Chinese will be importing cars too

[Anonymous]

Mr. Bricklin famous for his sports car and importing the Subaru, will be a distibutor for Chinese cars. In a couple of years they will be sending over cars that are cheaper than the Kia and supposedly better quality. I guess that means you will drive your Chinese car to pick up your Chinese train and stop buy Wal-Mart to pick up your Chinese clothes.

[zwbob]

It wouldn't suprise me if you bought that chinese car a Wal-Mart.

[Anonymous]

It was reported in the NY Times yesturday that Wal Mart by itself is responsible for 10% (!!!!) of the frederal trade deficit. The company imports 18 Billion dollars a year worth of goods. Not that I beat the anti Wal Mart drum, but the numbers do speak for themselves.

I have no problem paying extra for American made products - it keeps my neigbors employed.

[dougdagrump]

Notch, That is one of my biggest gripes about Wally-World, when the old man was alive although a tough business man one of his selling points was that they emphasized the "Made In The USA" product. Now it seems that the emphasis is on getting every penny in local government tax breaks and flooding the market to put their competition out of business. [V] [|(]

[brianel027]

Thank you Notch for the attitude expressed in your last line. I agree, though sometimes there's no choice. Unfortunately it's gettting harder to find many goods with any kind of American origin, including trains. But the new Marx company (now called Ameritrains, I believe), Gargraves and a few others are still American made and seem to be holding their own as far as the train biz goes. Plus all the smaller detail parts and electronics companies. And though Weaver does import parts and some locos, a good portion of their stuff is still American made... too bad most of it is full scale or I would have been buying more of it. At least the Crown origin cars made now by Weaver are small enough to look comfortable on a smaller layout.

And for you guys like me [8] that love to mess with stuff, you can pull the roof walks off the Crown cars, cut down the side ladders and move the brakewheel lower, fill all the holes and then repaint (or more difficult, match the existing paint color on the sides and mask the car and spray the roof aluminum color) and you'll have a improved modern appearing box car that looks good with 027 / traditionally sized stuff.

Now if only the folks who make most of our trains could be enticed into buying them? What's the population of China? Boy, what a market! [wow]
Provided they can afford them.

I wonder though if they would become as demanding as us American train buyers: "What? The Wang Fe again? When will they ever make an engine in New Ying Central or Chang System?" [:D]