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Post by hovehicle on Apr 14, 2021 9:29:18 GMT -8
When they changed it about 5-6 years ago , I was able to navigate it on my own. Now, forget it. Why make it more complicated than it should be? I'm looking to see if 3 vehicles, the 2017 Chevy Silverado, the 2010 Ford ambulance, and the 2010 Ford Econoline cargo van are coming out from River Point Station July 31, 2021. That's what the website said before this site changed. Before I call Walthers and basically yell at them, am I the only one having issues?
Vito L.
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Post by fr8kar on Apr 14, 2021 9:36:53 GMT -8
No, it's trash and unusable for me, too.
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Post by grabirons on Apr 14, 2021 10:45:39 GMT -8
I used to love looking up new announcements, or what was announced in the month(s) past, or current month, and new arrivals, and what's about to arrive ect. February 6th, 2015. This is a completely useable form of the site, but only for this time period and this date. Theres more like it: web.archive.org/web/20150206233320/http://walthers.com/There's many more years and dates that can be looked up here web.archive.org/web/20150701000000*/www.walthers.comI wish they would go back to the previous format. It really made life easier for looking for new products. |
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Post by Deleted on Apr 14, 2021 11:13:00 GMT -8
You mean there's somebody that still cares about Walthers products? Seriously?
Their website has been so very hideous that I gave up even looking for any Walthers product. When my local dealer tries to hand me the monthly flyer, I politely refuse--the stuff that was in stock won't be if I try to get it.
If I want to find a Walthers/Proto locomotive, I'd search for it on Ebay to see if it's actually available, because I know for a fact I'm not going to find it on Walthers' website anywhere nearly as easily or effectively as I can find the item on Ebay.
In fact, in any or all cases, I would go the original manufacturer or importer's website--NOT Walthers, NOT now and NOT ever again, because it totally sucks and has sucked for years.
The importers don't always have their websites updated, but they TRY and it's usually good enough for what I need to find.
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Post by sd40dash2 on Apr 14, 2021 11:21:36 GMT -8
As an office workers currently being forced to adjust to Windows 10 and MS Teams, I can say this is typical of the kind of awful low-functionality, poor-interface systems being forced upon us by technology companies these days. They "stop supporting" older versions, force companies to "upgrade" and then forever dump time-consuming updates on our systems all day long. Good software interface design ended with Windows 7 and Office 2003. Websites like this one have the same problem and eventually the end users are forced to figure it out until the next "upgrade", rinse repeat.
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Post by Christian on Apr 14, 2021 11:40:12 GMT -8
I'm looking to see if 3 vehicles, the 2017 Chevy Silverado, the 2010 Ford ambulance, and the 2010 Ford Econoline cargo van are coming out from River Point Station July 31, 2021. It took me all of three clicks to find out NO. I also went to RPS own website and there is no Silverado listing and the Econoline and ambulance are listed TBD. BUT, yes. I found the old site much easier to navigate.
EDIT: After posting this I went back to the Walthers site to do some searching. I found that it was very much changed/updated today. My biggest gripe had been the search function. That seems to have been fixed. Plus I can drill down from the home page to what I want without trying to figure out if a vehicle is a "lineside detail" or a "structure" or some mystery category of the left pane that drove me nuts. I realize that it's great fun bashing Walthers and has been since the 1930's. Atlas Forum is a great place for bashing since there isn't any business presence here anymore.. |
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Post by riogrande on Apr 14, 2021 14:04:03 GMT -8
Why yes. Seriously. Just because you aren't interested in Walthers products doesn't mean others aren't. Walthers makes a lot of passenger cars that are good for some classic trains of private RR's and were also used as heritage cars on Amtrak. I have a bunch to model the San Francisco Zephyr. Walthers also makes Amtrak Superliners.
Also, Walthers has a new line of track and turnouts coming soon which look promising to add to our current selection of Atlas, Peco and MicroEngineering.
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Post by Christian on Apr 14, 2021 14:39:57 GMT -8
As an office workers currently being forced to adjust to Windows 10 and MS Teams, I can say this is typical of the kind of awful low-functionality, poor-interface systems being forced upon us by technology companies these days. Since Walthers is now using one of the Amazon server farms I wonder if the whole site has been outsourced? Another issue for eCommerce is that computers are disappearing in favor of smart phones. Particularly for younger folks. A website that looks and works well on my 28" monitor does not look or work well on my smart phone.
