The difference between myself and a lot of modelers.

[Anonymous]

Well I guess everyone is right. There's nothing wrong with taking a RTR box car and adding details, or weathering it if you like that look. Point is that you are IN THE HOBBY either way. It's like going out for dinner or cooking at home.

[Anonymous]

DeShane,

This has been a very interesting thread. And, yup, there are many folks who feel passionately one way or another on this topic to say the least!

Hopefully, the hobby will grow, kit builders will buy some RTR and RTR types will do some kitbuilding. Hopefully this will result in more RTR AND kits being offered by the manufacturers. I can't help but think of the RC Airplane industry. That hobby has the full spectrum - guys that buy a plan and a bunch of stick to guys that buy RTR and everything inbetween. It is my thought that model railroading will grow in a similar fashion.

Dave

[grayfox1119]

It does not surprise me at all, that RTR is gaining ground!! Just look at the facts guys, who are the new members to the hobby? Younger guys. Do they have time to build kits? For the most part, NO, as they have families, and everyone knows what today's life is like in the U.S. Many of us can remember that the workweek was Monday through Friday, we were home on Saturday and Sunday. Now we have 7x24 workweek, they call it "compressed" work week, 12 hours ON, 12 hours OFF, work 4 days, have the next 3 days OFF, or some variation of this schedule. Then we have all the activities to attend for our kids, soccer, Karate, baseball, etc, etc. Time gentlemen, TIME is why people are swinging to RTR. Also, as we in America are a " I want it now" people, we have forgotten the joy and pride of what we have built with our OWN hands haven't we !!
I for one still build kits, but, I have the time now, I am a retired grandfather, and I also LIKE to build things myself. That doesn't mean I will never buy a RTR. It might depend upon the complexity and cost of screwing up badly.
When we have a question that drives so much emotion such as this one has, we MUST look at all the facts. The demographics that drive this hobby are very diverse:
1. AGE, members range from kids to 100+, old timers build kits most of the time, younger folks don't have some of the other attributes listed yet, so they go RTR.
2. SKILL , this takes time which ultimately ( hopefully ) developes skill.
3. MONEY , if you don't have the time, but have the money, are you more apt to go the RTR route? Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out does it!!
4. TIME, if I am overburdened with demands on my time by other factors, and I love my hobby, am I more likly to buy RTR?
5. PATIENCE, there are those who have absolutely NO PATIENCE to build buildings. I want to see it running yesterday crowd.
6. PHYSICAL, some folks do not have the eyesight or have other physical impairments that make it a real choir to build kits, so they go RTR.

There are probably more things that can be listed, but these seem to me to be the more major drivers of the decisions.

We all must remember, it is a PERSONAL choice, there is NO RIGHT ANSWER for EVERYONE in this hobby on the RTR question.

***



[2c][2c][2c]

[Anonymous]

Guys,
we here in Germany always looked up to you Americans, as you always seemed to be able to "build" so much better than we did. On the otherhand it is just a fact that injection-molded styrene kits (I'm talking about buildings, vehicles and figures here) traditionally came from our neck of the woods since the early sixties (Faller, Vollmer, Kibri, Preiser, Wiking,....) and you have been using them freely - and were welcome, too.
Talking about locos and rolling stock, kits have been phased out around here about 1968 and never been back on a large scale since. "Building" stuff, from scratch or challenging kits, never caught on much here, there are one or two manufacturers of fine-scale brass kits left. We have been taking RTR for granted for so long that now we start to complain about the out-of-reach prices of superdetailed locos for $ 400, and what have we been craving for years and years ? Detail , to scale and everything!!
I am trying to say: Don't worry about RTR - if it is on the way, there is just no stopping it. Just do your most to patronize the manufacturers of kits, if they are still active on the market and let them know their products are of value to you. In the meantime, others may buy RTR, and theres nothing you can do - besides stand your ground and don't whine around but keep scratchbuilding and kitbashing. Where else would we go then and look for "master model builders"?

Happy New Year and may your rails always shine brightly
Martin

[grayfox1119]

Martin, you are very correct, and your statements prove once again, the buyers determine the market. I love to build things, but being retired, I now have the time, and don't get frustrated because I have to run to meetings or to the children's games, etc.
And, I look up to German quality, the quality of your products is excellent my friend.

***

[jhoff310]

I am a builder most of the way. If i see a structure at a train show that is built and the price is right I'll pick it up, I'll also pick up some hard to find used cars ( ann arbor ). Other than that I build all my stuff.
jeff