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Model trains cost an arm and a leg

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:31 PM

In before the lock.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

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Posted by NittanyLion on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 5:34 PM

Pruitt
I still think kits will make a comeback, simply because of price and quality. 

This presupposes there is any appreciable savings in paying someone to put the parts in the box versus quickly gluing the parts together before putting them in the box. 

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Posted by southernpacificgs4 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 5:09 PM

Hello,

 

I forgot the link of the passenger cars in my previous posting:

Preorders for $0 down! (factorydirecthobbies.com)

 

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Posted by wjstix on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 3:22 PM

I used to go to the Minnesota State Fair every year back in the 1970s-80s. Back then, there was a guy who had a small (roughly ranch house sized) building that housed an HO layout. As I recall he charged $1 to get in, and kids under a certain age were free. He told me he charged as little as possible so families could come in and not have to pay a lot, and get out of the sun for a while.

Unfortunately, during one winter some people broke into the building and destroyed the layout. His insurance covered only part of it I guess, and it was too much work anyway, so the building sat vacant for decades afterwords. 

I heard that a local hobby shop (Choo Choo Bob's, sponsor of the kids TV show) were planning a layout display at the fair a few years ago, but I haven't been to the fair for some time, so not sure if it ever got going or not. CCB's is closed now so I assume the layout is too, if it ever was built.

I do go to the fairgrounds twice a year for a large model railroad show / flea market sponsored by the Twin City Model Railroad Museum though.

Stix
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Posted by John-NYBW on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:49 PM

I don't think it's a bad thing when threads digress into non-railroad related topics. It's a natural part of being a community. I've never been part of a club or operating group but I would bet when they get together the talk isn't all about railroading. Why should this forum be any different. 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 1:09 PM

Oh, I don't know.  This thread has gotten to be almost like the land of do whatever you please and I kinda like it now.

You know, all these years that I've gone to the fair periodically since I was a Kid, I don't ever remember seeing a model railroad display and makes me wonder why?  It would be better than looking at a bunch of those shiny vegetables you know.

 

P.S.  The whole Forum has been freezing up on me every time I've been in here today, anyone else?

 

 

TF

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:59 PM

wrench567
Haven't been to the Ohio State Fair in over forty years. Won a couple of blue ribbons in modeling contests. Our local fair is the Barnstable county Fair.

The Southwest Florida Fair use to have a "Community Pavilion" building that had model contests, pie bake-offs, quilt displays, etc. 

About thirty years ago they stopped the community displays and rented out table space to people selling windows, bath re-fits, car seat covers, and other junk.

That was the beginning of the end for the "local fair" feel.

Slowly we have lost the concerts from local bands, horse riding, local official meet-and-greets, and so on.

I have no interest anymore. I only live two hours away from Busch Gardens/Tampa if I want thrill rides.

-  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -

Maybe this thread can be locked since it is so far off topic, and all this discussion can be carried on over at the diner.

At least there was not too much complaining about how expensive the hobby is.

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by wrench567 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:26 PM

   The only Fair food I would buy is the fried doe. Good stuff. Haven't been to the Ohio State Fair in over forty years. Won a couple of blue ribbons in modeling contests. Our local fair is the Barnstable county Fair. I haven't been since the snowflakes made them ban the horse pulling and calf roping. I could sit all day and watch the horses. As soon as that steel ring hit the post those animals were going ready or not. Horses have very quick reflexes and a good team is great to see. Yes it does cost an arm and a leg. Once saw an 18 year old girl rope and tie a 300 pound calf in under ten seconds. Skill and horsemanship was outstanding.

  But I digress. For a day at the Fair with the family, I could have bought several brass locomotives and a string of hoppers. It's a matter of perspective.

    Pete.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:30 AM

Water Level Route
Here is the list from Athearn's website:

I am just going to state my opinion on this, please don't feel the need to argue, I know some people will disagree with me.

Most of these sounds seem like an annoyance, and would not add to realism.

All of my experience with commercial passenger trains has been watching them go by at grade crossings, mostly in Tampa and Miami. From what I have observed, passenger trains do not sound any different what they go by from freight trains.