I just took a look at Walthers on my cell phone which has a 4.5" screen. Visually looks clean and sharp. Clearly designed for cell phones. Navigation, not so instinctive. It took a few minutes to find the various drop down menus. |
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Post by kmaster on Apr 15, 2021 9:10:58 GMT -8
It may just be me, spending a lot of time around tech, but all those sites seem alright to navigate. In fact i found the forums more difficult to navigate when i got into them. Again might just be me.
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Post by riogrande on Apr 15, 2021 10:24:52 GMT -8
It's certainly easier to navigate on a proper computer, especially a desktop with a big screen. My issue with Walthers since the new site last few years is the search is funky and doesn't always work well. It's improved a little but still far from ideal. The old website was better.
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Post by Christian on Apr 15, 2021 10:45:48 GMT -8
It's certainly easier to navigate on a proper computer, especially a desktop with a big screen. My issue with Walthers since the new site last few years is the search is funky and doesn't always work well. It's improved a little but still far from ideal. The old website was better. Try it today. They put a new search system on line yesterday afternoon. |
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Post by riogrande on Apr 15, 2021 11:35:29 GMT -8
It's certainly easier to navigate on a proper computer, especially a desktop with a big screen. My issue with Walthers since the new site last few years is the search is funky and doesn't always work well. It's improved a little but still far from ideal. The old website was better. Try it today. They put a new search system on line yesterday afternoon. Will try it next time I get the chance! |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 15, 2021 11:44:46 GMT -8
Conforming to tradition, it's worse than the old one.
For example:
"discontinued products" is "temporarily" down. I'm predicting temporary will be measured in decades.
You used to be able to expand the number of items on a page (20, 60, 120). Gone. Now it's 20 only. So you have to take the time to turn multiple pages instead of just scrolling down.
Here's a challenge: Is there anything IMPROVED? C'mon kids, you can do it! I just KNOW you can find the secret improvement.
Ed
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Post by sd40dash2 on Apr 15, 2021 11:52:29 GMT -8
^ Sure. Probably "improved tracking" of users and paving the way for forced logins, nagging popups wanting us to do this or that and multi-factor-authentication (MFA). Gotta keep ue "safe" from those Russian hackers dontcha know?
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Post by Christian on Apr 15, 2021 14:45:16 GMT -8
Conforming to tradition, it's worse than the old one. For example: "discontinued products" is "temporarily" down. I'm predicting temporary will be measured in decades. You used to be able to expand the number of items on a page (20, 60, 120). Gone. Now it's 20 only. So you have to take the time to turn multiple pages instead of just scrolling down. Here's a challenge: Is there anything IMPROVED? C'mon kids, you can do it! I just KNOW you can find the secret improvement. Ed The number of items is increased to 240. I have no clue where you got 20? Answering the challenge is really simple; the search function is vastly improved. Perhaps too many options and filters? As for discontinued products, huh? How is that useful? I guess I didn't miss it since I don't recall ever using it. On the other hand, search is everytime. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 15, 2021 15:39:14 GMT -8
Conforming to tradition, it's worse than the old one. For example: "discontinued products" is "temporarily" down. I'm predicting temporary will be measured in decades. You used to be able to expand the number of items on a page (20, 60, 120). Gone. Now it's 20 only. So you have to take the time to turn multiple pages instead of just scrolling down. Here's a challenge: Is there anything IMPROVED? C'mon kids, you can do it! I just KNOW you can find the secret improvement. Ed The number of items is increased to 240. I have no clue where you got 20? I got it from where it says on the first page of the search "Items 1-20 of 3968". See that "20" in there? THAT'S what I'm talking about. In the old system, one could bump up the number of items on a page. I found it convenient to go to an item count of 120 per page, 'cause I could search faster. Too many options? Not especially. One thing that was replaced was the large list of groups like "locomotives" "trucks" "superdetailing parts". I kinda liked that. Apparently you never used it. Here's another failing: it takes longer to scroll through the manufacturers list than it used to. Before, you could move down through the list by bringing your cursor below the bottom of the list. It would roll until you stopped it. Now it won't. You apparently have to use the stupid scroll wheel on your mouse. At least, that's how it's working for me. Here's an example: if you were interested in UP E units, you could go to the discontinued list, and see which ones had grey trucks and which ones had aluminum. Some UP modelers care about such things You could go and see what paint schemes Walthers had used previously on BN boxcars. You can look at pictures of the older ones and see if those had the original graphics or the 3-line graphics. Armed with the part number of what you want, you could go to Ebay and get the right one. Here's a GREAT example: I found out that Walthers did exactly TWO of an SP gondola with free-standing grabs. That's out of a larger number of "lesser" versions. I wanted the good ones. I searched on "discontinued" and found the two part numbers. I kept running those through Ebay until I ended up with one of each of a VERY good and VERY accurate SP gon. All thanks to searching for discontinued. I expect you don't miss it because you never felt the need to research older products. Your choice, of course. But I have two SP gons, and 3 nice UP E's with grey trucks, thanks to "discontinued". It's crap. I see NO improvements. If you can be more specific (as I just was) about the improvements YOU see, I'd be happy to read about them. Ed |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 15, 2021 15:47:41 GMT -8
Found two improvements:
Search is Boolean. I don't think it was before. And, so far, search doesn't feed you lots of stuff that Walthers wants to sell you that has NOTHING to do with the search. YES, an improvement.
