07-25-2012, 09:33 AM
This reminds me of a debate that took place in the early 1960s over "shake the box" kits (which basically became Athearn bluebox). The late Len Madsen, a pioneering HOn3 modeler who'd written some fantastic articles for MR on scratchbuilding things like a D&RGW drop bottom gon and a Chama coaling tower, wrote a letter to the editor basically saying that if Athearn would come out with a shake-the-box HOn3 D&RGW boxcar, he'd buy a jillion of them. If you look at the prototype rail scene, the fact of life is quantity and duplication. The occasional steam turbine is fun, but the everyday scene is SD40-2s or GP9s or SD70ACes. Each train needs several, and lots of trains go by. Same applies to unit train hoppers or double stacks. When I was a lot younger and one of my interests (then as now) was the D&RGW narrow gauge, I began to realize that I'd need to scratchbuild a LOT of stock cars (and I'd better get cracking). The Tomalco kit didn't help, especially since the kit instructions were inaccurate, and led to an underframe that didn't fit the sides. If you want to scratchbuild individual items for contests or the display case, that's fine, but many modelers never had the time or inclination just to build up the skils you needed to put together, say, an Ambroid wood kit. I agree with the guys who say the hobby is better now; you can get an RTR HOn3 D&RGW stock car for less than an unpainted brass one cost 35 years ago, and you don't have to cuss at the Tomalco instructions!