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Post by ztrack on Oct 1, 2023 9:17:23 GMT -5
AMERICAN Z LINE October 2023 New Releases Part 1 WIDE VISION CABOOSE – BNSF!  The BNSF operates several fire fighting trains. This caboose is used as a Command Center in the fire fighting train. The caboose operates out of Wishram, WA. It entered service around 2010 and is still in use today. 921022 BNSF Wide vision caboose 999000 Command Center The wide vision cabooses feature AZL’s roller bearing trucks, AutoLatchTM couplers, intricate printing and close coupling. R-70-20 REEFERS – TROPICANA ALL NEW ROAD NUMBERS! A two-pack and four-pack are available.  914842-2 Tropicana R-70-20 Reefer 231, 236 Two-pack  904812-2 Tropicana R-70-20 Reefer 211, 213, 214, 232 Set CITY OF LOS ANGELES SILVER TRUCKS AND SW1500 AAR TRUCKS  The City of Los Angles passenger sets arrived with gray trucks. Customers have asked for the option to convert the trucks to the silver version. We have two silver truck pages available. 72400-V Silver Truck Set - City of Los Angeles 26 – trucks - 12x -Type “A” Trucks - used on UP specific passenger cars - 14x -Type “B” Trucks - used on smooth side passenger cars 72401-V Silver Truck Set - City of Los Angeles 6 – trucks - 2x -Type “A” Trucks - used on UP specific passenger cars - 4x -Type “B” Trucks - used on smooth side passenger cars For our customers who have the SW1500 switcher with Flexcoil trucks, and wish to swap for AAR trucks, we now have these trucks available! These are being offered as singles.  AZLSW1500AAR-BLACK Black Parts SW1500 AAR Truck - Single truck Available products will be listed on AZL Direct shortly: azldirect.comRob Kluz Ztrack Distribution |
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Post by Commodore on Oct 1, 2023 12:43:39 GMT -5
Sold out in 2 hours? 
I need a 4 pack of Tropicana
Thanks!
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Post by cwrr on Oct 1, 2023 22:52:40 GMT -5
Sold out in 2 hours?
I need a 4 pack of Tropicana
Thanks!
Gotta' be quick! Stare at the website on the 1st of the month!  |
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Post by louiez on Oct 2, 2023 10:25:27 GMT -5
Sold out in 2 hours?
I need a 4 pack of Tropicana
Thanks!
Gotta' be quick! Stare at the website on the 1st of the month! Almost makes it not worth the effort to obtain AZL stock anymore. It's getting about time to return to "N" where there is more than one active producer. Maybe AZL could/shold do some type of pre-order so they can gauge interest and produce enough to fill demand. Just venting!! |
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Post by BAZman on Oct 2, 2023 12:40:44 GMT -5
There is a way: Your local (or far) Dealer, has access to these releases, well, most all of them. Your Dealer, if they check in enough or, remember or, aren’t on ‘vacation’) can let you know so to add your pre-order. That includes the ‘Larger’ dealer(s).  |
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Post by louiez on Oct 2, 2023 13:45:57 GMT -5
There is a way: Your local (or far) Dealer, has access to these releases, well, most all of them. Your Dealer, if they check in enough or, remember or, aren’t on ‘vacation’) can let you know so to add your pre-order. That includes the ‘Larger’ dealer(s). If consumers don't know what will be released, how would one go about pre-ordering? I imagine we'll see a lot of these Tropicana cars on EBay at inflated prices in short order. |
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Post by dazed on Oct 2, 2023 13:51:07 GMT -5
Gotta' be quick! Stare at the website on the 1st of the month! Almost makes it not worth the effort to obtain AZL stock anymore. It's getting about time to return to "N" where there is more than one active producer. Maybe AZL could/shold do some type of pre-order so they can gauge interest and produce enough to fill demand. It would be nice if there was a true pre-order system in place. I've said this before, but one of the biggest problems with Z is a pretty prolific number of active speculators. So yes it would be nice to get some assurance. (and help AZL's massive inability to properly gauge BNSF and UP diesel sales  ) It would be much better to see these cars go to a guy with a massive Tropicana train in the works, than have them sit on eBay for 5 years at a 50% premium. And btw N isn't completely immune to this phenomenon either. But yes it is definitely less of an issue. A lot of companies in N are a year or more behind on their release schedule at the moment, though. Athearn just announced a release due in February 20 25! |
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Post by dazed on Oct 2, 2023 13:58:51 GMT -5
There is a way: Your local (or far) Dealer, has access to these releases, well, most all of them. Your Dealer, if they check in enough or, remember or, aren’t on ‘vacation’) can let you know so to add your pre-order. That includes the ‘Larger’ dealer(s). Dealers aren't guaranteed product. This has happened several times with the R-70-20's whereby one or two dealers will buy the entire lot, leaving many of the "Top 10 Places One Might Purchase Z" out in the cold. |
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Post by dazed on Oct 2, 2023 14:02:58 GMT -5
If consumers don't know what will be released, how would one go about pre-ordering? I imagine we'll see a lot of these Tropicana cars on EBay at inflated prices in short order. AZL would have to do something like Atlas...release a quarterly or annual catalog with sku's for everything upcoming. And there would need to be some way to provide workflow for pre-orders. |