Another nice thing is that, when you go to the next page in your 20-item jumps, you start at the TOP of the page. With the old search, you'd start at the BOTTOM of the next page, and have to go up. Weird. And then at the top for the next page.
Well, there's two. Tell me about more!
Ed
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Post by ncrc5315 on Apr 15, 2021 16:38:55 GMT -8
I just did a search for locomotives, clicked on the "20" changed it to "240", and got 240.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 15, 2021 16:56:15 GMT -8
I just did a search for locomotives, clicked on the "20" changed it to "240", and got 240. Ah, I see what's happening. I've been using "advanced search". I put "locomotive" in the search, and the page will only present at 20 per page. When I put "locomotive" in the search window on the home page, it WILL give me the option including 240 per page. So you guys ain't using advanced search. But it's ADVANCED, dammit, Jim. ADVANCED is, well, advanced. Dammit. Jim. Ed |
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Post by bncascadegreen on Apr 16, 2021 7:24:43 GMT -8
Yeah, can’t get in my account.......done with Walthers websites. Have to order direct or somewhere else.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2021 20:47:07 GMT -8
Why yes. Seriously. Just because you aren't interested in Walthers products doesn't mean others aren't. Walthers makes a lot of passenger cars that are good for some classic trains of private RR's and were also used as heritage cars on Amtrak. I have a bunch to model the San Francisco Zephyr. Walthers also makes Amtrak Superliners. Also, Walthers has a new line of track and turnouts coming soon which look promising to add to our current selection of Atlas, Peco and MicroEngineering. rio grande-- My apologies. I was speaking mainly about their locomotives, and trying to find locos and rolling stock on their website, and how impossibly frustrating that has been for me. You are absolutely correct, and I am sorry for over-reacting. I, too, am unable to get into my account and have been unable to communicate with them to even change a password. I tried a couple times in the past and simply gave up. That is part of the reason for my over-the-top hostility. |
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Post by riogrande on Apr 17, 2021 18:43:01 GMT -8
No worries, and I too have my frustrations with Walthers. There are a few models I just can't seem to find such as a phase 3 Amtrak baggage and phase 2 plated Superliner sleeper.
I did pick up the Walthers SP SD9s last year and the SW1200.
But the website, yeah...
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 17, 2021 19:39:24 GMT -8
Stayin' with the models, I do wonder about the differences between the Walthers and the Rapido SW1200. I've ordered one of the latter, and I wonder what I've missed/gained.
But the website, yeah...
Sven
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Post by riogrande on Apr 18, 2021 3:16:39 GMT -8
I wonder too. The Walther are reported to be very smooth runners. But Rapido should be good although I don't know if the tread plate has been revised or other possible issues.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Apr 18, 2021 5:33:14 GMT -8
I passed on the Walthers as I was worried they would continue getting the GN colors wrong, and also because I felt wary based on how they originally put sound in these ex-P2K locos (too light--traction tires--not enough pickup wheels).
Ed
PS: It's probably bashing like the above that has kept Walthers from ever making a visit. Maybe I shouldn't have expressed such a negative view in such a hostile manner. Nahhhhh.........
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Post by riogrande on Apr 18, 2021 5:42:35 GMT -8
There have been several on this forum who had positive things to say about the Walthers SW1200 which is part of why I was encouraged to buy one. The orange on my Rio Grande unit looks pretty close to me. One of the posts here was regarding an undec I recall.
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