Subject:
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Re: PROPOSAL for new track (was Re: New Lego Track!
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.trains, lugnet.loc.au
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Date:
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Wed, 18 May 2005 11:03:05 GMT
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Viewed:
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2533 times
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In lugnet.trains, Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> > > > I was a bit bummed when I realized this message thread was not an
> > > > announcement of new track but rather another discussion of something LEGO
> > > > should do...
> > >
> > > I agree, I think the subject line could have been chosen a bit more clearly.
>
> I still think this is a valid observation, helping readers figure out what
> something is about is a good idea.
>
> > > I also have a question about the images of the different radii track? Are these
> > > new images or just recolors of the images that Ben Fleskes did? If they're new,
> > > how do they differ from Ben's work? If they're Ben's work, was credit given to
> > > Ben and to the others he based his work on?
>
> I am still interested in the answer to this question.
I was sent an email from somebody not associeated with Lugnet. It was a
brickshelf reference about something that was repeatedly talked about by members
of the public at our recent public train display. I don't know about you but
juggling the time between work, family, kids, building and posting I didn't have
enough time to back track and figure out who originally posted the images. If
Ben did well all I can say is thank you, I'm not alone, good work. If he didn't
well then who ever did I say the same. Or just maybe more than one person is
able to come up with the same good idea completely independently of others.
> > > That aside...
> > >
> > > I would love to see LEGO step up and play trains with the big boys by enhancing
> > > the track line. I just don't see it happening, but I would love it. I think we
> > > fool ourselves when we think this market is big enough to support the tooling by
> > > LEGO under current ROI assumptions (we assume they're using). It's not,
> > > according to my guess work. That's not to say it couldn't be profitable if we
> > > were willing to pay higher prices, or if LEGO could figure out how to sell more
> > > successfully.
> >
> >
> > Well I suppose I should not expect LEGO to make any moves towards providing
> > tracks that would, I think, be a worthwhile investment.
>
> Unfortunately, I think you shouldn't expect that, for reasons that have been
> given, until they become a different (my view: better) company with respect to
> how they serve smaller market segments. Which they haven't yet done to the • > level we'd like.
>
> > Silly of me to expect
> > others on LUGNET to agree that new track geometry would be something worthwhile
> > and asking for a show of support.
>
> No, it's not at all silly of you, per se. And you have gotten that very support
> that you seek, in my view. My read is that the posters all agree it would be a
> good thing if it happened. Don't confuse "would be a good thing" with "ready to
> march on Billund with pitchforks in hand" though, that's all that's being said.
I just wanted to see how popular this line of thought was, seeing it was often
commented on and a recent public display, didn't expect a stampede (but now that
you mention it, what's everybody doing friday night?)
> > Instead there has been a majority of replies
> > basically saying that it's old news not worth really responding to. I'm reminded
> > that I'm a fool
>
> Didn't see any of that at all. And if anyone said that its inappropriate.
Thanks, I appreciate your stance on this.
> > and that the niceties of posting on Lugnet are more important
> > than getting some sort of ground swell happening.
>
> Or of that. Don't confuse suggestions that observing the niceties (like giving
> credit where it may be due) is important with the idea that they are
> overarching.
>
> > Not being a seasoned writer of posts on lugnet I was not aware of just how
> > quickly you get the feeling that your point of view is not really appreciated.
>
> Or of that. All points of view ought to be appreciated. But don't confuse
> appreciation for a point of view with adulation for presenting something.
>
> > Yes, it is true that if we did a poll on what LEGO should make there would a
> > list that could stretch from earth to the moon. And I probably don't have a clue
> > how LEGO decides what they will market and what really sells.
>
> Neither do any of the rest of us. All I do know is that they only sometimes make
> what I want (the TTX set being a good example, I want more of that sort of
> thing, and good sets with no new parts are doable on a relative shoestring), and
> they often do things that confound most AFOL's ideas of what a good thing to do
> might be (Galidor being a good example, bad sets with a lot of new parts with
> huge flashy promotional backing are the antithesis of "shoestring").
On that we agree
>
> > What I do know is
> > that I've been using Lego for over 40 years and I have steered many young people
> > into appeciating the wonders that can be done with the plastic brick.
>
> Me too, although unlike (I'm guessing) you, I had a dark ages. but I'm back and
> promoting/playing/enjoying LEGO with a vengeance.
>
> > And I know
> > I'm not alone, as I have also spoken to many others just like me (actually
> > spoken face to face) and we often scratch our heads and wonder why LEGO never
> > quite seems to get the idea that there is actually a fairly large group of us
> > out there (I'm including the silent majority here).