Watching trains go by is what we do on our layouts. Sounds should reflect this point of observation.

richhotrain
Yeah, but you wanted steaks and, at least in an indirect way, that is the point of this thread. You often have to settle for less.

I miss good steaks.

I want good steak, and lately I have had to settle for Longhorn or Texas Roadhouse.

I want Bern's, Mario's, or Charley's, but I don't make that kind of money anymore. Compromises had to be made.

Sad

John-NYBW
Food has always been overpriced at the Ohio State Fair.

Fair food down here has always been way too expensive. I never bought any.

I have not been to a fair down here since they switched management companies, probably 15 years ago or so. It just does not have any local flair anymore. It is more of a travelling circus.

-Kevin 

Living the dream.

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Posted by John-NYBW on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 10:17 AM

rrebell
 

 

 Yeah, shows used to be free at the fair, then the fair got worse and they started to charge for the concerts. Saw America and Glen Campbell but was never a concert type person. Now most do not go to the fair and they charge a lot more both to get in and to see the concert. Even on the free days, things are not anything like they were and the displays have all but disapeared. Used to have plant displays with towering waterfalls, varius plant clubs would display, model rail club gone too. Only thing now is a paid concert, junk selling area, a poor contest area, jockey club (they closed the race track down) and of course overpriced food and a carnaval area.

Food has always been overpriced at the Ohio State Fair. You kind of figure that into the cost of attending. When I was younger I used to attend the fair every year but as I got older, it became a rarer event. There used to be a building dedicated to model railroaiding and there were a few modular layouts. HO and N for sure. I can't remember if they had any other scales. It's been a long time since the model railroads left. Even then, there's something of interest to everyone at the fair. The main event are the livestock contests. That use to be what county and state fairs were about. The other stuff came later.

It's been six or seven years since I last went to the Ohio State Fair. The last time I went, I learned how easy it was to make maple syrup and have been doing that ever since. I usually get 2-3 gallons a year. Covid shut the fair down for in 2020 and last year it was limited to the livestock shows but this year it is supposed to be full go again. 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:55 AM

rrebell

rrebell, I never thought I would see the day.  I remember standing in line at the store when I was a lot younger and getting annoyed by old folks at the cash register fiddling around with coupons while I waited longer to check out quick with cash.

We don't go to the fair every year as I hate crowds but probably average once every three years.  We go early in the morning on a weekday instead of the weekend seems to thin the herd well. 

They sell this Minnesota State Fair coupon book at the grocery store up here and they go fast.  5 bucks, probably 10 by now but worth every penny.  We get in and out of the fair for, I would say at least half price with that book. 

Now I'm the one the young people are rolling their eyes and shaking their head behind me in line nowLaugh.. Whistling

 

 

P.S.  We lucked out one year.  There was this business executive that had company tickets for a large party of employees and many of the people didn't show up.  We got free tickets to go see Randy Travis and they were good seats too.

 

 

TF

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Posted by rrebell on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:37 AM

John-NYBW

 

 
Track fiddler

Sweet!  I like all the members listed and would have been in on that one John.  

 

 

I had seen both Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson perform individually at the state fair when it was still a free outdoor show. Johnny Cash played there in the late 1960s. I saw Willie Nelson some time in the 1990s. I also ran into Willie Nelson on a golf course. I had sprayed my shot over into his fairway as his group was coming the opposite direction. Fortunately I didn't come close to hitting anybody.

 

 

 

I know this is a forum that strictly enforces only subjects of model railroads and trains with exception of the Diner.  I wonder if we'd get away with a thread for posting songs about trains as it might be kind of fun as there is a lot of them.

This may be a little too upbeat for some here but holds some good memories of Good Times as other train songs do as well.

 

 

Several years ago, maybe more than several, I started a thread about favorite train songs. As I recall it got a lot of responses. My all time favorite is City of New Orleans.

UPDATE: I came across these two videos. The first is The City of New Orleans being performed by the Highwaymen.

