Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2018 13:10:36 GMT -8
Mike Confalone
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Post by middledivision on Nov 11, 2018 13:25:25 GMT -8
What a joke.
Someone needs a tax write off.
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Post by milgentrains on Nov 11, 2018 13:36:33 GMT -8
You guys are a hoot!
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Post by riogrande on Nov 11, 2018 13:41:28 GMT -8
Thats it!  |
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Post by csx3305 on Nov 11, 2018 15:36:53 GMT -8
So can we officially declare the 50' ACF Exterior post as the F7 of HO scale boxcars? We have, what, at least five versions now? Atlas, Walthers, LBF/Huberts, the old Athearn bluebox, and now Valuetrains? And not a one of them aimed at high-end.
WHY do companies keep tooling this car design??
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2018 15:45:16 GMT -8
So can we officially declare the 50' ACF Exterior post as the F7 of HO scale boxcars? We have, what, at least five versions now? Atlas, Walthers, LBF/Huberts, the old Athearn bluebox, and now Valuetrains? And not a one of them aimed at high-end. WHY do companies keep tooling this car design?? Hear, Hear!!! |
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Post by csx3305 on Nov 11, 2018 16:01:10 GMT -8
On second thought, maybe this IS the old LBF tooling. Anybody wanna buy one just to see if its overall length is too short like the LBF? lol.
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Post by wp8thsub on Nov 11, 2018 16:48:48 GMT -8
Anybody wanna buy one just to see if its overall length is too short like the LBF?  |
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platec
Full Member
The object of nostalgia is further away than it appears
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Post by platec on Nov 11, 2018 17:39:09 GMT -8
So can we officially declare the 50' ACF Exterior post as the F7 of HO scale boxcars? We have, what, at least five versions now? Atlas, Walthers, LBF/Huberts, the old Athearn bluebox, and now Valuetrains? And not a one of them aimed at high-end. WHY do companies keep tooling this car design?? Hear, Hear!!! Don't forget that the B-man has one too! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2018 18:59:42 GMT -8
MTH does a very similar approach in O scale with many of its cars, and even train sets. I'm thinking this will do well for the collector and many average model train enthusiasts. If you notice at train shows, people run some pretty different stuff, some non pro typical, which is sometimes fun and refreshing after all it is a hobby.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2018 19:32:31 GMT -8
When James held the car upside down in his video, you could see 2 tabs along the bottom side of the carbody that held the underframe in. Did anyone ever do their car this way with the 4 tabs, 2 per side?
I did see them today at the show and kept right on walking. Had no interest in that junk.
Greg
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Post by oldmuley on Nov 11, 2018 19:58:25 GMT -8
Well according to James, they have "a very good weight", "won't have a problem with uncoupling", and "overall,.....................................................................pretty decent."
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Post by sd40dash2 on Nov 11, 2018 20:54:28 GMT -8
WHY do companies keep tooling this car design?? My guess is there are "freeware" drawings available somewhere, which do not require a mfr to pay someone to produce drawings. New models require someone on payroll to do all the prototype research and develop CAD drawings. People with such abilities cost $. Why invest the time and money when you can just use existing drawings and sell to the "Good enough for me, I'm here to have fun, I'm not a rivet counter!" crowd? |
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Post by trenes115 on Nov 11, 2018 21:49:43 GMT -8
I caught a bit of the Trainfest Clinic "Making Model Trains in the USA" by the owner of Value Trains.
Clinic description from the Trainfest site: "Derick Samson, Made in The USA I will talk in detail about my new Made In The USA company, how our company began, our factory, our products; and how we paint decorate and package our models. Made in Missouri USA".
Sounds like the Value Trains crew is basically Derick, his wife and his mother or mother-in-law. He said the moulds for the car shell and underframe were done in ways to keep development and production costs as low as possible and that the decoration is printed by an inkjet style process, again to keep costs down. In looking at the cars close up, the printing did look to me very much like what gets on paper from an inkjet printer.
He seemed to indicate that he was looking for customers seeking custom printed cars for advertising and similar purposes.
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Post by csx3305 on Nov 11, 2018 22:48:26 GMT -8
WHY do companies keep tooling this car design?? My guess is there are "freeware" drawings available somewhere, which do not require a mfr to pay someone to produce drawings. New models require someone on payroll to do all the prototype research and develop CAD drawings. People with such abilities cost $. Why invest the time and money when you can just use existing drawings and sell to the "Good enough for me, I'm here to have fun, I'm not a rivet counter!" crowd? The Athearn model dates to circa 1980, and the LBF dates to late 90's. Possibly the same drawings could've been digitized since then, however. But anyways, my question was purely rhetorical. Valuetrains could've tooled up something a little more "off the beaten path", like for instance one of the Plate B Pullmans that NARC is doing, or one of the Havelock cars, etc. and people like me would've most likely bought a few just to have a decent starting point of a required prototype, and Valuetrains could still treat them like rolling canvases for the Franklin Mint crowd. As it stands, if I need any more of this prototype (I don't), I will consult Atlas first. Despite being well over a decade since development, it still has the best tooling. I just don't understand the mentality of "Hey, five other companies are making widget X, I'm gonna offer one also, just not as well executed as the others!" ESPECIALLY in a crowded niche market like model trains. Oh well. |
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Post by stottman on Nov 11, 2018 23:22:08 GMT -8
So can we officially declare the 50' ACF Exterior post as the F7 of HO scale boxcars? We have, what, at least five versions now? Atlas, Walthers, LBF/Huberts, the old Athearn bluebox, and now Valuetrains? And not a one of them aimed at high-end. WHY do companies keep tooling this car design?? There were drawing for the "New" ACF Railbox in a 1976 issue of RMC. You can also add Bachman to the list. The Atlas is the "plate C" version, which is 6" higher. It has some errors, most notably the ends. The new Walthers version is dimensionally correct at least. The old Athearn BB has dimensional errors and the wrong roof. Supposedly Bachman even copied those errors. The old E&C/LBF/Huberts is horrible. |
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Post by bncascadegreen on Nov 12, 2018 3:03:40 GMT -8
This is more directed at beginners in the hobby I assume....
