05-07-2014, 11:37 AM
Naturally, it's your layout. In general, though, even though I'm aware of the various discrepancies in older products and the improvements in new ones, I've tended not to buy the more expensive recent cars (unless it's a prototype I really want, like something I frequently see when I'm out railfanning).
There are several reasons for this. One is that at normal layout viewing distances, it's hard to tell the difference between a superdetailed recent car and an older one, especially after Athearn greatly improved its paint in the 1990s. If you replace things like molded steps with A-Line, or paint truck frames, it gets even harder. I'm not one to pull out a car and admire its underbody detail, and even detailed-car urethane snobs like Bob Smaus admit they often don't add the underbody parts on urethane kits. My basic updates to bluebox include Kadee wheels, coupler pockets replaced with screw-mount and Kadees, and brake detail rearranged. When I get around to it, I do A-Line steps. I add A-Line steps almost always to Accurail cars and add Kadees and metal wheels.
There are a couple of other issues. One is that the more detailed cars are definitely more fragile, and ladders, grabs, brake wheels, etc will frequently come off, sometimes on their own. Steps will brake, and you have to replace them with A-line no matter what.
In addition, on an operating layout, there are so many other tasks -- decoders, scenery, wiring, track maintenance, operation, etc etc that you have to budget the relative amounts of time and money you spend on particular aspects. A $35 PS-1 is less important if you can get most of what you need by upgrading an Accurail for $20 -- or find one even less expensive at a swap meet.
There are several reasons for this. One is that at normal layout viewing distances, it's hard to tell the difference between a superdetailed recent car and an older one, especially after Athearn greatly improved its paint in the 1990s. If you replace things like molded steps with A-Line, or paint truck frames, it gets even harder. I'm not one to pull out a car and admire its underbody detail, and even detailed-car urethane snobs like Bob Smaus admit they often don't add the underbody parts on urethane kits. My basic updates to bluebox include Kadee wheels, coupler pockets replaced with screw-mount and Kadees, and brake detail rearranged. When I get around to it, I do A-Line steps. I add A-Line steps almost always to Accurail cars and add Kadees and metal wheels.
There are a couple of other issues. One is that the more detailed cars are definitely more fragile, and ladders, grabs, brake wheels, etc will frequently come off, sometimes on their own. Steps will brake, and you have to replace them with A-line no matter what.
In addition, on an operating layout, there are so many other tasks -- decoders, scenery, wiring, track maintenance, operation, etc etc that you have to budget the relative amounts of time and money you spend on particular aspects. A $35 PS-1 is less important if you can get most of what you need by upgrading an Accurail for $20 -- or find one even less expensive at a swap meet.