The Highwaymen - City of New Orleans (American Outlaws: Live at Nassau Coliseum, 1990) - YouTube

The second is Arlo Guthrie performing the song with video of what I am guessing is an Illinois Central excursion plus other vintage IC footage.

City of New Orleans, Arlo Guthrie - YouTube

 

Yeah, shows used to be free at the fair, then the fair got worse and they started to charge for the concerts. Saw America and Glen Campbell but was never a concert type person. Now most do not go to the fair and they charge a lot more both to get in and to see the concert. Even on the free days, things are not anything like they were and the displays have all but disapeared. Used to have plant displays with towering waterfalls, varius plant clubs would display, model rail club gone too. Only thing now is a paid concert, junk selling area, a poor contest area, jockey club (they closed the race track down) and of course overpriced food and a carnaval area.

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Posted by Pruitt on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:27 AM

Paul3
Pruitt,

I'm sorry, but I think you're incorrect.  While the hobby will change, I think it will change to become more modern vs. the transition era.  The money will still be there, just spent differently.  To make money in this hobby, you only need to sell 3000 units (more or less). 

I don't think traditional kits will make a big comeback, I think the future is 3D printing.

I didn't say anything about modeled era. That's neither here nor there.

Maybe you're right about kits not making a big comeback, but the bloated-price RTR market share of the hobby will contract significantly. 3D printing will grow, but until surface textures on printed items improves (a lot) it will have limited acceptance. I still think kits will make a comeback, simply because of price and quality. 

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Posted by rrebell on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 9:17 AM

Doughless

 

 
selector

 

 
wjstix

First re prices, it's true the "up front" costs can be high. Building materials for benchwork, DCC systems, etc. can be costly... 

 

 

I can't honestly recall, it has been 16 years, but I must have spent $500+ just on tools before I began construction on my first layout.  I left the military with just a small knapsack with some drivers and wrenches, maybe a locking plier. I had to get an orbital sander, files, needlenosed pliers, circular saw,... When I built the second layout, about 16 months later (basement was finished per SWMBO's 'request'), I decided on splined roadbed and frame construction.  I needed power drivers/drill, table saw, etc.  

It all adds up!

 

 

 

My tools used for this hobby over the past 25 years have been:

Jig saw

Chop saw

Cordless drill.  An unneeded luxury compared to a corded drill since building a layout is not a mobile effort.  Extension cords cost about $8.

Drill screw driver bits.

For the trains:

One small pliers that I used for just about everything model maintenance wise,  curved at the tip that cost about $5.00 20 years ago.

Two other small pliers.

Two small household "jewelers" screw driver sets...one phillips head and one slotted head.

A hobby knife, with a regular blade, chisel blade, and curved blade.

A few small drill bits....number 78 and 65 come to mind.

A pin vise, when needed.

A small paint brush set.  Not el cheapo kind but not world class artist quality either.

91% alcohol and qtips.

 

Almost everything you need as far as building benchwork can be bought for around $100 from Ryobi in a set. Now if you need a jig saw that will cost a bit more but it is not neccisarry for benchwork, just makes panel cutouts easier if you need them. Other modeling tools will set you back another $100 but you can usually find used of those. Basic tools being plier set, hobby knife, pin vice, screw drivers. 

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Posted by richhotrain on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:58 AM

wrench567

With the weather warming up. I said to the wife. " How about a good steak and some veggies on the grill?"  So I jumped in the car and went to the store. Two ribeye steaks at 3.25 pounds $71.49. So we had burgers instead. And happy about it too even though the hamburger meat was still nearly $20.

    Compromise.

           Pete. 

Yeah, but you wanted steaks and, at least in an indirect way, that is the point of this thread. You often have to settle for less.

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by wrench567 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:23 AM

   Like I said earlier. It's all in what you consider expensive and the times we live in. When I started buying tools for my occupation, I thought they were expensive but necessary. I owed the Snap On, Mac, Matco, and Bonney tool trucks every week. Over fifty years I accumulated a ton of tools. No one starts out with everything they need. We're all born naked. I feel bad for the guys starting out that are paying nearly twenty times the price for new tools.

