Model Train Production News

[Brakie]

Pete's right, we've become too interested as a hobby in RTR. Previous generations did everything from scratch. I plead guilty to this.

Mike,Sadly this isn't the hobby I grew up with where everything had to be built and detailed.

However,its not my dad's hobby either where the majority of the needed locomotives was scratchbuilt from tin or brass stock or a kit.Buildings was crude at best and usually made from cardboard or wood.

Then brass locomotives entered the picture and scratchbuilding locomotives slowly died without much fanfare since it was a royal pain to scratchbuild a steam locomotive.

No,those days will never return no more then the BB kits-Athearn has said repeatedly that BB sales fell 80%-no wonder Horizon bought them out and then invested heavily to bring the sales back up.

I embrace the RTR market and think the hobby is far better then it was 12 years ago.

I no longer buy BB car kits since they're a hassle to assemble the kit correctly where the coupler will be at the correct height..