R-T-R vs KITS

[rayhippard]

Hi everyone ! These are some of my thoughts and observations over the past 50 years of being interested [ and at times totally absorbed ] in HO. We have really come a long way from 1950's "kits" when we got some wood pieces,wire,dummy cast metal couplers,parts to assemble trucks and maybe some decals to apply if we were successfull in making a presentable model. By the way, you had to buy your own glue,paint and brushes [ no air brushes were available ] to finish your prize model. Engines were hard to find in any form and RTR brass engines cost about $50.00 each at a time when average pay was $75.00 to $100.00 per week before taxes. Also these engines were not usually very good runners and came in unpainted brass. Moving along through the years,Athearn came out with their classic F-units painted and RTR. Sometimes the rubber bands broke, but they were easy to replace. Their "shake the box" kits were another major step forward and they rose to be the dominant maker. Many small and large manufacturers over the years have made available to us some great and not so great items. THE POINT I AM TRYING TO MAKE IS - BE HAPPY WITH THE WEALTH OF PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE TO CHOOSE FROM TODAY !!!! I like the fine detail on some of the new RTR engines and cars that are a bargain when compared to the brass counterparts today. I know I could not put on some of these delicate parts without messing them up ! Just for those of you who think I'm a klutz, I've done lots of scratch and kit building over the years and enjoyed the challange. This goes back to the saying "enjoy the hobby any way you like" because it's your hobby. We all will be heard by the manufacturers today by what we buy. This is our vote on what we want, so buy what you like and the rest will go in the "close out sale bin" at the LHS . Thanks for your "ear" and I hope more new products come out as fast as they have been so everyone can have a choice of their favorite item or road name. P.S. Mine is GREAT NORTHERN both EMPIRE and SKY BLUE paint schemes. Ray

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by brothaslide

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

I don't believe it when people say; They don't have the time or patience to build a shake the box (to build) kit and don't understand why you would pay so much more for RTR. However, these folks are driving the market and manufacturers will do as the market demands.
I can see a time when it may be justified/necessary to drop the "Model" from the Model Railroading Hobby.

Let's remember, we're all different. Some people don't feel like building a kit but do like to watch trains run. I personally don't have the patience to spend weeks and months on scratch building a structure, super detailing, etc. The Athearn Blue Box or MDC kit is about as much as I want to model. If I had the available cash, I would load up on Athearn Genesis Box cars, etc.

I like to model but I do have other interests as well so I can say that I don't have that much time. We all have different priorities and interests and we all spend our time accordingly.

Sean

Peace baby! I don't mean to start a war. I'm just trying to figure out why manufacturers are making more bult-up and ready to roll items.
Are more model railroaders buying R-T-R in such quanities to motivate manufacturers into providing them, if so why? If not, is it more profitable for them to do so?
One of the things the company I work for does is market research. Have you ever wondered why we have vehicles that have more things in them to go wrong? It's because just a hand full of people was shown some gimmicky device and they said they would buy it.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Snake

...I wasn't sure how to vote. I buy locos RTR, rolling stock in kit form and scratchbuild structures and scenery....

I understand Snake's situation. Because we are all in the same boat. If we want a particular loco, we generally buy what is available, which most often is Ready To Roll right out of the box.
For the purposes of this question lets say locos in Athearn blue box are kits. You still have to mount the couplers, handrails and side frame brake cylinders. And if you prefer, apply paint and decals.
Here's an example of what I ment by IF you had a choice.
Lets say Acme Model Trains offer a highly detailed SD60 in ready to roll for $100 and $80 for the kit . With the ready to roll model you just open the box and set the loco on the track and go. With the kit, you apply the detail parts like air lines, hand rails, horns, ect and mount the couplers and shell to the chassis. Nothing hard. No holes to drill. Would you spend the extra $20 to have it assembled for you?

I think it's kind of like when turnouts and flex track was introduced. The majority of modelers in the early years of the hobby hand laid track and turnouts. Today very few modelers practice handlaying. But we still have a choice. You can still get pre-cut ties and even turnout kits. Only thing is, the stuff to do it with is not sitting on the shelf at the LHS.

I was beginning to wonder if the hobby was turning another corner and kits were becoming old hat.

[Jetrock]

yeh, I do all three as well. Buying used rolling stock, I suppose, counts as "ready-to-roll", and quite a few Athearn and Intermountain "shake-the-box" kits, but I never buy pre-built structures and prefer to scratchbuild or kitbash my structures where I can't find just the right kit. For me, building the kit is most of the fun.