  I didn't buy a fleet of locomotives at one time. It took almost sixty years. And believe me none of them are top of the line super detailed museum quality, but they get the job done. Almost all of my rolling stock are kits. The few passenger equipment are Walther, Bachmann, or bought at train shows. I did take the time and effort to super detail one brass locomotive. I probably spent more money on the detail parts and paint than the locomotive itself. But it kept me entertained for months.

   My advice. If you think it's too expensive. Don't get it. If you really want it. Save up for it.

  With the weather warming up. I said to the wife. " How about a good steak and some veggies on the grill?"  So I jumped in the car and went to the store. Two ribeye steaks at 3.25 pounds $71.49. So we had burgers instead. And happy about it too even though the hamburger meat was still nearly $20.

    Compromise.

           Pete.

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Posted by MJ4562 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 7:23 AM

Paul3

I don't think traditional kits will make a big comeback, I think the future is 3D printing.  I can see a Shapeways-like "manufacturer" coming some day, where we modelers buy a 3D printer and then buy CAD files to run it with.  The hold up is the expense and the print quality.  Once they lick that, this hobby will change.  And if they can print art on the cars in realistic colors?  It will be interesting to see if or when that happens.

Yeah, I agree 3D printing is the future.  You could make your own kit using 3D printing.  Build an exact replica of a prototype building.  I already see 3D printing making a big impact in other hobbies involving miniatures. 

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Posted by drgwcs on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:29 AM

Doughless

An expensive way to approach the hobby is to lock yourself into modeling a specific railroad, in a specific location, at a specific time point.  An exact replica of something that happened. 

You'll spend your time searching for the correct components, and paying for those exact components once you find them...often times paying a premium for the only model available.

If you freelance, or make up your own railroad, you have a broader universe of models with which to find good deals.

If I was starting out and on a budget, I would model a small to medium sized railroad and buy a couple of Walthers Mainline NW2s or SW7s.  Nice little runners with ESU sound for about $150 each.  

You can scrounge around for deals on rolling stock.

Ebay often has used track...check the condition....sometimes about 1/3 to 1/4 the price you'd buy new.

 

I don't know to me modeling a specific railroad keeps me from buying everything that I see that looks neat at a swap meet. Of course it helps that I model Rio Grande in HO standard gauge and Colorado and Southern in HOn3 in Virginia. I will seemaybe a couple of items in Rio Grande and very little in HOn3 at a meet. I have seen one C&S item in five years and it was a duplicate of a caboose I had. (Of course the narrow gauge convention in Hickory NC was an exception.) Modeling a specific road also makes me scratchbuild more which is far cheaper. When I built Black Hawk my main expense was track and windows. I had just a very few buildings I kitbashed and I got a building and parts for two flats out of one grandt line kit I got at a swap meet. There are ways to make the hobby cheaper if you try. 

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Posted by Water Level Route on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 5:53 AM

Looks like the OP is referring to some upcoming Athearn Surfliner cars, that sound frighteningly similar to Ed's C&NW cab cars.  Here is the list from Athearn's website:

  • Soundtraxx Tsunami SoundCar decoder w/ exclusive sounds recorded from actual Surfliner cars:
  • A/C compressor operation
  • Doors opening & closing with associated “beep”
  • Generic station announcements with associated “beep” for PA system use
  • Vacuum toilet operation sound
  • “Clickety Clack” rail sound
  • Brake system sounds including brake set & application, and emergency brake air dump sound
  • Cab cars feature authentic K5LA horn and bell
  • Interior LED lights on upper & lower levels
  • Working marker lights on car ends
  • Cab cars feature working head & ditch lights

Mike

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 4:48 AM

SeeYou190
Do you know what sounds come from the passenger cars that come equipped with sound?

 

No I do not.

SPGS4       was quite evasive on those details other than the price and the "iso" price.

