General Discussion (Model Railroader)

I need 2 Doodlebugs to complete my mine/log camp runs. Does anybody have 1 or 2 to part with, I don't think anyone is producing them right now.

                                    Wm Hime;  freelancer

                                   "Great Lakes & Southern"

Walthers is currently accepting reservations for Bachmann Spectrum doodlebug/trailers delivery expected the end of August.

Enjoy

Paul 

I just checked out the Walthers site.  2 things hit me: 1. the trailer looks like a HW passenger car.  2.  $180 strikes me as a little steep for spectrum.  I have one of the early Bachmann doodlebugs - not sure if it's Spectrum but I think it is - and can't see where a decoder & "trailer" is worth about $130 more than I recall paying.  Towards the end, they were all over the place for $30 or less!!

Have you checked eBay?  You can usually find anything there, if you wait long enough.

 

 

 

 

lvanhen wrote:

I just checked out the Walthers site.  2 things hit me: 1. the trailer looks like a HW passenger car.  2.  $180 strikes me as a little steep for spectrum.

Steep doesn't begin to cover it...rip-off is a far better term. Combined, you're getting merchandise that formerly (and up until very recently) sold for about $65-$75, including the price of a decoder, on the open market but commands $180 now? Who says the manufacturers and Walthers don't think the hobby is increasingly full of pay anything suckers?

CNJ831 

  

Doodlebug? Round here they were known as Hoodlebugs and the PRR Indiana Branch is now known as the Hoodlebug Trail.

As for $180, they'll probably hit $100 at Trianworld within a year. And hopefully, they will have significantly upgraded the drive system and details.  

Railphotog wrote:

Have you checked eBay?  You can usually find anything there, if you wait long enough.

There are a bunch there now, ranging from $9-$55.51, plus shipping (anyone chargeing more than $9 is just using it for profit as you should be able to send it priority fixed rate box at worst for $8.95).  Totals would be between $21-$80. 

 

Thank you all for your response, I should have looked further before asking, just don't like re-creating wheels.

Still feeling out names for my freelance RR:  "Great Lakes & Southern"

After my recent trip to Duluth/Superior, I'm considering adding "Shipping" to the title.

I plan on featuring several harbor scenes w/ Lakeboats. Era is vague (freelancer) Mallets to even 80"s diesel (not running together of course), car stock age appropriate for the particular operating session.

Doing bench work as I write, layout design in progress. I'm documenting everything for a possible future article.

I will keep anyone interested posted on progress and would be willing to incorporate any new ideas some of you might have.

Layout space 18' x 20' , 24 to 30" wide bench work. A 12" to 14" shelf above main layout is being considered. HO scale, possibly some N scale for "forced perspective". definitely some strategically placed mirrors to create depth beyond the benchwork.

I'm open to suggestions!!

Personal Note:  I'm 46 yrs old. Have worked in Critical medicne for 18 yrs. We just lost our 19 yr old daughter, Sarah, 7 weeks ago. Sarah had Cystic Fibrosis and was waiting for her 2nd double-lung transplant.

Quote from Sarah: " I have to live for today, celebrate it, fight for it, find happiness in it; Because tomorrow is not quaranteed...for any of us".

This RailRoad has waited long enough....Thanks for listening

                                            Wm Hime          Great Lakes & southern

Wm Hime wrote:

Personal Note:  I'm 46 yrs old. Have worked in Critical medicne for 18 yrs. We just lost our 19 yr old daughter, Sarah, 7 weeks ago. Sarah had Cystic Fibrosis and was waiting for her 2nd double-lung transplant. Quote from Sarah: " I have to live for today, celebrate it, fight for it, find happiness in it; Because tomorrow is not quaranteed...for any of us". This RailRoad has waited long enough....Thanks for listening                                             Wm Hime          Great Lakes & southern

Hello Wm Hime,

I feel terrible for you having lost your daughter to illness.  I want you to know that my prayers will include you and your family tonite.  The quote you posted from Sarah is so meaningful and makes me feel so stupid about worrying over silly things.  Obviously, your daughter, at only 19 years of age, had more insight than many of us have who are 3 times her age.  Again, please accept my deepest condolences for your loss.

I hope that moving forward with your train layout will provide you with some "focus" that you need to move forward in your life.  I discovered model railroading  at a point in my life where a major loss occurred, not as great as yours, but still very, very painful.  Model railroading has helped me greatly and I hope it will do the same for you.

 

Regards,

Mondo

 

 

CNJ831 wrote:

lvanhen wrote: I just checked out the Walthers site.  2 things hit me: 1. the trailer looks like a HW passenger car.  2.  $180 strikes me as a little steep for spectrum.  Steep doesn't begin to cover it...rip-off is a far better term. Combined, you're getting merchandise that formerly (and up until very recently) sold for about $65-$75, including the price of a decoder, on the open market but commands $180 now? Who says the manufacturers and Walthers don't think the hobby is increasingly full of pay anything suckers? CNJ831

Obviously there, CNJ831, you are scared to death that you are one of those

pay anything suckers

you reference in your response. You obviously feel that $180.00 is too steep for a "Doodlebug; equally obviously, the manufacturer feels that $180.00 is a reasonable price for one of these units. I would imagine that the manufacturer doesn't give a hill-of-beans whether you feel that it is a reasonable price or not! I don't know how many languages you speak but every language I have encountered from Peshawar, Pakistan to Chiang Mai, Thailand has the word 'no' in it; you should learn how to say 'no' in some language and then say it. What you really should do is design a quality unit, find a manufacturer, and sell it for $29.95; the hobby would love you.

When Con-Cor began  importing their N Scale Sekisui/Kato PA passenger diesel in the mid-60s they were asking - I believe - $29.98 for it; it did not sell at that price so Con-Cor lowered the price to $16.98.  From there on it was a steady five year up-hill climb back to $29.98.  When it reached there it stayed there for a considerable number of years. When the price reduced to $16.98 I gave my first serious consideration to bolting HO Scale for N Scale.

If this 'Doodlebug' doesn't sell at $180.00 then the price will eventually come down to some price where it will sell; in economics this is known as Supply and Demand.  You feel that because you only want to pay $75.00 for one of these units then that should be the price the manufacturer charges for it.  In 1975 I paid a paltry $3000.00 for a Toyota Corolla; sure wish I could buy one at that price today but I don't suppose Toyota is likely to drop the price to cater to my whims.