# Revised Accucraft Website and info



## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

As noted in the Public Forum, Accucraft seems to have finished updating their websites.









But more importantly, the "News" page ( *Accucraft PRODUCT UPDATE page*) includes some new data. The Mason Bogie, EBT #12, SP #8/9 and the Climax will be arriving 'Winter 2009'.









Yes, I know that probably means Summer 2010 - but at least they are now officially on the "Update" page!


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## ETSRRCo (Aug 19, 2008)

Why did they remove all their 1:20 scale rolling stock?


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## tacfoley (Jan 3, 2008)

One thing that I would find VERY useful would be to see boiler volumes listed.

So far I have contacted every AccuCraft dealer I can think of - including a forum spnsor - and asked for the capacity of a couple of boilers and have been studiously ignored. 

Is this information classified or something? 

tac
http://www.ovgrs.org/


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

What do you mean "remove all their 1:20.3 rolling stock?" There's a tab that takes you right to the page! It's all there.


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

I does look like they removed the 1:32 AAR boxcars though


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like the AMS line has been split off to its own web site...

*[url]http://www.amstrains.com*[/url] 
The 1:32 boxcar and other AMS rolling stock is on that page, while the Accucraft locomotives remain on [url]http://www.accucraft.com/[/b][/url]


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## CapeCodSteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Dwight.


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## livesteam5629 (Jan 2, 2008)

Where did the parts and bits store go? 
N


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Noel 

I talked to Accucraft on Friday and they said that the parts page is GONE. So much of the stuff listed was not in stock it was pretty frustrating for the users. All parts requests end up with Cliff anyway, so the advice was to email or call and ask for him directly. 

Personally, I think it is pretty crazy having a web site for Accucraft locomotives and brass rolling stock, another for 1:32 and 1:20 rolling stock in plastic [AMS], and another for the 1:29 [AML] product line. Worst of all, there are no links directly off the accucraft web site. 

Interesting business and marketing model. 

Regards


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Why did they remove all their 1:20 scale rolling stock


They didn't - the brass coaches are still on Accucraft's site. As Dwight said, the AMS Trains site has all the plastic and similar stuff, including the plastic J&S coaches. The 1/32nd scale diecast locos are on AMS, the brass/stainless locos are Accucraft, it seems. 

And don't forget the AML site for "MUSEUM QUALITY 1:29 SCALE" stuff: *[url]http://www.americanmainline.com/*[/url] there are no links directly off the accucraft web site. 

I emailed Cliff to request their web guy add some links.


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## Jim Overland (Jan 3, 2008)

I agree that it is strange to have the amstrains web site split off from accucraft without even a link 

I had to type in american model supply to find it


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## weaverc (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim,
On the accucraft web site, there is an AMS logo on the right of the selection bar that is a link to American Model Supply. On the left of the next row below it, is an AML logo that is a link to to that site.


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Carl 

That is good news. Last night when I posted my comments, those link icons were NOT there. If you go to the UK Models page, it has a link to the accucraft UK site. Little fix, BIG improvement. 

Regards


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

So, what you have to do is search for some little icon to find the other sites, "an AMS logo on the right of the selection bar that is a link to American Model Supply, on the left of the next row below it, is an AML logo that is a link to to that site." When do you want your customers to have to go on a treasure hunt to find you. I asked today were everything was and what ai got was from Ada; 
"Please note that we now have 4 separate website for each product line, with appointed product manager for each product line:" 

Accucraft Live Steam 
www.accucraftlivesteam.com 
Jerry Hyde 

Accucraft Trains 
www.accucraft.com 
Bing Cheng 

American Model Supply (AMS) 
www.amstrains.com 
Ada Ho 

American Mainline (AML) 
www.americanmainline.com 
Fred Devine


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Just Checked. When you go to the Accucraft site (accucraft.com) across the bottom of the picture on the home page is a row of boxes. Each box is a link to that particular products page.

No it does not have what that line covers, but maybe you can't have everything


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Each box is a link to that particular products page


_Guess my email worked - those icons/links weren't there yesterday!_


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## Kovacjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I think having all the seperate pages is just a big pain in the ass. no reason for a single manufacturer to have 4 or 5 pages that cover nthe offerings and have the end user to go to seperate pages


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

huh..it seems Accucraft only makes *one* live steam locomotive: 

http://www.accucraftlivesteam.com/ 

a 1/32 scale limitided edition Hudson.. 
I thought I read somewhere they made other live steam models too..guess not! 

(and Accucraft, if you are listening, you also need a link on that page back to the main page..right now there is no way to "get home".) 

the new page is clearly a work in progress! 
it will get there..(probably shouldnt have uploaded the new version before it was all done though..) 

thanks, 
Scot


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## Charles (Jan 2, 2008)

Scott
To take your point further...true to scale models are list as these:
United Pacific Big Boy 4-8-8-4
H8 Allegheny 2-6-6-6 NEW
EMD GP9 Diesel NEW


So does that make the other 1:32 models not true to scale. Seems there is no definition other than electric models are "to scale." The others in 1:32 are denoted as museum quality listing both electric and live steam. Very confusing as to their web layout and company presentation of their products.


