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Kudos to previous posters on this topic! Excellent suggestions! All of them! WARNING!!! RANT FOLLOWS!!! Realistic prices for realistic rolling stock. What we thought was realistic back in the 70’s has been surpassed by recent releases by many manufacturers, Take the new cars by Atlas, really nice pieces, but the prices are a tad high. Or the “standard” by Walthers, gads! Do people really pay that much for skeleton log cars? $29.95 for two on sale! There’s like nothing to them except for a few castings! And the Heisler, $299.95! I would expect brass for that price. (I thought a similar thing was the downfall of Lionel? Handsome display box! Yea right, for what?!?!) Ok, so things are more expensive now, and realistically speaking the equivalent cost of a piece (with better detail) is lower compared to what would have been back in the 70’s based on what we earn per hour then and now. But Still I think with more modern manufacturing methods and materials, it should be about half the prices they are asking. I don’t believe the bull about the cost of making moulds, they gotta pay the people on staff if they work on moulds or sit on their butts. And further more, how much of this stuff is imported? BIG THANKS for the small time innovative companies for trying their best to fill the huge spaces in what should be available from the larger companies. It always returns to this. Personally I’d like to see some of those old time “steam” shovels in a modular format like was attempted by one company, Vintage Vehicles. Same body, use either a crane or shovel boom, maybe should have had wheel instead of track option, or a way to make a rail mounted steam crane/shovel. I fully understand the reasons the production was stopped, and want to sincerely thank them for the brief extension of the run. But there are OTHER prototypes that can be produced. Future manufacturers that pick up on the idea, PLEASE TAKE THE HINT from Vintage Vehicles about their HONEST PRICING. Thank you MDC for the “Critter”, but at $82.50? Sorry guys, even though I worked with you on projects in the past, I won’t buy one for over $49.95. In it’s day, a Lionel “Hustler” (HO scale), comes to mind, wasn’t it around $9.00? On the other hand, MDC, your twin pack log cars are very nice, I plan on buying more, but you have to follow it up with other cars used by logging and short line companies. If you don’t another small niche company will. IHC, your Barnhart at $13.98 is a bargain, at $19.98 I think it’s reasonably priced. How about you and MDC doing a joint venture on 10 yd side dump cars? One company make steel versions one make wood and get your minds together on a DCC controlled dumping mechanism if you really want it operational. I could tell you how to design the mechanism… (sketches in hand) And all of you, get realistic about wasting efforts on silly specialty train sets. They don’t sell much except for collectors and they are NOT your bread and butter! Ok, make a few more “Thomas The Tank Engines” but the sale prices you’re offering them for now is what they should have been priced at in the beginning. RANT OVER…. (Getting ready to duck and cover.) Smile Guys, this is a fun hobby! Cordially, Gerry
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