(International Standards Organization?)

southernpacificgs4
Today I received a mail from a seller well know in the US for selling model trains; you can pre-order some passenger cars with sound and interor lights or with interor lights only. sound and light: $169.99 iso $199.99  lights only : $127.49 iso $149.99

Doing a search for "$199.99" did not result in any lighted-sound passenger cars.

I generally watch for any new announcements in regards to HO passenger equipment. I'm not cognizant of any future offerings in that price category.

Regards, Ed

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Posted by FRRYKid on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 3:49 AM

I use eBay quite extensively for my modeling. As I don't have an LHS, I have to order everything. There is a shop relatively close, but I tried to order some decal solution from them about a year ago and the shipping quote was more than the solution itself!

I do preorder cars occasionally if the car fits a need. However, I haven't bought a new engine this century IMS. The last "new" engine I built from parts onhand and ordered new (power trucks). It files in the category of rehab/rebuild. An old Tyco/Mantua GP20 shell that I bashed onto an Athearn BB GP35 frame. I have a number of those engines (9 now IMS) that I have built over the years due to cost.

I also have been lucky enough to have people give me cars and engines that they don't need or can't use anymore. That has added >25 pieces of rolling stock to my collection. Some had needed major rebuild (caboose to match a different prototype or repaint of an engine that fit my protolanced raod) to minor (renumbering for new owner).

I try to keep the budget under control but every once in awhile the money slips out if see something interesting but I try to keep it from running away.

"The only stupid question is the unasked question."
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:26 AM

gmpullman
I installed one in a "Super Dome" as these had a Waukesha diesel-driven air conditioning system.

That makes perfect sense. I had no idea that passenger cars could be equipped with diesel powered mechanical refrigeration units.

There are School Buses down here with three cylinder diesels driving AC units. That is another story.

Do you know what sounds come from the passenger cars that come equipped with sound?

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by gmpullman on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 2:07 AM

SeeYou190
What noises would come from a passenger car that you would hear as the train rolled past?

When I bought the aforementioned "Soundcar" decoders they were sold as a pack of four at reduced cost.

I installed one in a "Super Dome" as these had a Waukesha diesel-driven air conditioning system. Another went in a mechanical reefer as you mentioned above. It is set to randomly turn on and off as needed. I keep the volumes of these very low (as with all my sound).

 Super-Dome by Edmund, on Flickr

I like the effect and take some pleasure in hearing these as the train passes.

Regards, Ed

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, May 23, 2022 11:28 PM

NittanyLion
The only thing I'll ever not understand is sound in rolling stock. At least a locomotive has a few noisemakers in real life and they're under the control of a person in contexts that can be duplicated on a layout.

I don't have sound in anything, but I have seen layouts with sound from Mechanical Refigerators. This makes sense to me. I remember hearing those 2-71 Detroit Diesels making racket in Waldo, Florida when we would go out there.

Of course, it was not until much later I learned exactly what a 2-71 Detroit was.

I have never been around loaded cattle cars, but maybe they moo?

Pruitt
The sounds of a passenger car may be very nostalgic to some, recalling fading childhood memories, or maybe a vacation trip with a loved one now gone. 

For the illusion to be convincing for me, it would need to be sounds you could hear trackside from outside the passenger car.

Hearing clinking glasses and people eating in a diner car would be silly. Would snoring sounds come from a sleeper?

What noises would come from a passenger car that you would hear as the train rolled past?

-Kevin

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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, May 23, 2022 10:05 PM

Pruitt
Or maybe those sounds are what they need to make their romantic illusions of a time long past complete in their minds.

I have sound in my C&NW cab car.

 C_NW_PS-bilevel_166 by Edmund, on Flickr

I rode these on several visits to Chicago. I model mostly the NYC, PRR, B&O, Erie and Bessemer but I like to run this six-car set of push-pull cars for the very reason Pruitt mentions.

The Soundtraxx "Soundcar" decoder cost me $25 and I used a speaker I already had on hand.

Bonus, the deocder has lighting effects so the yellow beacon realistically flashes, the markers come on when the car is trailing and the headlight comes on when the car is leading. The interior lights can be turned on or off using a function button.