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## rwjenkins (Jan 2, 2008)

Apparently "True to scale" sounded like a better tagline than "Plastic stuff". 

I guess most of us know that the Accucraft Trains line is the brass stuff (live steam & electric), AMS is the more affordable plastic and diecast line, and AML is the 1:29 stuff, but I can see how all this different branding could be confusing for the uninitiated. Like why for example is Accucraft Live Steam Limited (just the Royal Hudson at this point) separate from the other 1:32 live steam offerings? Why is the On3/On30 stuff (some of which is brass and stainless steel like the Accucraft Trains line) all lumped in under AMS? You'd almost expect it to have its own brand since practically everything else does. And there's no mention anywhere of "Silver Stream Series" that appears on the boxes of all the Accucraft live steamers I've ever owned, where does that fit in? I can understand that there are different divisions within the company and different people driving the various product lines, but the website design and usability consultant in me says there should be a better explanation of what the different divisions are all about, otherwise it just looks like a company with an identity crisis, and makes things harder to find for the consumer.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

Accucraft Live Steam Limited (just the Royal Hudson at this point) separate 


Richard, 
My guess it is the Canadian 'subsidiary'. There are probably tax or other business reasons for importing the CP locos through a different 'business'.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

One thing that I would find VERY useful would be to see boiler volumes listed. 

So far I have contacted every AccuCraft dealer I can think of - including a forum sponsor - and asked for the capacity of a couple of boilers and have been studiously ignored. 
Email Cliff at info at accucraft.com - I'm told he'd be glad to fill a boiler and measure the water capacity for you.


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Pete 

DANGER Uninformed opinions and pure conjecture follow: 

Jerry Hyde is in OHIO. Last I knew they had not become part of CANADA. Jerry was the driving force on the CP Hudson product development. I don't thik the company was financially restructured in any way. They just publicly announced who was in charge of the different "Lines of Business". You need to keep on top of the latest management [read consultant] BWBS. 

Remember, Ada is at Acccucraft in Union City, CA, and Fred Devine [AML] is in Lost Wages, NV. 

DO NOT attempt to second guess these folks. Unfortunately, having worked for the US government for over 36 years, I did not notice anything unusual about this 'surficial" reorganization until it was pointed out to me. WE do it all the time,AT least once every eight years. It all LOOKS different, but actually below the surface it is still the same semi-organized chaos where everyone gets credit for success and no one takes resonsibility for the continued organizational mediocrity. 

Richard is absolutely correct, building a "front end" web site that provides no basic information about the fundamental items that are in the referenced links is [a] poor design, and * often leads to people "licking away" from the site. Too bad. 

Sorry, need to sign off and go rake more leaves so that when the grass starts popping up it will not be killed off immediately.*


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

*SORRY * 

That should be CLICKING not LICKING.


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

That should be CLICKING not LICKING


I was wondering what you were up to these days . . .


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

the website design and usability consultant in me says there should be a better explanation of what the different divisions are all about, otherwise it just looks like a company with an identity crisis


Richard, I'm with you (doing a few websites unscientifically myself.) But I think we (the computer users on MLS) sometimes forget that people who make things (e.g. model trains from steel and brass,) aren't necessarily computer jocks or web geeks. 

You can usually tell by the 'usability' of the website. When the boss doesn't quite 'get' internet marketing, the resources are not allocated to the website and the result is . . . something like what Accucraft just went through. 

The other hint is that the company doesn't join the various websites where un-informed computer users make critical comments. Internet Marketing 101 requires that you attempt to explain a.s.a.p. before rumour and conjecture [like the above] take root. Tony at RCS is perhaps a good example of a company participating in the debate. The ones that don't are too numerous to mention.


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Jim,your gov. years were probably like my 36 at AT&T (old Ma Bell and one of her spin-off children). Ma's bureaucracy self-destructed with divestiture, but unfortunately, no such luck with your employer. 
Anyway, enjoy the fresh air while raking. The section of my track that is on the ground still has a layer of ice over it. Bet you remember things like that, because you're from Vermont. 

Larry


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## Dr Rivet (Jan 5, 2008)

Larry 

I do remember! We are supposed to get "up to" six inches of snow on Sunday night/Monday morning. That means anything from a trace to 12 inches. I have been raking the leaves from November/December that are around the layout. I can rake/haul about eight 40+ gallon trash cans every hour. Since Wednesday I have spent about seven hours on this project. I estimate I have another eight hours to finish the immediate vicinity of the track and steaming bay. And NO, I don't want to visit the local 7-11 to expand my workforce. It may be boring and time consuming, but I have a greater sense of accomplishment than spending an hour on a treadmill. And yes, I recognize it is less efficient. 

Admittedly, the bureaucracy was destroyed in AT&T with the breakup, but it also eliminated much of the synergy that existed between the research and manufacturing sides of the house. TOO bad. 

Regards,


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