>
> Me too. We ARE a fairly large group in absolute numbers or dollar sales, just
> not a RELATIVELY large group compared to the total market. But LEGO apparently
> hasn't figured out how to create products that require this level of tooling for
> markets that they feel are 5% or less (that's where they peg the entire AFOL
> market) of their market, much less 1% (my guess is trains is at best 20% of the
> TOTAL market that AFOL's take up).
>
> OTHER companies have figured it out and made money at it. But until LEGO does,
> showing that there's a groundswell of support, while interesting, IS old news in
> that it's been done already. Doesn't make it wrong, doesn't mean you shouldn't
> post it, just means that you shouldn't expect everyone to greet it as a brand
> new revelation that's never been heard of before. Especially when you won't
> answer where you got the images from...
This seems to be an interesting dilema, the number of people at the Model train
shows who come up to us and express their interest in lego trains is amazing.
Many of them are not members of Lugnet and don't know of Lugnet. The BLTG train
display is put into a traditional model train display, there are about 60
traditional model train displays in all, and we are the only lego train layout
there. The organisers of the show are impressed that our display is one of the
most popular. In fact it is so popular that we need 3 viewing sides and take up
a large section of the display area so as to allow the crowds to comfortable see
the display, but their still 2 or 3 deep. We have been doing this show for the
last 4 years but in total we have probably put on up to 10 to 12 shows in
various formats, but still basically Lego trains. And we keep getting the same
questions and responses, that is, 'I have lego trains at home but I never knew
lego still made trains, where can I get lego Trains? Is that track able to be
used with the track I already have?' (12V mainly). Sometimes others, who have a
traditional model layout on display at the show we are at, come up to us and
confess they have a lego train at home just like the one on our Lego layout.
(Each year more and more pluck up the courage to confess) Of these many on them
quiz us about the track and if it comes in different sizes. Well you can see my
dilema. We speak to more people about lego trains than I have ever seen posting
on Lugnet, and some say I live is a small insignificant backwood of the world
(I've been lurking for awhile).
I believe that the interest for lego trains is an unknown quantity, especially
to The LEGO Company. In this we are agreed that they have not yet figured out
how to capture this ready market. Maybe you can make them see the light with
whatever conatcts you have.
>
> > But I have this sinking
> > feeling that to actually get a bit of support is not that easy to do. Maybe I
> > should leave it to others to let me know what I want out of my hobby.
>
> Hardly! You should do what you want to do. Just don't expect to tell others what
> THEY should get out of the hobby, it goes both ways.
>
> > This post will probably get ridiculed and rubbished and I will rightly go back
> > to lurking, where I should of stayed in the beginning.
>
> Ridiculing is not appropriate behaviour here and it should not happen. I'm glad
> you're posting but you need to take input on board, that's all...
>
> FUT set to just trains.
Here in Australia we probably have a unique case in that you can't easily
purchase many lego Trains items from many retailers. TLG is a franchise here and
mainly operates with the larger retailers like Kmart. Their after volumes sales
only with limited shelf space. (Megablocks has similar shelf space in some
stores) We have lots of HP, bionocle, Star Wars, etc, etc, but not much in
trains. As an example last year in 2004 in Brisbane (population 2 million)
straight track was put on the shelves in Jan 2004 and was sold out in Feb 2004,
it was not restocked until Jan 2005. I don't know how many people asked us at
the Brisbane Model Train Show in May 2004 if we had straight track for sale, I
only wish we did, as we would on made a handsome profit, the few boxes we had
sold in the first few hours and were sold for 20% more that the Shop@Home price.
(we probably could of sold them for more but felt too guilty about it)
So maybe I was a bit sensitive and a bit too quickly disappointed. Here in
Australia the situation is obviously different to that in the US. I was assuming
Lugnet was a thermometer to a Lego Train question, I was probabaly looking in
the wrong place. (It should be that Lugnet is not a thermometer but a thermostat
but alas this is not so) There seems to be a differing opinion to what is posted
in Lugnet and what is said on the street. (or at the Model Train Shows I
attended to be more accurate).
So Larry we seem to agree on some issues but not all, and that's probably a good
thing. Thanks for this reply as it has eased my agnst and (as can be seen from
this post) not left me lurking in the shadows. But I still think that Lego
should produce a different radius curved track and their fools not to do so!
and I know I speak for many who can't, don't and won't post on lugnet.
Gary
Member #162
PS Is there any third party out there somewhere who is able to produce lego
track if lego won't?
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