Finally New Walthers HO Amfleets are on the way!!

Just announced, Walthers to release new retooled Amtrak Amfleets with plated finish and LED lighting. Check out Walthers web-site under "Just Announced".

So far Amfleet I Phase II (San Diegan) and Amfleet II Phase III (Broadway Limited) are in the works to be released, but no Phase IV or IVb?

Hopefully new retooled Horizon cars are in the works along with retooled Pullman Bi-levels.....

B44NYC wrote:Just announced, Walthers to release new retooled Amtrak Amfleets with plated finish and LED lighting. Check out Walthers web-site under "Just Announced".

So far Amfleet I Phase II (San Diegan) and Amfleet II Phase III (Broadway Limited) are in the works to be released, but no Phase IV or IVb?

Hopefully new retooled Horizon cars are in the works along with retooled Pullman Bi-levels.....

Yeah, and they're only $75 bucks a piece! At a price like that I better reserve mine before they all sell out ! But wait, it gets better! You could opt for a "deluxe" edition for $120 per car! But that's not all- the "deluxe" Amfleets are only available in 6-car sets so you have to fork out $720! Seriously, who is going to buy Amfleets for this price? And we all thought the Amtrak released one's were a little pricey. I bought some of those and they were nice. Yeah I wish they were cheaper than $30, but I would take a nice Phase IVb Amfleet for $30 over a metal-plated, lit $75 Amfleet any day. And they aren't even making Phase IV or IVb. An Acela set is cheaper! Bottom line- this is crazy.

I think I'll see what I can do with the Bachmann ones or scour for the old ones.

This is so typical of Walthers anymore......and all manufacturers for that matter. If we
would only stick together and NOT buy their new stuff, and let them know why, maybe
this ridiculous trend would stop.

Bigt -- I've said it on this forum before - I too think prices are a little out of hand.

I recently bought an Athearn 60' bulkhead flatcar and compared it to the former MDC/Roundhouse version that it replaced... other than having metal wheels and cheap knuckle couplers, the Athearn car is one hundred percent IDENTICAL to the MDC car... but it is over twice the price! Yes, I know that MDC was a decade ago and costs have gone up, and yes I know the cheap-assed knuckle couplers (not Kadees) Athearn throws in cost more than the X2Fs that the MDC cars came with, and yes I know metal wheels are great and all and cost money too (but still don't roll for a darn if they're out of round or in the same chintzy sideframes), and oh, you can't buy a KIT anymore like the MDC cars were, so you pay more for "ready to run" too. But that's what we get, because apparently the survey says and the market has decided that inexpensive kits are no longer wanted, and ready to run with all manner of bling is what 'we' as the model railroad community desire. So rage against the machine.

Do not even get me started on Walthers with their asinine "Gold Line", "Platinum Line", etc. foolishness, pricing the same identical product increasingly higher. Do a historical price comparison on their Diffco side dump hopper for example.

Only other thing I can think of that more than doubled in price for basically the same product in a decade is gasoline, and we all know what profits have been made on that.

This is awesome news! Hopefully the later phases won't be too far behind. I would suspect they're delaying phase IVb to give the 40th anniversary stuff as much room as possible even though it looks like Amtrak sold everything they had in less than a year.

The prices are on par with everything else that's been released recently. I don't understand why there is such outrage over the price tag. We're getting a suped up version of the once $30/pop Amfleets that is supposed to be more accurate and more detailed than what has been on the market for decades. Furthermore, these should be the MOST ACCURATE AMFLEETS ON THE MARKET. Even more accurate than any brass models that have been produced. This shouldn't be such a shock considering the El Cap demanded a similar price tag. I suggest that more attention be paid to the product's features and compare that to the older amfleets!

I for one appreciate that Walthers has brought its Amtrak (especially Amfleet) equipment up to the level of detail of its most recent projects. Amtrak modelers should be pleased especially since this news comes so soon after the announcement of their Metroliners. I thought that it would be longer. It would be nice if the Phase IVb Amfleets were made available by this time next year!

On another note, did anyone notice the METRA Budds in the background. Does anyone suspect that Walthers might be hinting at what they have up their sleeve next?

Just because these cars have a big price tag doesn't mean you'll pay this amount. If you shop around like me on the internet you'll find them cheaper. Maybe not by much but still better than paying full price. I already have the metroliner on my pre-order list. This item shall be heading their as well. =)

Hopefully this time around,Walters will make models of the "Corridor Clipper" and the "Business Amfleet Car" kitbash
done at Beech Grove.
Walters finally "gave in" and offered the "El Cap" cars in Amtrak ph I + ph II.

Backshophoss wrote:Hopefully this time around,Walters will make models of the "Corridor Clipper" and the "Business Amfleet Car" kitbash
done at Beech Grove.
Walters finally "gave in" and offered the "El Cap" cars in Amtrak ph I + ph II.

