06-16-2010, 10:06 AM
Back then "kit builders" were looked down upon by "real"model Railroaders who built everything from scratch in O-scale. Today kit builders look down on the r-t-r crowd.
My biggest complaint is that in so many cases, my choices are to buy r-t-r, or scratch build. There are a few kit manufacturers left out there. The biggest problem is that if a kit is not quite up to NMRA standards, I can fix it. If an r-t-r model is not up to NMRA standards, I can convert it to a kit, or throw it away. I don't know how many are members of the NMRA who regularly read Scale Rails in this site, but fully 75% of the products that are tested in Scale Rails do not receive a conformance passing grade because they fail to meet NMRA standards. Over 90% of the reviews I've read show that the products fail on one or more of the "recommended practices." For reliable operation, locomotives and rolling stock should meet NMRA standards and all recommended practices. I'll take a chance on a locomotive I really want. A freight or passenger car has to be something really special for me to consider it.
My biggest complaint is that in so many cases, my choices are to buy r-t-r, or scratch build. There are a few kit manufacturers left out there. The biggest problem is that if a kit is not quite up to NMRA standards, I can fix it. If an r-t-r model is not up to NMRA standards, I can convert it to a kit, or throw it away. I don't know how many are members of the NMRA who regularly read Scale Rails in this site, but fully 75% of the products that are tested in Scale Rails do not receive a conformance passing grade because they fail to meet NMRA standards. Over 90% of the reviews I've read show that the products fail on one or more of the "recommended practices." For reliable operation, locomotives and rolling stock should meet NMRA standards and all recommended practices. I'll take a chance on a locomotive I really want. A freight or passenger car has to be something really special for me to consider it.