# So what is up with AML



## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

AML nee Accucraft announced that this year would be the hi cube boxcar (1st quarter - year right) and that the GP60s would be made.

Obviously the boxcar is not here, the GP60s seem to have vanished again not to mention that AML took the SD9 off the site completely.

So is Accucraft basically giving up on the AML line?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Nothing has changed..
just because you personally cant find them on their webpage, that doesn't mean they arent there! 
(they are actually very easy to find:

http://www.americanmainline.com/

the Hi-cube is still on their webpage.
the GP60 is still on their webpage, it never "vanished".
They never announced a SD9, that was Aristocraft.

Scot


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Aristo and the SD9 was a long standing joke, everyone asked for it, and Aristo even set a part number ART-23500 series, was on St. Aubins ads for many years, people complained and then Lewis got mad about all the requests and said he would never make it... his favorite he never made was a GG-1, another brilliant marketing choice.

I know that Fred Devine was told many times that the SD-9 would be an instant success, but what he told me was he needed to get good 2 axle diesel trucks first before going to the 3 axle trucks, so the GP would come before any 3 axle diesel.

Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

So any closer to (Hi-cubes) landing on warehouse/store shelves ? 

http://www.americanmainline.com/modelc/G411-01.htm

I see one online vendor (still ?) taking pre-orders. 

doug c


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

the American MainLine site is offline... not a good sign


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

The G market is flat. USA did the locomotive survey a couple years ago, that went nowhere, the only manufacturer that's actually producing anything new appears to be. Piko.


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

vsmith said:


> The G market is flat. USA did the locomotive survey a couple years ago, that went nowhere, the only manufacturer that's actually producing anything new appears to be. Polo.


Guess you haven't heard that USA is tooling up to make the UP FEF-3 (844) and the passenger heavyweight cars?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

vsmith said:


> The G market is flat. USA did the locomotive survey a couple years ago, that went nowhere, the only manufacturer that's actually producing anything new appears to be. Polo.


Im assuming you meant Piko?
(there is also Pola, but they dont make locomotives or rolling stock, only structures.)

Scot


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## josephunh (Mar 27, 2013)

Chuck I hope you are right because I would really like some heavy weights.


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

"_....the American MainLine site is offline... not a good sign_"

ouch !!

It was working yesterday. I tested the link before posting ! 

Hopefully just a inhouse IT glitch (or external). 

Maybe someone has their ph. number, to give them a call ?


doug c


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Back up for me now. Must have been a glitch.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Scottychaos said:


> Im assuming you meant Piko?
> (there is also Pola, but they dont make locomotives or rolling stock, only structures.)
> 
> Scot


goddam autocorrect  edited


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Chucks_Trains said:


> Guess you haven't heard that USA is tooling up to make the UP FEF-3 (844) and the passenger heavyweight cars?


Chuck I will beleive it when I see it at a show, too many SD9 memories


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## Pete Thornton (Jan 2, 2008)

And the website still has the Dreyfuss Hudson on it. Wonder when they well clean things up.


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

I still hope the GP60 see's the light of day, really want to get one of the NS versions as they were the normal power on Roadrailers when I worked a summer for them. One of the quickest accelerating engines, but a rough buckboard ride! Mike


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Are the hicubes good for christmas still?

SD...i'm waiting!


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

SD90WLMT said:


> Are the hicubes good for christmas still?
> 
> SD...i'm waiting!


That makes two of us buddy


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## Dunbar (May 5, 2016)

I was at a show over the weekend and was listening to several guys that have way more experience/years in G than I do and all of them were in agreement that it seems like G is making a comeback. I also read that the Minn. garden railway association is growing many new members. Keeping fingers crossed that this is true.


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

http://www.americanmainline.com/modelc/G411-01.htm

Ahhh that is great ! 

They mention a undecorated unit. I wish they would at least put basic dimensional data on it. 

Although there looks to be at least three roads in diff' car colours, that their corp. herald/id marks could be 'easily' removed, and replaced with preferred. 

"..Are the hicubes good for christmas still?.."
Would not hold breath ! Best tah prep a home-made gift certificate good for x units of AML hi-cubes ....


nite,
doug c


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Thanks..my pre-order in place.. months ago!

SD


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Dunbar said:


> I also read that the Minn. garden railway association is growing many new members. Keeping fingers crossed that this is true.


This is true. I'm apart of MGRS and we are gaining new members every year. Our October news letter had 4 new members listed.


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## Chucks_Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

vsmith said:


> Chuck I will beleive it when I see it at a show, too many SD9 memories


  Well that came straight from Charles Ro


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

http://www.americanmainline.com/modelc/G801-01.htm#page=page-1


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## Dunbar (May 5, 2016)

Hey Ewarhol,
Thats good news. So at least in Minn. , G scale is making a comeback. Gives me more faith in what the guys I overheard saying is correct and that G scale is making a comeback in my area also. Now, if only someone could resurrect Aristocraft and get all the product sitting in the warehouse in China to the U.S. Maybe even flood the G market with some track.


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## rdamurphy (Jan 3, 2008)

It's back online. It may have been caught up in some of the DoS attacks this week...

