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Advantages of brass, as I see them: More variety- it costs less to tool up for a small run of formed and cast brass than for a large run of injection-molded plastic or die-cast zamac, and that's why we see so many esoteric prototypes modelled in brass, in small runs. Yes, they cost more, but their appeal lies in the odd prototypes that are available. Durability- brass steps, grabirons, handrail stanchions, and whistles just aren't going to break or come off as easily as the corresponding parts in styrene. Finer free-standing details can be modeled, and they can survive several years of cavalier handling. Weight- brass makes for a huge difference in tracking stability in the sizes of models I prefer. I can literally blow my styrene Grandt HOn3 25-tonner off the tracks with my lungs. Somehow, I think an all-brass frame and superstructure would be quite a lot heavier. Brass vs styrene/die-cast weight is much less a factor for mainline-sized locomotives, though. I am not anti-plastic and die-cast; they just haven't worked for me. Neither did I intend for this to become a debate over elitism and cost. Just a brass wish list for those with such wishes, that's all.
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