richhotrainI would vote hands down for the Genesis F7 as the best of the best.
Sure wish they could figure out a way to illuminate the numberboards, though
Regards, Ed
gmpullman richhotrain I would vote hands down for the Genesis F7 as the best of the best. Sure wish they could figure out a way to illuminate the numberboards, though Regards, Ed
richhotrain I would vote hands down for the Genesis F7 as the best of the best.
Rich
Alton Junction
Applying economic theory to a hobby is plainly foolish.
My time and money spent on my hobbies are an investment in pleasure and sanity. That is the only economy that applies.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
How the heck did opportunity cost enter this discussion?
Opportunity cost is the comparison of one economic choice to another. An example that I like to use is the decision of a retiree to delay the commencement of social security benefits to age 70 in order to receive a higher monthly benefit than that available at an earlier date.
In making that choice to defer the commencement of social security benefits, the retiree must calculate the opportunity cost - - the total amount of foregone monthly benefits before age 70 and the estimated return on such foregone benefits.
There is no opportunity cost associated with time spent on a hobby because there is no alternative economic choice to compare it to.
Sort of reminds me how terminology associated with one endeavor is misapplied to a totally different endeavor. Examples that come readily to mind are The Law of Large Numbers, Critical Mass, and Monte Carlo Analysis.
richhotrain There is no opportunity cost associated with time spent on a hobby because there is no alternative economic choice to compare it to.
Not true at all. For an example, I model the PRR. I will use the F unit as an example. I can get an Intermountain F unit for about $70 less than an Athearn Genesis. The Intermountain lacks certain prototypical details the Genesis comes with, like a train phone antenna and nose lift rings. I can get those parts for $20. It would take me around an hour to put those parts on. I would be better off to stay an extra hour at the railroad, as I can work 9 hours before going HOS, and the OT is always available. Pay the extra $70 for the Genesis, and pocket the difference.
An "expensive model collector"
Trainman440 n012944 Internet Hobbies is selling an AB set of Broadway Limited PRR F7's for $319.99. Using their Cyber Monday code this morning, I was able to get a set for $224.00. Of course, since it is Broadway Limited, it also comes with DCC and sound. Lombard Hobbies has C&O and Frisco Athearn Genesis F units on sale for $369.99 for an AB set. Are you sure this place is legit? With a 30% coupon for cyber monday, most of thier items are far below market price. On google and yelp, theres like 20 reviews, with an average of 1.2 stars. Many people are saying its a scam, and if you google maps the location, its near a hospital, and its a picture of an old suburban home and/or a weedy patch of trees, depending on which address you trust. Also, they have stock of many long gone items. Charles
n012944 Internet Hobbies is selling an AB set of Broadway Limited PRR F7's for $319.99. Using their Cyber Monday code this morning, I was able to get a set for $224.00. Of course, since it is Broadway Limited, it also comes with DCC and sound. Lombard Hobbies has C&O and Frisco Athearn Genesis F units on sale for $369.99 for an AB set.
Internet Hobbies is selling an AB set of Broadway Limited PRR F7's for $319.99. Using their Cyber Monday code this morning, I was able to get a set for $224.00. Of course, since it is Broadway Limited, it also comes with DCC and sound.
Lombard Hobbies has C&O and Frisco Athearn Genesis F units on sale for $369.99 for an AB set.
Are you sure this place is legit? With a 30% coupon for cyber monday, most of thier items are far below market price. On google and yelp, theres like 20 reviews, with an average of 1.2 stars. Many people are saying its a scam, and if you google maps the location, its near a hospital, and its a picture of an old suburban home and/or a weedy patch of trees, depending on which address you trust.
Also, they have stock of many long gone items.
