Micro-Trains State Cars

codeman708 Aug 6, 2004

  1. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    For the life of me, I could NEVER understand people complaining about Micro Trains doing special runs like this.

    I mean, guys would insist MT should spend their resources on modeling only prototypical cars, as if they would buy one of each one.

    Doug
     
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  2. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Personally I love cars like this. When I modeled HO scale I would pick up limited run and special editions all the time. We were doing a show that had the requirement of only prototypical equipment. Well I pulled out one of my MRR special edition cars, which Model Railroader actually commissioned a real car to be painted as. This was before the days of smart phones, and I also knew that somewhere someone would say something so I printed the article from whatever site I found the picture at (prolly Railimages) and had it on hand. Sure enough the show bigwig got on my case for having this car… I produced the page and he just said huh… and walked off. All and all it was a fun show, it was supposed to be about operations and we had an ops session on a modular layout.
     
  3. BNSF FAN

    BNSF FAN TrainBoard Supporter

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    I think you must have dozed off for a bit Rick. This was the past.............. :D:p:ROFLMAO::LOL:
     
  4. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    No doubt some people take this hobby to extremes. I sometimes lurk on other forums and found someone inquiring about the correct rivet diameter for an N Scale work car for a specific railroad. Seriously. No joke.
     
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  5. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    It's not always a joke, although it's likely that the ability to reproduce said rivet in 1:160 is, let us say, doubtful.

    I have a LOT of admiration for those who participate in the Railway Prototype Modelers meets. I've been to a few and I really enjoy them and greatly respect what is displayed. The BIG DIFFERENCE is that these participants are striving to do the best they can and share in a "show and tell" spirit, not looking to belittle others' efforts or complain about manufacturers' shortcomings. Given the level of fidelity they attempt, it's probably not surprising that the vast majority of work is done in "Horribly Oversize" (HO Scale) and larger.

    Could I ever get to that level? Not a chance. But that's OK!
     
  6. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    I'm thinking of one of the Model Railroader Anniversary Boxcars... the 60th Anniversary was on a Wisconsin Central exterior post ("Railbox") boxcar, then the 70th and 75th Anniversary cars were on Wisconsin and Southern double plug door boxcars. If I recall correctly, Model Railroader "followed around" the 60th Anniversary car for a year.

    I've never seen one of the prototypes in person.
     
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  7. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    You knew I wasn't going to ignore the above comment. Always look forward to your response and thoughts shared, Point353

    How dare you talk about me with that tone of voice. LOL

    Me thinks you have me pegged or something like that. Your right I wouldn't buy any of the state or element cars unless they ran on the one to the one foot scale railroads. Maine Potatoes is one I own. I bought it at a weak moment and for a buck or two. The guy that sold it to me was glad to get rid of it. I found out why when I got it home. It sports new MT trucks and knuckle couplers, these days.

    You guessed it. Only if there is a prototype. Do I dare say, "Prototypers" won't buy them. Spell check doesn't like this application of verbility. I don't think that's a word... but we use it frequently here.

    It's like collecting the latest Christmas Cars or Christmas Trains. Here is an idea how about a Martin Luther premier passenger cars? How about those fluffy Valentine cars that smell of Chocolate? Of course they could produce Victoria Secret's box car advertisement of sheer panties uhh...err Lingerie? Not going to happen or show up on my railroad property. I have a tough enough time keeping my N scale employees busy and concentrating on the job at hand.

    All said in jest. The only thing for real here is I won't buy them. That you are correct about.

    I once worked in a hobby shop. Best job ever. Therefore my next thoughts on the subject. I do question whether or not these special run cars or billboard box cars as we used to call them. Actually keeps Micro-Trains a float financially. The cost to make these can be prohibitive and if one doesn't sell-out, it becomes a lose to both MT and the brick and mortar hobby shops. We used to be real careful about ordering in such freaky items as all to often they became shelf queens and dust collectors. Funny!! Not in a haw haw way but the beer billboard cars sold like hot cakes. Keeping in mind, In a hobby shop it isn't our job to collect them, it's our job to sell them. When they don't sell... Not fun!

    Must be a lot of Bubba J's out there. Do you think?

    That said. If that's what you want please by all means buy them up. You might be doing yourself a favor and get more... of the same. That's how it works.

    See signature.
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
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  8. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    Okay, what UFO flew by and took me to the future. By the way if this is the future, your not going to like it.:sick::rolleyes::oops::(:eek:...:ROFLMAO:
     
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  9. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    I had the 60th anniversary car. It was fun to run something like that.

    I like unique and custom cars because it draws attention. Sometimes it’s negative attention tho as some people take this way to seriously. I model for fun and relaxation. And if that fun is running a custom car or a TGV on American modules… so be it.
     
