Dan
The LBHs have had a really sad history. When they appeared I seamed to be the only one who was really happy to see them come out, and I have bought quite a few, the Fast Freight set, the Bumble Bee Passenger set, the blue and green engines, 2 passenger car, boxcar, and the yellow caboose. They run great, nice and smooth.
But for whatever reason, too little detail, too little interest, complete and totally non-existant marketing...they didn't catch on. Also Kader made a couple of real hairbrained mistakes, too high Thomas height coupler without any adaptors included, metal swap out wheel issues, no siderods on the engines, no interior seats on the passenger car (even Playmobil has seats!) that negated any cost advantages that might have temped folks to pick up a set. I was shocked that these were never pushed thru the Big Box stores, especially at Christmas, where they would have been a natural fit.
Anyone else notice that large scale trains of late have gotten absolutely ZILCH in the realm of ANY kind of marketing outside of our own little bubble? and the mfrs are wondering WHY sales dropped off a cliff? Its almost like we exist inside our own private universe...
My own opinion is that its Kader's fault, for whatever reason they failed to see where the market for these was at (big boxes) and instead only offered them thru traditional LS retailers to mainstream LS modelers who while they may be neat for the kids wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole because they wouldnt look right next to their 1/29 SD70's and string of autoracks. So they tanked, instead of pushing to sell them thru Home Depot or OSH during the 2013 holidays, they just left them to rot. I suspect there is a chance the remainder could get Marshall'ed like the LGB Toytrain stuff when it got liquidated a few years ago. I hope it can be retained cause I like them.
So now they are beginning to get get blown out, Hans at Gold Coast had them at the BTS for 3 for $40, don't know how many he sold, he never has one of the particular cars I want whenever I see him (red coach).
BTW these are still in the Bmann catalog for 2014, so maybe theres some hope but they need to get their marketing act together and get these into Costco or Wallmart for the holidays. Even Lionel does a better job marketing their uber-crap Polar Express junkster.