Charles
I don't, this is the 1st time I have ordered from them. I use a credit card that has good charge back protection through, so I guess I will find out soon.
n012944 richhotrain There is no opportunity cost associated with time spent on a hobby because there is no alternative economic choice to compare it to. Not true at all. For an example, I model the PRR. I will use the F unit as an example. I can get an Intermountain F unit for about $70 less than an Athearn Genesis. The Intermountain lacks certain prototypical details the Genesis comes with, like a train phone antenna and nose lift rings. I can get those parts for $20. It would take me around an hour to put those parts on. I would be better off to stay an extra hour at the railroad, as I can work 9 hours before going HOS, and the OT is always available. Pay the extra $70 for the Genesis, and pocket the difference.
If you can buy the IM unit for $70 less than the Genesis but have to pay an additional $20 for parts to match the IM unit to the Genesis, the nominal opportunity cost is $50 if you buy the Genesis. It has nothing to do with your work hours versus your hobby hours. You are comparing apples and oranges, so to speak.
At normal viewing distances, all the tiny stuff like lift rings disappear. That's sort of the problem with the P2K FAs - they have SO much detail applied, and it's all pretty well to scale, that it's hard to pick them up. At least with an EMD there isn't yet another door in the middle of the side with handrails and grabs to smash.
I guess I am fussy, but not that fussy - I'll put cab roof drip rails on all my locos because they just look wrong without them. And I'll change hood mounted single note honkers on RS3s to the proper M3RT1 on a bracket - the Athearn I got may be 50/50 (had to buy 2 to get 1 that ran) but at least they had the right sort of horns on them, unlike Atlas.
Note sure on Intermountain's F's - they have all the grabs, lift rings, brake piping, speed recorder, etc that are all left to the modeler on the Stewarts. Plus the come in my road name - Genesis and BLI don't. Genesis doesn't do undec, at least BLI has unpainted ones, but I'm not about to pay BLI proice for a loco where I will remove the decoder and replace it with one that actually works for years. So to round out my F unit fleet, Intermountain is my best choice. Bowser's not doing Reading in their new F units, or the RS3s, and most disappointingly, not int he AS16s. I'll have to scrounge of an old Stewart or two to round out the Baldwin side of my fleet. And find a couple of more Trainmasters. I think once I paint all my RS3s I'll have enough of them - maybe. COuld use a couple more GP7s too, but I either have to renumber some P2Ks since I already have all 4 numbers produced, or find a different one. And not Atlas, the old Atlas ones sell for far too much money for a rather crude model, the P2Ks go for less than half the price.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
So in the case of my five freelanced heavy LIMA Mikados, no one makes a model of a DT&I 800 Class Mikado, I don't think they have ever even been done in brass.
I could have scratch built them.
Instead I used another theory, minimum effort modeling.
Using sometimes "average" commercial models as a basis for kit bashing and detail projects, and only adding additonal details as needed for the desired effect.
So I obtained at reasonable cost, and reasonable effort, something other wise unobtainable, and enjoyed myself while doing it.
Sheldon
rrinker At normal viewing distances, all the tiny stuff like lift rings disappear.
What's the definition of normal viewing distances? Modular display layout at a train show which has a rope barrier to keep little hands from reaching in? Or an eye level home shelf layout?
rrinker At normal viewing distances, all the tiny stuff like lift rings disappear. That's sort of the problem with the P2K FAs - they have SO much detail applied, and it's all pretty well to scale, that it's hard to pick them up. At least with an EMD there isn't yet another door in the middle of the side with handrails and grabs to smash. I guess I am fussy, but not that fussy - I'll put cab roof drip rails on all my locos because they just look wrong without them. And I'll change hood mounted single note honkers on RS3s to the proper M3RT1 on a bracket - the Athearn I got may be 50/50 (had to buy 2 to get 1 that ran) but at least they had the right sort of horns on them, unlike Atlas. Note sure on Intermountain's F's - they have all the grabs, lift rings, brake piping, speed recorder, etc that are all left to the modeler on the Stewarts. Plus the come in my road name - Genesis and BLI don't. Genesis doesn't do undec, at least BLI has unpainted ones, but I'm not about to pay BLI proice for a loco where I will remove the decoder and replace it with one that actually works for years. So to round out my F unit fleet, Intermountain is my best choice. Bowser's not doing Reading in their new F units, or the RS3s, and most disappointingly, not int he AS16s. I'll have to scrounge of an old Stewart or two to round out the Baldwin side of my fleet. And find a couple of more Trainmasters. I think once I paint all my RS3s I'll have enough of them - maybe. COuld use a couple more GP7s too, but I either have to renumber some P2Ks since I already have all 4 numbers produced, or find a different one. And not Atlas, the old Atlas ones sell for far too much money for a rather crude model, the P2Ks go for less than half the price. --Randy
Exactly.