I also have a horn and bell as these cars were so equipped. I really enjoy seeing this car leading into the station with the bell ringing or approaching crossings with the horn sounding. I find it adds to the realism.

Others may think I'm crazy for spending so much loose cash on a whim.

I really enjoy it.

Cheers, Ed

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Posted by Paul3 on Monday, May 23, 2022 9:58 PM

Doughless,
You say that modeling a specific railroad & era is "expensive".  My experience has been exactly the opposite.  I model the NH almost exclusively (and pre-1969).  My non-NH locos number less than 10 (after 30+ years in the hobby), and half of those were gifts.  I have almost no post-1968 freight cars (just "modern" club cars purchased for the fund raising aspect).

My NH interest means that I can go years without buying any engines or passenger cars.  I see a lot of nice products come out for so many railroads that I could see myself buying...except for the fact that they aren't NH.  Many times I've been to a hobby shop or train show and not bought anything other than couplers or tools due to the lack of NH.  It sure has saved me a lot of money over the last 30 years.

Freelance?  Sure, it can save you money, too, but if you're trying to build a realistic fleet it can get pricey (just like any prototypical road). 

southernpacificgs4,
What passenger cars are you talking about?

Rapido's passenger cars are $100, $110, $120, or $130 and they all have lights.  Who is selling passenger cars with sound?

Yes, I agree that running more than a couple sound-equipped trains on a layout can be a cacophony.  The secret is to turn down the sound or have a giant layout.  When I had my own layout (in a very quiet room), I turned the sound down (or just ran one or two sound equipped trains at a time).  At my noisy 65-member, 6300 sq. ft. club with 12' ceilings during an open house with a couple hundred people inside, I crank 'em up.  If you're lucky, you might hear them as they go by.

And no one is "forced" to do anything in this hobby.  If you want the product, you buy it.  If you don't want it, you don't buy it. 

The reason for the death of the dummy is that the difference in cost is about 10% of a powered model these days (about $20 less).  Way back in 1991, a dummy was about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the powered version.  A powered Athearn SD40T-2 was $35; the dummy was just $14 (about $20 less).

NittanyLion & John-NYBW,
I have a few sound decoders in my passenger cab cars (for push-pull trains) for horns and bells.  It also has "clickety clack" sounds and brake squeal, etc.  How it works is that you're supposed to connect it to the loco using a magnetic wand (you wave the wand over the car and hear a noise then select a loco; the car decoder is smart enough to know it is now connected to that address).  So when you accelerate or slow down, the car decoder gets the message, too, and plays the various sounds automatically.  I'm not about to put it into any freight cars, but that's how it works on my passenger cars.

I think in cab cars, the sound decoder is totally worth it.  Blowing the horn or ringing the bell for a grade crossing using the loco speaker that is 8 cars away ruins the illusion for me.  For any other cars...yeah, not so much.

Pruitt,
I'm sorry, but I think you're incorrect.  While the hobby will change, I think it will change to become more modern vs. the transition era.  The money will still be there, just spent differently.  To make money in this hobby, you only need to sell 3000 units (more or less). 

I don't think traditional kits will make a big comeback, I think the future is 3D printing.  I can see a Shapeways-like "manufacturer" coming some day, where we modelers buy a 3D printer and then buy CAD files to run it with.  The hold up is the expense and the print quality.  Once they lick that, this hobby will change.  And if they can print art on the cars in realistic colors?  It will be interesting to see if or when that happens.


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Posted by Pruitt on Monday, May 23, 2022 9:33 PM

John-NYBW
Why would someone need/want sound on a passenger car. 

In a nutshell, because everyone is different. People want different things.

The sounds of a passenger car may be very nostalgic to some, recalling fading childhood memories, or maybe a vacation trip with a loved one now gone. 

Or maybe those sounds are what they need to make their romantic illusions of a time long past complete in their minds.

There are probably at least a thousand other reasons that are perfectly valid, and to those folks the cost is secondary to possession. Maybe they'll eat potato soup for a month in order to buy such a high-priced item. If it's worth it to them, that's all that matters.

