Made in China

[Anonymous]

Lots of us have been upset because models we now get are marked 'Made in China' How many of you are more upset because the majority are American companies. The reason the U.S Government do not impose large tariff's on items marked 'Made in China' is because they do not want to tee off U.S companies.
Remember the concept off "Of the people, by the people and for the people." It died with it's founder, Lincoln.
And so, where do we go from here, damned if I know but I hope it is better than we have now.

[AntonioFP45]

Well, I agree with you. Years ago it was easy to say I'm buying American, but lately buying American often means seeing: Made in Malaysia, China, Mexico, Japan,etc. It's the concept of "cooperative global trade". It goes both ways (to a smaller degree). Mazda vehicles for example are now considered "domestic". It's funny, but it seems that when it comes to maximization of profits, corporations will do what it takes and while many of our fellow Americans are losing their jobs, we consumers ( I'm guilty too) will buy the products as they are produced from cheap labor beyond our borders.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Tough call! Afordable trains vs. American jobs. Which do you perfer, you can't have both. Most of the people I know want afordable trains. Businesses are just doing what their customers want, and if the government applied tariffs, it would defete the purpose of cheaper labor, and we would pay more anyway. This is a no win situation, so why complain?

[DSchmitt]

It isn't necessairly a choice between afordable trains and American jobs. If the cost to make them were too high many of the products we now can choose from would not even exist.. Model trains are a luxery. Previously most toy and model trains that were made in Europe. Now Asia is taking the lead.

The world economy is not static. We cannot stop change. I hope that by making products for us the people in China will desire more than they now have and will demand more for themselves. This has happened in other parts of Asia and appears to be happening in parts of China now. I also hope that we can improve (or at least maintain) our standard of living here. The USA has done very well so far. As in the past we need to find new things to do and ways to do the old things better and cheaper.

[Anonymous]

Well its kinda funny that this topic was brought up. If you think about "What" is made in china vs. "What" is made in the usa its almost a toss up. Sure LL P2K, Bachman, and just about every big name hobby company, and yes even being the brass collector that i am %95 of all brass are all made in Asia. But look at what is made here. Everything you get from the big companies (minus the undecs) are RTR or close to RTR equipment...that makes sence. But what about Bowser...they are made here in Pennsylvania. American Model Builders. Details West and Detail Associates. Intermountian. Roundhouse (MDC). And just about every other company that makes models still in "KIT" form. These are all MADE right here in the USA. And if you compare prices...well. Id rather pay $23.00 for an Intermountian Kit, than $30.00 for a Walthers or Athearn RTR model that i still have to replace the couplers and wheelsets on...plus building the kits to me is still a lot more fun...granted i must have 8 million unbuilt kits LOL...but hey...who doesnt.

[Anonymous]

I'm English but England doesn't make the trains I want to run.

I live in Canada but Canadians aren't much more useful.

I have to buy foreign made products and if it's what I want and it's well made I could care less if it's Chinese or American.

The idea that the MRR hobby has any influence on global economies is a tad delusional. Sorry guys but I don't think we're that important.

As Dave Broadfoot said "Don't sweat the petty things, but even more important, don't pet the sweaty things".

[sparkingbolt]

I probably wouldn't have written this, except in response to the title of this discussion:

I recently bought some Chinese made Locomotives, and some American made diesel loco kits. The factory preassembled snap-in power trucks on these kits were so poorly made, the locomotives were inoperable. The bearings on the axles could slip out beyond the metal frames that hold them. Now this isn't like building old steam loco kits, where so much depends on the builder's skill. I have successfully built some difficult ones. These preassemblies came inoperable, and theres no way to adjust them. They had other problems too.

After getting some power trucks from another American company, I then found that the motors ride so high in the frames that the angle of the couplings to the trucks cause the locos to vibrate noticeably. (this angle is the same on both mfgr's trucks, which in fact are interchangable, so it wasn't the swap that caused this) This became more apparent when comparing this angle to that on a locomotive from that same other American mfgr. I'll have to mill the frame, I'm determined to "win".

So, while I'm still working out these flaws in design and manufacture, that could and should have been worked out before these loco's went into production, I have only one American made loco and the three Chinese made locos currently pulling the trains. That wasn't the plan. I find this rather discouraging. I actually have several other locos, domestic and imported, but I'm talking about what I'm currently running.

I figure a few of you will be able to guess the manufacturers I am writing about, after all, how many American ones are there? Especially if you bought these kits.

I don't expect American manufacturers to be able to compete with the prices of imports, but when I bought these, I did expect the quality of these basic components to be there.

So, all that being said, should I feel bad or something now when I buy imports knowing they'll probably perform flawlessly, and pass by certain domestic products, having had disappointing experiences? I am not by any means boycotting American stuff, but I can't help but know how this will affect my choices in the future.

I left out the brand names because I actually have respect for this manufacturer's other products, and hope this problematic locomotive was an isolated case. So as not to damage their otherwise good reputation. But still, ya know?

[Anonymous]

Scotty:

In a sentence, stick with model trains political economy isn't your forte.

Randy

[nfmisso]

For those who want USA made locomotives, there are four that I know of in HO scale:

http://bearlocomo.zoovy.com/
http://www.bowser-trains.com/
http://www.stewarthobbies.com/
http://www.lynnet.com/~tigervalley/

Bowser is the only one that makes there own motors, the others use imported motors. Stewart is also an importer, some of his stuff is made in Asia.

[Big_Boy_4005]

Well put rda1964!