I have some Genesis F's from back when you could buy the drives and the Highliner kits. You can still buy the body kits from Highliner, and put them on whatever drive.
But, that is a recent developement, it took them a while to get going again.
I wanted undecorated FP7's, Intermountain was the best choice.
My Intermountain B&O F3's are very nice, and very well detailed.
So are my set of Proto F7's in C&O.
But the Proto F unit undecorated only comes with the modernized shell with a snow plow pilot. No good for my 1954 era. And I'm not wild about the slower gearing.
My big dislike of the Broadway F is the diaphragms that are part of the body.
maxman rrinker At normal viewing distances, all the tiny stuff like lift rings disappear. What's the definition of normal viewing distances? Modular display layout at a train show which has a rope barrier to keep little hands from reaching in? Or an eye level home shelf layout?
For me, three feet, or 261 scale feet.......
Because I am interested in modeling more than just standing trackside.
I tried the eye level shelf thing as part of my double deck layout. No thanks.
ATLANTIC CENTRALI wanted undecorated FP7's, Intermountain was the best choice.
I had no idea Intermountain ever made an undecorated FP7.
How long ago was this?
SeeYou190 ATLANTIC CENTRAL I wanted undecorated FP7's, Intermountain was the best choice. I had no idea Intermountain ever made an undecorated FP7. How long ago was this? -Kevin
ATLANTIC CENTRAL I wanted undecorated FP7's, Intermountain was the best choice.
I want to say I bought them 8-10 years ago? I don't think the undecorated kits were available when the FP's first came out from them. It might have been when they did a second run.
richhotrain gmpullman richhotrain I would vote hands down for the Genesis F7 as the best of the best. Sure wish they could figure out a way to illuminate the numberboards, though That never bothered me, but the numberboards are right next to the headlight on the F7. Isn't there some way to easily get those numberboards lit?
gmpullman richhotrain I would vote hands down for the Genesis F7 as the best of the best. Sure wish they could figure out a way to illuminate the numberboards, though
That never bothered me, but the numberboards are right next to the headlight on the F7. Isn't there some way to easily get those numberboards lit?
The IM website shows undecorated F7Ps. But the status reads Contact Your Dealer which means that IM does not currently stock them. So, good luck trying to find them.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL SeeYou190 ATLANTIC CENTRAL I wanted undecorated FP7's, Intermountain was the best choice. I had no idea Intermountain ever made an undecorated FP7. How long ago was this? -Kevin I want to say I bought them 8-10 years ago? I don't think the undecorated kits were available when the FP's first came out from them. It might have been when they did a second run. Sheldon
I should have mentioned, the Highliners web site currently lists a limited supply of Athearn Genesis Highliner FP7 kits.
https://highlinersonline.com/
Intermountain will likely sell you just the drives if they have any left. Despite how they are decribed on the web site, the drives are actually packaged separately from the shell kits.
They still list them on their site. They were kits, not RTR. HO Locomotive Kits (intermountain-railway.com)
Just says contact your dealer, meaning they don't have any, but some dealer might have an unsold one or two laying around somewhere.
Well, gentleman - for the most part I think we have exhausted the original topic about BLI decoders and have strayed into a variety of off-topics; some interesting but perhaps better suited for separate threads. With that being the case, please feel free to start subsequent threads if you think a particular topic or topics is worth further discussion. In the meantime, regard this thread as full and sated.
Thanks for your understanding...
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.