10-03-2010, 08:30 AM
Gary S Wrote:DocWayne, I'm assuming these are fairly recent acquisitions?
The price was right, and with a little TLC, they are very attractive models.
I have the same philosophy, I'm just not going to pay the high RTR prices for rollingstock - and not just becasue I am cheap - because it is fun to do these rebuilds and detailing.
Lucky for me, none of the new RTR rolling stock is made for 19th Century prototypes. Wood and resin kits still rule, and scratchbuilding wood cars is not supposed to be that difficult. Or bash and backdate Roundhouse Old Timers. I've picked up IHC MOW series kits. I've also bought some Bachmann and Tyco cars for $1 - $3 each from broken up Old West train sets. All of these need improving to fit in with my concept of detailing, but as has been said that's a good part of the fun. Admittedly, by the time trucks and couplers and new queen posts and other details are added, I'm up to $12+ per car. But my small layout can only use about 30 cars anyway.
Even in HOn3, all the Blackstone cars are models of 20th Century post-rebuild cars - with the flat car being the exception I have seen so far. So I have four Blackstone and Micro-Trains cars (2 of which later to be sold) to get me started while I build up the roster from kits and scratch.
If you model a non-favored era or scale, you don't have to worry much about the price of RTR. If you prefer the more common eras and prototypes in HO or N, you can choose.
The price of plastic locomotives and cars from China is only going to go up - and faster than our local inflation. But looking at things through inflation: in the early '70s an Athearn Blue Box generic kit cost $2.98. Add Kadee couplers and decent trucks and you were up to $6 or $7. And you had no choice because the included couplers were horn hooks, and the included trucks were pretty junky. With inflation, that $7 is now over $28. The high end current car comes already assembled - without a bent weight to throw you off - with usable knuckle couplers (normally not as good as Kadees, but usable) and decent trucks. And it's an accurate model of its prototype with a far greater chance of having an accurate paint scheme. And there's enough selection that you don't see the exact same car with the exact same number on everybody's layout. But back then, you could make a car card that could be easily used on multiple layouts.
So quality, variety, and price have all gone up. That leaves us with choices.
my thoughts, your choices