Brought to you by the letters C.P.R. as well as D&H!
K1a - all the way
Go here for my rail shots! http://www.railpictures.net/showphotos.php?userid=9296
Building the CPR Kootenay division in N scale, blog here: http://kootenaymodelrailway.wordpress.com/
kato is way overpriced i will stick with concor love em
I think we need to compare apples to apples here. Concor and Kato fulfil different places in the model train world. Concors are basic, and they utilize old designs, but they are relatively inexpensive. Kato produces higher end models with updated designs that accommodate DCC and whatnot. So to compare the two really isn't fair. It would be like comparing a 1995 Ford ranger to a 2020 Ford ranger. They both preform the same basic duties, but the 2020 model has more bells and whistles (pun intended, not sorry), however it probably costs 10 times more. It all boils down to what the modeler wants to use it for. Basic but cheaper, advanced but more pricey. Personal preference, pure and simple.
JJF
Prototypically modeling the Great Northern in Minnesota with just a hint of freelancing.
Yesterday is History.
Tomorrow is a Mystery.
But today is a Gift, that is why it is called the Present.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
When talking about Japanese products one has to consider the work of Arthur Demming in post WW2 Japan. As a child I had several rin Japanese toys that lasted about a week. Demming introduced statistical quality control which led to the quality improvement In their products. Toward the end of his life he said they had far exceeded his ideas. Japanese business practices are on a different track but they do produce high quality items across most business groups.
Sigh. I am confused by your post and need clarification. Exactly what are you implying that should be put out of its misery and thrown onto the back of the cart?
Is it:
A. The 16 year old bait.
B. The fisherman who threw it into the water.
C. The fish who will rise up to swallow the hook.
D. All of the above.
Inquiring minds need to know
I see what Bear did.
Anonymous is a catch all for people have been deleted from the forum. One of the original posters posted in 2020, the rest last posted 2018, 2013 2008.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Doh. Necro topic!
This one from way back to 2005!
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
Didn't know they still existed.
I think you get what you pay for.
There are certain products that provide what I want: quality detailing, quality mechanisms and handrails that don't lean excessively.
It's a very short list of manufacturers. I stick to that list.
John
Not to veer too far into forbidden territory, but I recall that in Fall 2016 the owner of Con-Cor sent out an e-mail to everyone on their mailing list (including I guess anyone who ever bought anything direct from Con-Cor) urging them to vote for one of the two presidential candidates, talking about it being a 'life or death' situation for the country. I know as someone who supported the other candidate, I wasn't happy with the e-mail, and I suspect I can't have been the only one. Wouldn't seem to me to be a wise decision for a company to get overtly involved in politics like that?
wjstix Not to veer too far into forbidden territory, but I recall that in Fall 2016 the owner of Con-Cor sent out an e-mail to everyone on their mailing list (including I guess anyone who ever bought anything direct from Con-Cor) urging them to vote for one of the two presidential candidates, talking about it being a 'life or death' situation for the country. I know as someone who supported the other candidate, I wasn't happy with the e-mail, and I suspect I can't have been the only one. Wouldn't seem to me to be a wise decision for a company to get overtly involved in politics like that?
Why should trains be any different than pillows?
PRR8259 I think you get what you pay for. There are certain products that provide what I want: quality detailing, quality mechanisms and handrails that don't lean excessively. It's a very short list of manufacturers. I stick to that list. John
I agree.
An "expensive model collector"
BigDaddy I see what Bear did. Anonymous is a catch all for people have been deleted from the forum. One of the original posters posted in 2020, the rest last posted 2018, 2013 2008.
Incorrect. All of the original Anonymous’ (Anonymi?) last posted in 2005. If Anonymous posted in 2020, it’s a different Anonymous.
Just to set the record straight. For a long time, Con-Cor produced freight and passenger cars of Athearn BB standards, such as molded-on handrails or paint schems that never existed. Then, for a span of around six years or so arond 2010, they produced some really high quality models of prototypes that few other companies dared to tackle, such as the Pioneer Zephyr, the GM Aerotrain, and Pennsy's P54 cars and mP54 EMUs. Some of these items had never been availble before, even in brass. As an example, Santa Fe had purchased two P54 cars from PRR and used them as trailer cars for their doodlebugs (T103,T104); before Con-Cor, nobody else had ever thought of modeling these.
Unfortunately, this string of creativity and high-quality models was obviously not sufficient to sustain the company. If you want to assess the present status of Con-Cor, have a look at their current web site (www.con-cor.com),
DrWThen, for a span of around six years or so arond 2010, they produced some really high quality models of prototypes that few other companies dared to tackle, such as the Pioneer Zephyr, the GM Aerotrain, and Pennsy's P54 cars and mP54 EMUs.
I can vouche for the Con-Cor Aerotrain. They did a very fine job designing that one.
The individual passanger cars hook together easily - both physically & electrically - using 8-pin connectors, with working diaphrams. And it comes with working headlights & rear taillights. I ended up wiring in a TCS FL4 function-only decoder to add gyrolighting to the taillight of the observation car. The motor is also very smooth and the detailing nicely done.
I'm glad I nabbed a full set of cars when I did a few years back. Now they are going for a pretty penny on places like eBay.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.
DrW Just to set the record straight. For a long time, Con-Cor produced freight and passenger cars of Athearn BB standards, such as molded-on handrails or paint schems that never existed. Then, for a span of around six years or so arond 2010, they produced some really high quality models of prototypes that few other companies dared to tackle, such as the Pioneer Zephyr, the GM Aerotrain, and Pennsy's P54 cars and mP54 EMUs. Some of these items had never been availble before, even in brass. As an example, Santa Fe had purchased two P54 cars from PRR and used them as trailer cars for their doodlebugs (T103,T104); before Con-Cor, nobody else had ever thought of modeling these. Unfortunately, this string of creativity and high-quality models was obviously not sufficient to sustain the company. If you want to assess the present status of Con-Cor, have a look at their current web site (www.con-cor.com),
To set the record even more straight, ConCor was at one time not only an important manufacturer/importer, they were also a large full line distributor.
They have often been equally active or even stronger in N scale than in HO.
The owner moved away from the distributor business as the hobby changed and small shops closed up leaving distributors without customers.
More than a decade ago owner Jim Conway publicly announced he was considering retirement, then decided to restructure somewhat and offered those models you mentioned, and a few you did not mention like very nice PCC trolleys.
Jim has always done a few fantasy paint schemes and fun stuff like Christmas cars.
And yes, their products have mostly represented the afordable/casual side of the hobby, like their two lines of streamlined HO passenger cars. Maybe just generic, but affordable and necessary before better models were available.
Your last statement suggests you think they are going out of business? If they are it is by choice not failure.
I take minor exception to use of the word "quality" regarding the higher priced, high accuracy models.
Quality also speaks to other factors, fit and finish of parts, running qualities, etc.
Your statement suggests that other ConCor products were of "low quality". They may have been "generic" or "entry level" but they were not low quality, neither is an Athearn BlueBox kit.
Why this definition of quality? Because one could make a highly detailed, highly accurate model with bad trucks, or other defects that would make it "low quality" despite its separate ladders, accurate features and high price.
I don't have a lot of ConCor products, except a fair number of their 72' streamlined passenger cars.
Which have been refitted for near prototype close coupling and working touching diaphragms from American Limited.
Sheldon