O gauge kits might be nice

[FJ and G]

All of my toy trains were purchased R2R out of the box. I've kitbashed some of them and posted photos in the past of my work. However, I've never seen a kit offered in 3-rail O. I could never figure this out.

My 3-rail freight cars range in price from $15 for Industrial Rail cars purchased at a Greenberg show (semi-scale), to the most expensive, a scale MTH Premier boxcar that cost around $65. I would say that the average price I've paid for my several dozen freight cars is $27 a piece.

As some of you know, I'm adding a G gauge layout to my O gauge (it'll be another year before I really get started laying track). To get started, I purchased 4 flatcars from Bachmann in kit form, scaled to 1:20.3 (3 ft narrow gauge). The total cost for the 4 cars was about $60. That, my friends, is $15 a piece!

The total time it took to build each car was about 15 minutes. Here's some photos. The only problem I experienced was one of the cars was missing a strut (the long thin braces that run the length of the underside of the car to brace it -- but are just cosmetic on the model). I'll be sending an email to Bachmann notifying them of this.

Anyway, if Bachmann can offer kits this inexpensive in large scale for just $15 a piece and take just minutes to put together, why can't we get this sort of bargain in toy trains?

[ChiefEagles]

Think there were more O Kits back int eh 70's and 80's than today.  Guess the market trend is to "ready to run" in O.  Would be fun.

[Dr. John]

Used to be that you could buy kits from Walthers in O , then more recently, InterMountain. While usually scale models, they could easily be converted to three rail with different trucks and couplers.

Chief, I think you hit it - most of the O gauge market leans toward ready-to-run.

[FJ and G]

thinking that the lean to r2r is b/c folks afraid of time and tools to put together. But I used absolutely no tools except screwdriver and each goes together in minutes.

I think the biggest benny would be low cost, as Bachmann has demonstrated. Sort of poor folks cars. My guess is that companies like Walthers and 3-rail companies would charge a lot more for kits than Bachmann does for the garden largescale crowd. Guess most 3-rail folks have the money to burn so there's no push for lower cost.

Since industrial rail and K-line are gone, there's not much in the way of $15 or less rolling stock

[chuck]

Atlas did import some kits from Germany about 20 years ago?  These were sort of like Athern HO kits only scaled up.  Decent detail, relatively easy to assemble.  Not much in the way of instructions and you would have to modify the frame/bolster to use your favorite three rail trucks.  There are craft kits for O, but these are aimed at the two rail crowd.  They are extremely detailed and tend to be expensive and are definitely not for beginners.   I enoy building (and even painting/detailing/decalling) so kits would be a nice option.  Right now plastic hobby kits are not very prominant period.  Only one of the remaining hobby shops in the area caters to pastic kits and this place is primarily a hardware store!

[Brutus]

I've wondered that too - also, why not offer undecorated/unlettered versions of locomotives, cars, etc?

[tcripe]

I've wondered that too - also, why not offer undecorated/unlettered versions of locomotives, cars, etc?

 Same here - even suggested to Lionel that they offer undecorated engines. Got an email reply that it was a good idea, and would be passed up the line, but as is obvious from three catalogs later, nothing has happened.  So I continue to buy engines, strip them down and repaint and decal as I want. The big challenge are the freight cars when all you want is a different number and you're trying to find matching letter sizes and styles.
- Terry

[chuck]

Part of the reason for not doing this is the units that the manufacturers make are not strictly "kits".  The way they are assembled in the factory doesn't lend itself to bagging the parts and sending them out.  Also, someone will have to come up with instruction sheets/exploded diagrams and a totally new packaging scheme to make sure part counts are accurate/complete and parts arrive undamaged.  I would love to see kits/parts so we could "roll or own" or kitbash stuff the way the HO corwd does but I just don't see it happening.

[jefelectric]

I like the kit idea also, but it is not likely to happen.  Even the HO market is evolving into a largely ready to run market.  I can remember when, In HO, if you wanted a locomotive you either bought a kit or bought a really expensive imported brass model.  At that time I can't remember any HO rolling stock that came ready to run, now most does.

Lets face it, kids no longer build models.  The result is when they become adults they don't build kits either.  Most of the plastic kits sold at the LHS are sold to adults.  My 11 year old grandson built one car (automobile) kit and did a good job for a first effort.  He complained that it took to long and hasn't made an effort to do anymore.  To many conflicting interests.

Well that is my

[cnw1995]

I'd like rolling stock kits. The trade-off for me is they'd have to be cheap. I'd like the try a 'craftman' level building kit someday but am reluctant to expend the $ only to find myself in "over my head." I'm always leery of reviews saying something like 'if you've ever made one of these before, you shouldn't have any problems'

My son is similar to John's grandson. Kids these days buy ready-made if the car model aisle in Wal-Mart is any guess.

Large scale sure looks tempting sometimes.

[phillyreading]

It would be nice to see some O Gauge kits but like every one commented; the younger generation don't like putting stuff together, also the computer has helped to kill kit models.

Far as differant numbers on cars Weaver uses this on a lot of thier stuff, MTH also has two or three number runs on cars.

Lee F.