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Post by riogrande on May 27, 2015 17:09:36 GMT -8
So looks like they need to fix the details as it says in the link:
At any rate, at $25.98 for a single trailer based on the old 40' blue box tooling, YMMV.
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Post by atsfan on May 27, 2015 17:28:16 GMT -8
Amazing their ad says it wrong. The coal porters are through the roof and well beyond normal also. At $26 each for a trailer I wonder who is going to pre order them to even justify production in a year.
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Post by antoniofp45 on May 28, 2015 2:05:53 GMT -8
Just a quick stop in to say "Hi" and am looking forward to the Frisco and Southern RTR SD45s. I thought that they were scheduled to be available in June, but I went to the website and saw an "August" due date. From my understanding the tooling on these new RTR versions is an improvement over the ones produced some years back. Is that true or just rumor?
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Post by Brakie on May 28, 2015 3:15:04 GMT -8
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Post by bnsf971 on May 28, 2015 3:35:55 GMT -8
That price point would make a 50 car train of 89' flats, each with a pair of 40' trailers, an extremely pricey proposition. Back when I did N scale, I would run my "gold train" of rare MT cars at open houses, and watch the collectors have coronaries when they saw my train. Now, I'm beginning to realize how they felt.
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Post by riogrande on May 28, 2015 3:40:52 GMT -8
Amazing their ad says it wrong. The coal porters are through the roof and well beyond normal also. At $26 each for a trailer I wonder who is going to pre order them to even justify production in a year. It seems high but OTOH, they may well sell. Remember Athearn offered the singles of the 45' blue box tooling trailers just a couple years ago, 3 numbers each in several paint jobs and those are all sold out AFAIK; I think those were around $20 ea - and that made my jaw drop at the time. And now here they are offering another run at $26 ea so well, go figure that? I guess there must be a few folk out there willing to part with their money for those, even if few of them. The Fruehaufs at around 22 to 24 dollars caused me to budget carefully for the 40 and 45 foot last 2-pack runs, and now future runs are $26 for singles and my budget is even tighter? I bought examples from all of the last 45' Fruehauf 2-packs but none of the 40' 2-packs (but did do a lot of treasure hunting - most of the previous road names - I'm glad I made hay while the sun was shining as the old saying goes). I am aware of the times we are living in yes - IMO some products justify prices better than others or offer "value" for cost better than others. I'm more willing part with big money or save up for some items which have nice detailing and offer fidelity to prototype such as Exactrail, Moloco or Tangent products where you can really compare the models favorably to the real thing. But when you take a model like the Athearn 40' trailer which is very difficult to match up to a photo of a real trailer, and start charging relatively high prices for a model that was tooled back in the 60's or 70's - it's something I can't financially justify, especially when you have to pick and choose where you spend a limites supply of money on. The only "improvement" I am aware of made to the Athearn RTR SD45 is the chassis has been modified to accept sound - it has a space for a speaker in it now. I don't believe the shell has changed - they are still the upgraded RPP shells with various added details per various prototypes - some heritage of the old RPP shells still remaining.
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Post by riogrande on May 28, 2015 6:05:06 GMT -8
Pretty much with Athearns new pricing structures on the "blue box" based trailers, I don't see myself buying any from new production runs unless I find something at some close-out special some day! The price/value isn't there for me. Even the future runs based on the A-line tooling I might only get one or two of at the new price point. I'll continue to treasure hunt old runs. Thankfully some of Athearns product line still seems to be holding a better pricing scheme for now or better value - it just depends on the items.
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Post by milgentrains on May 28, 2015 8:55:00 GMT -8
I've been stockpiling the old Walthers 45,48 & 53 ft trailer kits for my future ISL. I need to get a few of the Trucks & Stuff big rigs.
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Post by dti406 on May 28, 2015 9:05:43 GMT -8
Glad I picked up some of those old Undec Athearn trailers on E-bay last year for about a buck apiece. Also scored some Microscale decals for them cheap, a little paint and they will be good at less than $5.00 apiece including my labor.
Rick J
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Post by fr8kar on May 28, 2015 12:31:42 GMT -8
I've had good luck getting the Athearn trailers at train shows for reasonable prices. It's not all the time that I can find them, but when I do it is worth the hunt.
I have also had good luck finding old A-line and Rail Power trailer kits here and there. Recently I picked up a handful of A-line spoke and disc wheel/tire packs to fix up these kits.
I'm hopeful the prices will continue to come down on 3D printed models, such as those on shapeways.com. The selection of HO vehicles, especially period trailers, is constantly improving, as is the quality of the printed models.
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Post by Spikre on May 29, 2015 9:58:25 GMT -8
James, the Old Trailers are now sold by OPEC ? no,but with the current batch of Correct 89' Flat Cars,they do need something to go on them. and they have made improvements to the BB Trailers: better detailed landing gear. better boogies. better wheels with rubbery tires now,not solid plastic like the good old days. but does that make what was a less than $2.00 trailer a $24.98 Trailer ? don't think so,maybe $9.98,but even that seems too much for those Generic Kluuugs. so guess it will be a New Trailer free diet here,and will look for oldies. what is MRC charging for the ex-Cox Model Power 40' and 35' trailers ? Spikre
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Post by riogrande on May 29, 2015 10:42:27 GMT -8
Dunno about OPEC. Some say you can put lipstick on a pig, well I guess these are piggy flat cars eh? I still prefer the Fruehaufs and have quite a few of them now stocked up, but do have a few odd of the blue box and a couple Concors to break it up for variety, oh, and some of the rib sided A liners too.
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