Post by PennCentral on Aug 19, 2013 7:08:42 GMT -8
I rarely post on this board as frankly, it's become nearly as bad as the Atlas Forum was. However, I have couple of things to say this morning.
1. TankTrains are NOT just a southern California thing. They are best known due to the numerous articles and published pictures over the years of the "Oil Can" train. I don't model the SP. I will never model a huge "oil can" unit train of these cars. I do however model the Delaware & Hudson. Starting in 1978 and continuing through today, GATX TankTrain cars in 10-car blocks have been a fixture on the portion of the D&H that will be in my basement. The TankTrain concept finally allowed the D&H to break the stranglehold that barges held on fuel traffic between the Port of Albany and Burlington, Vermont. The Champlain Canal might not have been the fastest way to get fuel from Albany to Burlington, but it was dirt cheap. Until the TankTrain came along anyway. So as a D&H modeler, these cars have been very high on my "want list". I'm very happy with this announcement.
2. Civility and manners. Exactly when did model railroading begin to revolve around "you and only you"? There are a handful of modelers that feel the need to denigrate a manufacturer every time they release a model that is not on "their" personal list of what they feel should be done. Guess what? "You" are not the only individual in this hobby. "Your" personal preference be it current day, transition era, or horse drawn wagons on wooden rails is NOT the only era that matters. There are a lot of other people in the hobby besides "you" and thankfully, the manufacturers are aware of that. The majority of modelers seem to be aware of this too. Most folks I know tend to look at announcements of products that don't fit their era or interest as a good thing. Good that in the sense they have a little more time to build up their hobby fund after the last round of "have to have" announcements that did apply to them. Good that the manufacturers are smart enough to broaden their market share to as many modelers as possible. You can't be all things to all people but if you're only one thing to one small group, you might not be here tomorrow. That's simply smart business.
If you're the type that requires constant and instant gratification, maybe this isn't the best hobby for you. Model Railroading is often referred to as a lifetime hobby in that it takes time to get from point a to point b. Not every single thing you want is going to be available today. Waiting is simply part of this hobby. Many of us have been around here for most of our lives. I received my first HO trains at 7 but before that, I was playing with an old Marx O-27 set (that I still have in it's original box thanks to my grandfather and mother), probably starting around 3 years old. I'm not yet 40 but I already have 36+ years of "playing with trains". I can assure you there are a number of prototypes that I would really like to see produced in model form. But over the past 20 years, especially the past 10 years, I have learned that often times, all you need to do is sit back and wait a year or three and then there it is. Accurate Evans 4780's decorated for the Boston & Maine? Check. Accurate single bay AirSlides in D&H red? Check. Amazingly accurate PS-2 4000's, 4740's, and 4750's? Check, check, and check. ACF 2970's? Check. PS-2 2600's? Check. Accurate Phase 1 GP39-2's? Check (and even nicer ones at some point from Athearn I bet). SDP45's? Check. 50' PS-1's in D&H yellow/black AND I heart NY*? Check and Check. With simulated working cushioning no less. How awesome is that? And now stunningly detailed TankTrain cars.
Are there more models on my want list? You bet. ACF CH-29 2-bay covered hoppers would be GREAT. That new Moloco GATC boxcar in D&H paint. Accurate models of the Reading home built 50' boxcars that went to the D&H? Very high on my list and I'd be happier than a Camel on Wednesday to get even a flat kit version of them. Lots and lots of other models that I would really like to see and IF they appear at some point, I hope I have the available funds to add them to the roster. If they NEVER appear, that's ok too. I'll either find suitable stand-ins, figure out a way to kitbash something close enough, or just shrug my shoulders and say "oh well". But you know what? Even if I never get everything on MY wish list, life is good. This hobby has provided me a great deal of satisfaction over the years and it will continue to do so in the future. There are a lot more pressing issues to get upset about. Model railroading is not one of them. I guess my point is, instead of always focusing on what you don't have, step back and appreciate what you DO have. We've never had it so good with regard to variety and accuracy of models as we do today. And no matter how you want to look at it, we are playing with toys after all. Expensive and highly detailed, but still TOYS.