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Post by louiez on Oct 2, 2023 19:04:37 GMT -5
If consumers don't know what will be released, how would one go about pre-ordering? I imagine we'll see a lot of these Tropicana cars on EBay at inflated prices in short order. AZL would have to do something like Atlas...release a quarterly or annual catalog with sku's for everything upcoming. And there would need to be some way to provide workflow for pre-orders. Its very frustrating to see a new release announced on this site and by the time I click on the links or check out the 3 dealers I buy from, eveything is already sold out. I'm mostly UP (especially Locos). I guess I'll have to hope for the best or pay inflated EBay prices when AZL starts releasing them again. I try to buy at least one full set (all road numbers) of each UP release. |
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Post by Rob Albritton on Oct 2, 2023 20:43:03 GMT -5
Maybe AZL could/shold do some type of pre-order so they can gauge interest and produce enough to fill demand. Just venting!! If the demand is there, then we will make more. |
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Post by louiez on Oct 2, 2023 22:52:03 GMT -5
Maybe AZL could/shold do some type of pre-order so they can gauge interest and produce enough to fill demand. Just venting!! If the demand is there, then we will make more. Selling out in just a few hours tells me that there is a big demand. How will you determine demand if there isn't a process (pre-order or some such) to judge such demand. It's probably just as frustrating to the dealers who could sell more product if it were available. |
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Post by zscalehobo on Oct 2, 2023 23:41:51 GMT -5
Funny. MTL's move to a pre-order system for Z was panned universally and yet it works out great for dealers (although, I must make my own estimate of what I will sell as nobody pre-orders). Only getting enough for orders and things are selling out faster than ever before. There's now a demand instead of stagnant stock. (aside: The War of the Worlds set has been the most successful "foobie" set they've made by my count. People love it!).
For AZL, please ... do not go to a pre-order system - the community will likely lose a lot of items that AZL still has gone full steam ahead on - people don't usually pre-order in Z! Having the variety available, even if stock stagnates, is awesome ... AZL only missed on the R70-20's and a couple of other items. But they were spot on or over-produced, I'd say about 98% of the time. We're all complaining about a small portion that proves to be very popular and now Mr. A is agreeing to produce more. Problem solved.
Yes, please, Rob A ... make some more Tropicana reefers.
Even though I decided to sleep Saturday night and missed out on the latest release (I pressed F5/refresh on my browser until I fell asleep and awoke to SOLD OUT notices upon re-refreshing), I'm not deterred ... AZL is doing really well on most releases ... and I'm thankful you're considering to make more R70-20's.
Also - we all really love conspiracies! The R70-20 "hoarders" are gonna make a big $5 extra by holding onto the handful they got. Sorry about it but there's just too few produced to actually hoard them. I'm not denying there are prospectors, but this is not the case for the R70-20s. When I had garnered "most" of the stock of an R70-20 recently, I've only sold 1 of each item (4-pack & 2-pack). People weren't buying my entire stock.
Thanks for listening.
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Post by zscalehobo on Oct 2, 2023 23:43:48 GMT -5
Its very frustrating to see a new release announced on this site and by the time I click on the links or check out the 3 dealers I buy from, eveything is already sold out. I'm mostly UP (especially Locos). I guess I'll have to hope for the best or pay inflated EBay prices when AZL starts releasing them again. I try to buy at least one full set (all road numbers) of each UP release. There must be about 7 different UP locomotives still available right now. Not sure what you missed out on with regards to the UP. |
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Post by louiez on Oct 3, 2023 0:41:24 GMT -5
Its very frustrating to see a new release announced on this site and by the time I click on the links or check out the 3 dealers I buy from, eveything is already sold out. I'm mostly UP (especially Locos). I guess I'll have to hope for the best or pay inflated EBay prices when AZL starts releasing them again. I try to buy at least one full set (all road numbers) of each UP release. There must be about 7 different UP locomotives still available right now. Not sure what you missed out on with regards to the UP. I already have a full set of everything that is currently available. Purchased many of them from your site. This is about new releases and my comments are about new releases selling out in just a couple of hours. I'm concerned about the UP locomotives that are going to be released/re-released in the near future (SD70ACE, ES44AC, SD40-2, etc.). Maybe my concerns are unfounded but the fast sell out of the UP, PFE and Tropicana R70-20s is concerning to me. |
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