Hopefully they'll give in further by doing the later phases as well but from what I hear, it would "necessitate" chanes in the tooling for the paint to be accurate in order to coincide with the HEP retrofit that came with their phase III/IV re-paints.

I'm personally holding out for a phase IVb parlor car in order to model the Coast Starlight.

It would be nice if Walthers did models of the Clipper and 9800. I think 9800 is more feasible as it is a direct kitbash from the Metroliner Club cars but I'm not so sure about the Clipper, but you never know!

I would really want to see them make the phase V amfleet cars (business and coach) and maybe the keystone cab cars.

Kyle you think like I do,

that is the FIRST thing I thought of when I saw the promo pic, esp. when the Metra cars are featured basically dead center. There were other pictures of Amfleet equipment they could have used. (PS... I'm betting the Horizons and Viewliners are next to be re-tooled.)

Keep the letters coming for Walthers, it only adds fuel to the fire. I am waiting for IVb to be released (which I am sure it will.) A rumor has floated around that Walthers will make minor revisions to their Superliner line under the Proto name with proper window tints, window gaskets and a more realistic metal finish. Then again a rumor of a 37000-series Diner-Lounge floated around a year or two ago and that didn't pan out....yet. So who knows. With Metroliner and Amfleet equipment on the way, it seems to be an "Amtrak year!"

Some blurbs have said "YOU ASKED FOR IT AND WE DELIVERED" in regards to Amfleets. I have to agree with Walthers on this. For those of you that waited for a re-tooled revamped Amfleet car; please take the time to thank Walthers for their effort and answering your question with your sought after model. Everyone likes a pat on the back!

-Tom

Amtrak207 wrote:Kyle you think like I do,

Some blurbs have said "YOU ASKED FOR IT AND WE DELIVERED" in regards to Amfleets. I have to agree with Walthers on this. For those of you that waited for a re-tooled revamped Amfleet car; please take the time to thank Walthers for their effort and answering your question with your sought after model. Everyone likes a pat on the back!

-Tom

We do indeed .

I emailed Walthers yesterday thanking them and kindly noted my interest in the phase IVb Amfleet I and IIs. We just have to keep checking but as I said before, they likely are giving the Amtrak 40th stuff some breathing room (although probably not necessary at this point since Amtrak has sold out almost everything I think) before putting out the latest livery.

Slightly re-tooled Superliners would be bitter-sweet for me since I've already filled my quota with the latest run. Unless I come across a great amount of extra money AFTER I've replaced all my amfleets and fulfilled my quota for the re-tooled Amfleets in time, I won't look to replace my superliner fleet again. Besides; I doubt we'll see another revised run of superliners for a while. Walthers had plenty of the previous run still sitting around in their inventory for a while. Putting out a newer run so close to their recent revisions would likely not be in their best interest. My guess is we'll likely see other new or revised Amtrak products before a revised run of Superliners.(but they would know way more about that than I would ).

I agree Kyle (shocking lol.)

I am sure Walthers is aware that there has been a big request for Kato to produce their Nippon bilevel Metra cars in HO (I am one of them.) So we have to wait and see.

As far as the price for the new Amfleets go, I can see their point in regards to the steep price tag, HOWEVER... with the older models, it was easy to add $50 worth of detail parts, etc to bring them up to "realistic" standards, so I personally don't mind the steeper price tag (as long as Walthers addresses what was wrong with their previous run, which is appears they have.) Looking forward to pre-production photos!

I personally plan to purchase quite a few A-I and especially A-II cars in Phase IVb. I am curious to the Viewliners, as Walthers may be holding out till the Viewliner II cars come out (Diner, Sleeper, Baggage, Baggage-Dorm.) I could not blame Walthers with this move.

I would suspect some (if not all Heritage equipment such as the Diner/Baggage/etc) would be revamped with the plated finish, etc as certain models were in Phase IV (this STILL baffles me, as there were no Phase IV 46 Budd Coaches or Slumbercoaches.)

Let's push Athearn for upgrading the AMD-103 model to their GENESIS line, hehehehe.

Tom

Was reading the product features and noticed it didn't say anything about an interrior in these cars. Does anybody know if these cars have interriors with seats and what not? You would think so if they are offering interrior lighting and the price that they are charging for these cars.

peanut1 wrote:Was reading the product features and noticed it didn't say anything about an interrior in these cars. Does anybody know if these cars have interriors with seats and what not? You would think so if they are offering interrior lighting and the price that they are charging for these cars.

I noticed that too. I'm guessing it's an oversight. All of the cars are being tooled to accept the interior lighting kit. They'd potentially sell more of the kits if the cars had interirors so I can't see why the non-deluxe cars wouldn't have interiors. The only additional feature of the deluxe cars are the figurines inside the cars in addition to the pre-installed lighting kits.