I wouldn't spend a good chunk of money on a sound-equipped passenger car, and apparently, John, neither would you. I'd wager that most of us wouldn't. But if there's enough of a merket out there to support manufacturing such an item, more power to them. I'm not going to look askance at them for wanting something I can't fathom the desire for.

  • Member since
    January 2019
  • 2,572 posts
Posted by John-NYBW on Monday, May 23, 2022 9:14 PM

southernpacificgs4

I do not want to rain on the parade of some posters here.

Today I received a mail from a seller well know in the US for selling model trains; you can pre-order some passenger cars with sound and interor lights or with interor lights only.

sound and light: $169.99 iso $199.99 

lights only : $127.49 iso $149.99

So the normal selling price will $199.99 and $149.99 but if I understand it those cars are now on sale in pre-order, before they are availible.

That you need some money for a hobby I can understand but this is more than crossing a line.

If you buy on flea markets, ebay and others, at model train show, etc... you can buy cheap trains but they are not selling new products at super bargain prices.

Who will buy this? I think that there are a lot of people who will buy this otherwise the manufacture will not invest in it to make those models.

Imagine if you have a layout with 3 or 4 trains running at the same time all with sound in locomotives and passenger cars, this is a complete cacophony.

In our club on the big club layout where it was possible to run with 10 to 15 trains at the same time we made a test years ago with 10 locomotives with sound and it was annoying all those sounds together of different locomotives.

The point is that if someone is interested in those cars he has no choice to buy those without the gimmicks, he is forced to buy with lights and sound or lights only an other option is not available.

The same with locomotives years ago it was possible to buy a dummy unit(A & B) now every unit is motorized.

Last question: can someone tell me how it is possible that a product that will be released in August 2022 now already is on sale.

 

Why would someone need/want sound on a passenger car. If you spend the money on that, you indeed have money to burn. I wouldn't even consider for one second paying that kind of price for any piece of rolling stock. I'm betting their lack of pre-orders will tell them the same thing. If there are people willing to pay that kind of money for frills, more power to them but I doubt it will happen. I'll also gladly wager that these products are not going to be released in their announced date of August 2022. I doubt they will be released any time in 2022. Maybe not even 2023. Maybe not ever. 

The great thing about the free enterprise system is that nobody is forced to buy anything. If you think something is too expensive, don't buy it. If you are willing to pay the seller's asking price, you are saying the product is worth the asking price. 

My other hobby is golf. We see the same thing with golf clubs. Every year the manufacturers come out with new models of golf clubs and they tell golfers these new clubs are so much better than the clubs they sold last year as the greatest ever. Last I checked, the MSRP for a new top of the line driver is $500. There has never been a golf club made that I would pay $500 for. A few years ago, I broke the shaft on my driver. I discovered that the shaft that fit my driver was no longer being produced and I would probably have to pay more than $100 if I could find someone who still sold that shaft. Instead I went out to ebay and found a used driver very similar to the one I broke for $80. If I make a good swing with it, I get a good shot and if I make a bad swing, I will get a bad shot. The same thing would be true if I bought the latest and greatest $500 driver. We don't do ourselves any favors when we convince ourselves we always have to get the top of the line of any product. I leave that to the rich people who can afford it. 

  • Member since
    March 2017
  • 8,173 posts
Posted by Track fiddler on Monday, May 23, 2022 7:20 PM

Evening John

I gotta say I don't own a copy of City of New Orleans or was even aware of the name of the song but always enjoyed that one whenever it played on the radio.  Great song and liked the videos you posted as well.

 

 

TF

DrW
  • Member since
    January 2008
  • From: Lubbock, TX
  • 371 posts
Posted by DrW on Monday, May 23, 2022 7:02 PM

southernpacificgs4

The same with locomotives years ago it was possible to buy a dummy unit(A & B) now every unit is motorized.

For BLI, this is not completely true. Their AB sets of E or F units have an unpowered B unit. You can buy powered B units for extra $$$. Where you are correct is the fact that they do not sell the unpowered B units individually.

JW

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