

When I hear that name, the word "litigation" pops into my head.