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Post by Colin 't Hart on Nov 12, 2018 3:11:09 GMT -8
It was pointed out on a Facebook group that the roof is completely wrong for any real freight car as it has been tooled backwards or mirrored: looking from the side, the narrow end of the roof stampings should be on the left, the wider end on the right, as this roofshot of a real value car shows:  Compare that to the roof shot from the non-value trains car:  |
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Post by riogrande on Nov 12, 2018 3:49:29 GMT -8
No thank you.
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Nov 12, 2018 4:13:37 GMT -8
I don't understand the comment? |
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Post by Great-Northern-Willmar Div on Nov 12, 2018 4:20:46 GMT -8
MTH does a very similar approach in O scale with many of its cars, and even train sets. I'm thinking this will do well for the collector and many average model train enthusiasts. If you notice at train shows, people run some pretty different stuff, some non pro typical, which is sometimes fun and refreshing after all it is a hobby. For all the build up of this new company and to come out with something so mundane and at a price point that is the same as higher quality offerings, this was a major deflation. True, there are all types in the hobby. But again, the hype didn't measure up to the final product. You are still dealing with a poorly executed model with inkjet printing for decoration. Not even the O gauge guys have inkjet printed rolling stock. The price is at or above other manufacturers for again something not as well done as the competition. Well at least it has Kadee couplers. |
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Post by riogrande on Nov 12, 2018 4:36:15 GMT -8
For all the build up of this new company and to come out with something so mundane and at a price point that is the same as higher quality offerings, this was a major deflation. I think probably where the problem lies is where they are marketing these models; they seem to be marketing them in a venue largely populated by modelers of higher fidelity expectations. As such they are going to be viewed as an oddity or possibly a misguided effort which didn't to proper research for a successful business plan. It will be interesting to check on this company in 5 to 10 years. Final analysis, these are aimed at the toy train and train collectors market. Certainly something to chin-wag about, as the British would say. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2018 5:17:08 GMT -8
They are definitely not aimed at the Tangent, Arrowhead, ExactRail, ScaleTrains genre.
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Post by bnsf971 on Nov 12, 2018 6:26:39 GMT -8
I guess if nothing else, this shows what a car made in the USA would have to look like in order to have similar pricing to what we now enjoy from China. Of course, some real paint schemes would be nice, and not cost much, if any, more.
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Post by edwardsutorik on Nov 12, 2018 7:17:35 GMT -8
I guess if nothing else, this shows what a car made in the USA would have to look like in order to have similar pricing to what we now enjoy from China. Of course, some real paint schemes would be nice, and not cost much, if any, more. Have to? Kadee, cough, cough. Price point around $40. They even have real paint schemes. And KADEE COUPLERS! About the only complaint is that they surely take forever to bring out a new model. Maybe they're happy with sales as they are?  ? Ed |
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Post by milgentrains on Nov 12, 2018 7:17:54 GMT -8
I don't understand the comment? I find it amusing to read the comments expressing indignation at a model boxcar. I don't think that this model is aimed at the holier than thou rivet counter crowd. |
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Post by edwardsutorik on Nov 12, 2018 7:20:11 GMT -8
I think that's "holier than youse".
Ed
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Post by roadkill on Nov 12, 2018 8:04:15 GMT -8
I don't understand the comment? I find it amusing to read the comments expressing indignation at a model boxcar. I don't think that this model is aimed at the holier than thou rivet counter crowd. You don't seem to understand one thing... a little more attention to detail and better tooling one can expand their customer base. See: Accurail. Because it's a turd (and a high priced one at that) it appeals to a very small market. |
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Post by nstophat on Nov 12, 2018 8:06:46 GMT -8
Well according to James, they have "a very good weight", "won't have a problem with uncoupling", and "overall,.....................................................................pretty decent." Did you expect him to say "Whatta' P.O.S.!" in front of the guys. They do look very NASCAR-ish in their marketing though. |
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avel
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Post by avel on Nov 12, 2018 8:11:53 GMT -8
Well according to James, they have "a very good weight", "won't have a problem with uncoupling", and "overall,.....................................................................pretty decent." Did you expect him to say "Whatta' P.O.S.!" in front of the guys. They do look very NASCAR-ish in their marketing though. That would of been hilarious! "What a P.O.S!" or "Are you guys serious??". |
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