Proto1000 Budd RDC Price Variations

[Anonymous]

I'm confused; I see Proto1000 Budd RDCs being listed anywhere from $19.95 to $70.00 among various dealers. I know the price shot up dramatically between runs, but will I get more for my money paying for the higher-priced Budd cars compared with the earlier-run models?

[davekelly]

I think they are pretty much all the same. I think what you will find is that the cheaper ones out there are in road names that didn't sell very well and could have very well been sitting on a shelf for more than a few years.

[Anonymous]

Thanks Dave, I suspected it might be something like that. I'll be painting them for my own road so that won't matter, as long as they run OK.

[AntonioFP45]

The only "slight" problem I noticed is with the New Haven units. For some reason the silver paint finish on these is a little "grainy". I have one and can live with it as it's only noticeable when you put your face right up to it.

The P1K RDCs, overall, are nice units for the money and I'd recommend them over the Athearn RDC any day of the year. Running and momentum is "smooth". I do wish Life Like had produced dummys as I'd like to be able run a 3 car train of NH RDCs. Makes no sense to have them all powered.

[davekelly]

I got my RDC from TrainWorld about a year ago and I think the price was 19.99 each. This was doable as I would be stripping and relettering no matter what roadname I got. While I wished that LL came out with a dummy unit, at that price I really couldn't complain!

[rrinker]

The people trying to sell them for $70 probably got them when they first came out, and paid full list. Most train shows around here, they go for $40-$45, but all that's left are the roads no one wants.

Kind of like those Lionel Challengers. Not too many sold at the $799 list price. But even if the LHS got a 40% discount, they can't sell for less than $500 unless they just want to make their money back. So even highly discounted it's still insanely priced. Then when they went to clear them out, they probably sold to dealers for $300 or less. So now you see them selling for less than the guys who got them originally can possibly match. Lionel hosed both the consumer AND the dealers with that fiasco. Say whatever about MTH, but at least someone there realizes HO modellers will NOT pay $800 for a $300 loco, just because it's Lionel (or MTH).

--Randy

[Anonymous]

Thanx again everybody, guess I better latch onto a pair of those lower-priced Budd cars while I can![:P]

[Anonymous]

Trainworld has been offering their RDC-2s and -3s for $19.95 for quite some time. No pick of the roadname, though. For some reason their RDC-1 is $29.95. Still better than the Canadian price of around $90.00, which I paid for my first one. I got a few from Trainworld and am repainting them in Canadian road names. Even with Trainworld's $24.95 shipping to Canada, their prices are still the best.

I did notice that RDCs sold in Canada that are lettered for Canadian roads seem to have some better painting that those that I got from the US. The Canadian ones have the roof grilles painted black, as well as the trucks and underframes.

Bob Boudreau

[ndbprr]

At $19.99 I'd buy three of them and strip the drive out of two for spares down the road.