[Anonymous]

I wasn't sure how to vote. I buy locos RTR, rolling stock in kit form and scratchbuild structures and scenery. I detail the locos with scratchbuilt pieces, if a detail kit is not available. I do the rolling stock kits so that I can weight 'em as I build 'em, replace bad trucks, replace plastic wheelsets with metal, and most of all I enjoy building the kits. I have kitbashed some structures in the past but enjoy the challenge of scratchbuilding them more. For scenery I find most of the "ready to use" stuff to look "toy like" so scratchbuild it all.

[METRO]

Kits all the way

[Noah Hofrichter]

I by all building kits, and mostly kits for rolling stock, but I do buy some R-T-R cars. I've painted my own locomotive, but only because the paint scheme I wanted wasn't comericialy avalible.

Noah

[Big_Boy_4005]

I can't really chose one here. Our hobby is "model railroading". I perfer to model the railroad, and buy the cars and engines. Then I can spend my time simulating operation, or modeling the surroundings, like scenery and structures. I enjoy scratch building structures, I don't enjoy scratch building trains.

[brothaslide]

QUOTE: Originally posted by deschane

I don't believe it when people say; They don't have the time or patience to build a shake the box (to build) kit and don't understand why you would pay so much more for RTR. However, these folks are driving the market and manufacturers will do as the market demands.
I can see a time when it may be justified/necessary to drop the "Model" from the Model Railroading Hobby.

Let's remember, we're all different. Some people don't feel like building a kit but do like to watch trains run. I personally don't have the patience to spend weeks and months on scratch building a structure, super detailing, etc. The Athearn Blue Box or MDC kit is about as much as I want to model. If I had the available cash, I would load up on Athearn Genesis Box cars, etc.

I like to model but I do have other interests as well so I can say that I don't have that much time. We all have different priorities and interests and we all spend our time accordingly.

Sean

[Anonymous]

I have an Atlas RTR International BN caboose and N.P. Hopper. I have one Athearn RTR N.P. wide vision caboose and that is all. Locos are a differant matter as there are so few kit locos available. It becomes even more difficult, when you settle on a rail line that has few offerings on the market.

I have made a consious decision not to buy anymore RTR rolling stock, as I am diametrically opposed to what the RTR stuff is doing to the availability of kits. I don't believe it when people say; They don't have the time or patience to build a shake the box (to build) kit and don't understand why you would pay so much more for RTR. However, these folks are driving the market and manufacturers will do as the market demands. I likely have more than all the cars I will ever need, so this issue is becoming moot for me.

I can see a time when it may be justified/necessary to drop the "Model" from the Model Railroading Hobby.

[CP5415]

I prefer kits to RTR, but I have bought both.

Gordon

[Anonymous]

I buy RTR locomotives, and sometimes RTR rolling stock, but I think I prefer kit rolling stock over RTR rolling stock. I've only built two kits (Athearn Blue Boxes) and not only are they fun to build, but they look good and run great!

[Anonymous]

[%-)] Clue me in here folks. Do you buy Ready To Roll models because no kit is offered for that model, you doubt your skills or lack the tools to assemble a particular kit, don't have the time, no patience or what? Has R-T-R become popular just because it's there?

At recent trip to my LHS I noticed the sock person loading up the shelf with pre-built Model Power structures. The shelf was rather lacking in kits compared to what they use to stock. Most often what was stocked is now special ordered. I also notice on line model railroad suppliers catalogs carry less kits and more R-T-R items. Is this trend for instant gratification related to lack of skills, lack of time or just impatience? Or is is some dumb @$$ market research group telling manufacturers what we want? [sigh]

I find It's getting more difficult to locate Athearn kits, other than eBay, at on line model RR dealers. Many of them switched to selling R-T-R stuff. Anyone else notice this? [V]

Stores only have so much shelf space, so something has to go to make room for the pre-built models which take up considerable space. Are the LHS owners being told this is what we want or are we buying R-T-R because we have no choice or what? What's happening at your LHS? [%-)]
The only manufacturer that I can think of that offers us the most choice between their locomotives as Ready To Roll or Kit is Model Die Cast - Roundhouse. [tup]

[2c] The strange thing is, most kits are not difficult to assemble and they save us money to buy more kits. Also, how many of you paint and letter undecorated kits?