Happy modeling to all of you,
Jason Cook
* I sure hope I don't get sued for owning "I heart NY" models........
1. TankTrains are NOT just a southern California thing. They are best known due to the numerous articles and published pictures over the years of the "Oil Can" train. I don't model the SP. I will never model a huge "oil can" unit train of these cars. I do however model the Delaware & Hudson. Starting in 1978 and continuing through today, GATX TankTrain cars in 10-car blocks have been a fixture on the portion of the D&H that will be in my basement. The TankTrain concept finally allowed the D&H to break the stranglehold that barges held on fuel traffic between the Port of Albany and Burlington, Vermont. The Champlain Canal might not have been the fastest way to get fuel from Albany to Burlington, but it was dirt cheap. Until the TankTrain came along anyway. So as a D&H modeler, these cars have been very high on my "want list". I'm very happy with this announcement.
2. Civility and manners. Exactly when did model railroading begin to revolve around "you and only you"? There are a handful of modelers that feel the need to denigrate a manufacturer every time they release a model that is not on "their" personal list of what they feel should be done. Guess what? "You" are not the only individual in this hobby. "Your" personal preference be it current day, transition era, or horse drawn wagons on wooden rails is NOT the only era that matters. There are a lot of other people in the hobby besides "you" and thankfully, the manufacturers are aware of that. The majority of modelers seem to be aware of this too. Most folks I know tend to look at announcements of products that don't fit their era or interest as a good thing. Good that in the sense they have a little more time to build up their hobby fund after the last round of "have to have" announcements that did apply to them. Good that the manufacturers are smart enough to broaden their market share to as many modelers as possible. You can't be all things to all people but if you're only one thing to one small group, you might not be here tomorrow. That's simply smart business.
If you're the type that requires constant and instant gratification, maybe this isn't the best hobby for you. Model Railroading is often referred to as a lifetime hobby in that it takes time to get from point a to point b. Not every single thing you want is going to be available today. Waiting is simply part of this hobby. Many of us have been around here for most of our lives. I received my first HO trains at 7 but before that, I was playing with an old Marx O-27 set (that I still have in it's original box thanks to my grandfather and mother), probably starting around 3 years old. I'm not yet 40 but I already have 36+ years of "playing with trains". I can assure you there are a number of prototypes that I would really like to see produced in model form. But over the past 20 years, especially the past 10 years, I have learned that often times, all you need to do is sit back and wait a year or three and then there it is. Accurate Evans 4780's decorated for the Boston & Maine? Check. Accurate single bay AirSlides in D&H red? Check. Amazingly accurate PS-2 4000's, 4740's, and 4750's? Check, check, and check. ACF 2970's? Check. PS-2 2600's? Check. Accurate Phase 1 GP39-2's? Check (and even nicer ones at some point from Athearn I bet). SDP45's? Check. 50' PS-1's in D&H yellow/black AND I heart NY*? Check and Check. With simulated working cushioning no less. How awesome is that? And now stunningly detailed TankTrain cars.
Are there more models on my want list? You bet. ACF CH-29 2-bay covered hoppers would be GREAT. That new Moloco GATC boxcar in D&H paint. Accurate models of the Reading home built 50' boxcars that went to the D&H? Very high on my list and I'd be happier than a Camel on Wednesday to get even a flat kit version of them. Lots and lots of other models that I would really like to see and IF they appear at some point, I hope I have the available funds to add them to the roster. If they NEVER appear, that's ok too. I'll either find suitable stand-ins, figure out a way to kitbash something close enough, or just shrug my shoulders and say "oh well". But you know what? Even if I never get everything on MY wish list, life is good. This hobby has provided me a great deal of satisfaction over the years and it will continue to do so in the future. There are a lot more pressing issues to get upset about. Model railroading is not one of them. I guess my point is, instead of always focusing on what you don't have, step back and appreciate what you DO have. We've never had it so good with regard to variety and accuracy of models as we do today. And no matter how you want to look at it, we are playing with toys after all. Expensive and highly detailed, but still TOYS.
Happy modeling to all of you,
Jason Cook
* I sure hope I don't get sued for owning "I heart NY" models........