Robert


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## k225 (Aug 20, 2014)

Really does that mean there may be a chance that a GP60 will actually come out in 2016, only two months left!


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

No.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)




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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

Accucraft/AML said the Gunderson Hi Cubes be out first quarter of 2016 and as far as I know they have not. GP60.......unfortunately I think this is another long forgotten project. Accucraft probably makes way more profit margin on a $6000 dollar live steamer then mass produced stuff and requires a whole lot less tooling as in mold work.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There's not a manufacturer I know that has not broken promises of delivery dates. AML is no exception, Aristo and USAT have done this, but in all fairness USAT has been better in my opinion, they typically do not start talking years ahead of delivery.

In AML's case, I believe there is another mitigating factor, the loss of Fred Devine, who brought Accucraft to 1:29. 

I miss Fred.


Greg


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

AML is the new Aristocraft, good at promising things and never producing them. The fact that Aristo got bugged and bugged about the SD9 should have showed Lewis there was a demand, instead he got arrogant and said it would never get made. When you string people along for so long, the whole pre-order idea goes out the window as everybody gets gun shy and holds off on ordering. Then it never gets made or put on hold for ever and ever and ever. Either make the model or don't. Or better yet, hold off on annoucing a model till your nearly ready for production. The GP60 was one of the last "new" 4 axle engines on the market before we starting seeing nothing but monster 6 axle units. The GP60 would give many layout owners that cannot handle a Dash 9, a more modern engine than what USA offers. In my opinion AML needs to come clean and give an honest answer with a honest time frame to produce or not to produce the model. Time to get off the fence, one way or another.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

What really amazes me is how many people act like their life somehow pivots on the release of a product for a hobby, in this case the AML GP60. Truth is, this is a hobby and NOBODY is sitting there with their layout on hold waiting for this, or any other loco to be released. AML and all other manufacturers have a release date in mind, but there are always things that come up during the design / prototype / manufacturing process that will push that back, Sometimes that will be a large push back, sometimes it will be multiple small ones. That happens with every product that is sold. If AML shoved this thing through to get it out on time and it had a major flaw, then the same people would be on here bitching about that. Relax, it will be here when it gets here.

Chris


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

up9018 said:


> What really amazes me is how many people act like their life somehow pivots on the release of a product for a hobby, in this case the AML GP60.


No one in this thread (or anywhere else I have ever seen) has ever said or suggested anything like that..



up9018 said:


> Truth is, this is a hobby and NOBODY is sitting there with their layout on hold waiting for this, or any other loco to be released.


correct..and that completely contradicts your first point. 

Scot


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Really, you have never seen anyone post complaining about this loco still not being released yet?


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

up9018 said:


> Really, you have never seen anyone post complaining about this loco still not being released yet?


Complain? yes..but that is not remotely the same thing as: "people act like their life somehow pivots on the release of a product for a hobby". Your exaggeration was way over the top!  and not at all realistic, which is what I was commenting on.

Scot


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

OK, that is your opinion. Thanks for expressing it.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

There ARE a lot of people who act as if their entire life does revolve about some small aspect of the hobby.

AML is a small company and they have different costs than the limited production metal steamers, which do not need molds and to invent a diesel motor block.

I'm disappointed that it's taking forever, but beating up on AML in "public" and equating them to the ego of Aristo (what an insult) is not going to make the GP60 appear earlier, or convince Bing that 1:29 is a good place to be.

We have gotten some excellent 1:29 rolling stock from them and I thank them for making the effort.

Greg


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## Doug C (Jan 14, 2008)

"...Truth is, this is a hobby and NOBODY is sitting there with their layout on hold waiting for this, or any other loco to be released...."

There very likely is at least ONE person out there !!


Considering at least half dozen said they were leaving the hobby when a well-known LS forum closed and reopened under a new business model. 

Also the others who declare the end of the hobby when a couple manufacturers close their doors. Geez if hobbyists back in '40s (a time when there was no manufacturing due to the factories being re-tooled for the 'war effort') had the same mind set as some do now, there would be no MR hobby now !

imho too 

doug c


p.s. personally not excited about either a SD or another GP even though either appearing on the shelves would be a plus for G-gauge hobby .... if there was to be a Century loco (one seen all over N.A., not just the continental u.s.a.) that would have me 'sitting-up-straight' !


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Greg, you are correct about beating AML up publicly is not going to help the situation. While I model 1:20.3 NG, I would welcome any new product in any scale, that is just a sign of the strength of the Hobby and the manufacturer's commitment to it.

Doug C, I'm sure you are correct and there is ONE, that was my point...some people just act a bit to over dramatic about a hobby. I chose 1:20.3 because Bachmann was a big player in that scale, and there stuff was fairly affordable. When they put a hold on the scale (however much that is) I didn't quit, just went on.

I recently purchased a pair of SD40-2s to use for traveling, I would like to get some of the AML grain hoppers. And IF they, or anyone else would happen to cough up a SD-7 or SD-9 I would be tickled to death. (A C-630 would kill it also)

Chris


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