If you think MRR in the US is expensive, go to Switzerland!

[simon1966]

Hi Folks,

Been away for about 3 weeks visiting family and friends in the UK, France and Switzerland. Had my first trip on a TGV. Incredible, low speed flying from Paris to Lyon!

I went into a store in Zurich to look at the MRR supplies with a view to purchasing a loco to remind me of the trip and was stunned at the cost of MRR in Switzerland. First of all, most everything was Marklin, which I am sure are amazing models, but the lowest cost loco was over 300 Swiss Francs ($1.1 to the franc) which was a bit steep for my liking. It made me realize that we are very lucky in the USA to have Atlas, BLI and P2K et al, producing good quality locomotives loaded with DCC and Sound for a lot less than this. Anyway, a great trip, but if you want to go, hope the dollar strenghtens up a bit!

[Anonymous]

Agreed. Buying models from mainland European countries is always pricey - compare LGB prices to Aristocraft, or P2k to Fleischmann. The reason for this is that they still make the models in their home country - they haven't shifted production out to the Far East and have to pay Western wages (also they have to treat their workforce properly, though that's another debate). Marklin seem to be some of the most outrageous price-wise in my experience, I guess that's what building 3-rail locos when everyone else has gone over to 2 rail does!

Interestingly if you look at N scale, buying Fleischmann N isn't a bad move - their prices are not much more than British N scale and the models are far better quality. I'd rather spend the extra few pounds to get a coach designed to handle interior lighting (you just bolt it in) and with close coupling mechanisms, along with generally better build quality. However, getting spare parts can be something of a lottery - Fleischmann is simple enough, LGB seems to be a never-ending hunt for anything other than couplers!

[steveblackledge]

Why do you think i model American trains here in the UK, the prices of stuff from European countries outside the UK is madness, long live American Model manufacturers [:D]

[tatans]

Try buying a house, or a car, or a litre of gasoline, or supper in Switzerland or a beer in London, how can these people even exist? there must be a reason or the countries wouldn't be around, it's all a big mystery to me. Although I'm still trying to figure out how someone here can justify buying a $1400.00 brass loco and then buy another one a couple of months later, just can't quite figure that out.

[ndbprr]

Most European countries I have been to including Germany and Switzerland have a value added tax on their products which is deducted from the price if you let them know it is leaving the country. When I was in Essen Germany the last time I could have bought LGB stuff very reasonably (read less than any ad I could find that was current in the US) but decided I didn't need tl carry around the bulk so didn't.

[simon1966]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ndbprr

Most European countries I have been to including Germany and Switzerland have a value added tax on their products which is deducted from the price if you let them know it is leaving the country. When I was in Essen Germany the last time I could have bought LGB stuff very reasonably (read less than any ad I could find that was current in the US) but decided I didn't need tl carry around the bulk so didn't.

I wish it were as simple as this. Most suppliers in Europe will only deduct the VAT if they are going to ship the item out of the country. If they sell it to you in person, they are required to charge the VAT, but you can then fill in forms and reclaim the VAT when you leave the country. Since VAT is often in the order of 15-20% it can be well worth the hassle, and a hassle it is, based on personal experience!

Tatans is spot on. I recon that everything in Switzerland is about 4x more expensive than in the USA. It does make one wonder how people make ends meet.

[Anonymous]

Everything is expensive in Switzerland. A coke costs about 3 US dollars, LOL. and I am not kidding!

[twhite]

Back before the Euro, if you wanted true Culture Shock, all you had to do was come into Switzerland via Italy and exchange your suitcase full of Lire for a little handful of Swiss Francs. Switzerland is incredibly expensive, it always has been. But it's a great country for train-watching and riding. Remember, according to the Swiss, the Alps were invented just so they could run trains up and down them.
Tom [:D][:D]