  10. Massey

    Massey TrainBoard Member

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    Yes… because that rivet that is 3/4 of an inch on the prototype is not visible on N scale, our n scale rivets are 2” tall and in diameter. Because THAT is correct! Lol.
     
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  11. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    The first special run MT car I ever got was the red Model Railroader 40th anniversary car. "Great Gulch Yahoo Valley & Northern", named after Al Kalmbach's early layout. Gosh, and now it's already been 48 years since then.

    MR 40th Anniversary Car.jpg

    Doug
     
    Last edited: Jan 17, 2022
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  12. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    My first special run car was this one from 1985. There was actually a prototype car just like this and the Pacific Northwest Region NMRA 1985 Gold Spike Convention sponsors offered a clever discount on the purchase price if buyers saw the real car and reported its location along with their order. This was before the Internet came into vogue of course. I was able to trace railcars on a teletype machine as part of my job, so was easily able to locate it.

    I didn't use my advantage to extract an unfair discount, but I did submit a number of teletype tracing logs with my order. When my car shipped, the club included a nice handwritten note thanking me for what I'd sent. :)

    I have very few special run cars. I just thought this one was cool.

    upload_2022-1-17_15-45-21.png
     
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  13. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    If you have a retail shop, then you need to be in touch with the givens and druthers of your local customer base.
    Or, you need to have a website with an inventory list so that whoever can't live without one of those "fantasy" type cars can do a google search and find that your shop might have it.

    The owner of an LHS at which I shop tells me that one of his customers buys two of absolutely everything that Micro-Trains produces.
    (No, he's not building an ark.)
    Apparently, that customer's plan is that, one day, his son and daughter will each inherit one complete set of Micro-Trains products.
    Supposedly, neither the son nor the daughter has the slightest interest in model/toy trains.
    Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall when the will is read?
    At least the hobby shop owner (and Micro-Trains) has been benefitting from that customer's purchases.
     
  14. BarstowRick

    BarstowRick TrainBoard Supporter

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    That's the kind of customer we would of liked to have.

    Got you covered.

    The brick and mortar LHS, I worked for, we did our best to "Know the Customer" and track their likes or dislikes. Now the owner was of the persuasion he knew best. Having lived in the valley longer then I, I figured he most likely did. He had built his business from a hole in the wall to a pretty good sized store. However, we did end up with a higher number of shelf queens and dust collectors. Not the preferred way to run a store.

    I did track the customers in the train department. The problem was there was to few whose interest coincided and to many single interests, to be able to please all of them.

    I would interview each customer. Evaluate your customer. One of my questions, "What product or item are you interested in?" I never got the same answer twice. Furthermore despite our best pleas to the company representatives. that came through. We weren't able to stock the store shelves with the items our customers wanted. Simply said, they weren't available.

    Nonetheless, your advice is noted and I hope others in various LHS's will pay attention to it. Good advice.

    Later!
     
    Last edited: Jan 18, 2022
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  15. Point353

    Point353 TrainBoard Member

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    There's a similar car, now available, for the "Milwaukee, Racine & Troy" layout.

    [​IMG]
     
  16. 308GTSi

    308GTSi TrainBoard Member

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    Thats OK , one of my mates calls me Marty McFly because I can recall everything about our motorcycle riding days in the 80's !
     
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  17. Tad

    Tad TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have Louisiana, was born there,

    Arkansas, lived there

    Kentucky, Fort Knox twice,

    Texas, Fort Hood three times,

    Idaho, Gowen Field last duty station, lived there since I retired from the Army,

    Utah, Wife from there,

    Mississippi, family from there,

    Alabama, family from there,

    Missouri, family from there.

    I use them as the eight cars on my Macey Yard Inglenook Sidings switching layout sometimes.
     
  18. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    Which was also the first ever Kadee Micro-Trains Special Run car. So if you don't like it, blame Kalmbach :ROFLMAO:o_O:LOL:
     
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  19. umtrr-author

    umtrr-author TrainBoard Member

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    This is an easy one if I put my Ruthless MBA hat on. Without knowing anything in particular: Micro-Trains would simply not be making these if they weren't profitable. These are mostly pre-orders so if not enough advance demand they're not made. There have been cancellations once in a while, but mostly in Z Scale.

    Now, what we don't know and will never know is how many are actually made of each run, and what the resulting Profit and Loss Statement is on an individual car basis. The "Solar System Series" surprised me with how fast they left the factory and hit what I call the "bye bye board" in the UMTRR -- in both lit and unlit versions-- but in what quantities? Was it 100, 500, 1000? Only Eric Smith and the inner circle know for sure, and just like Duke the Dog of the Bush's Beans commercial, he ain't tellin'.

    I would submit that the single largest quantity item made by Micro-Trains each year is... wait for it... the free membership car given to all subscribers to the N Scale Enthusiast. I feel at least somewhat confident about this.
     
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  20. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    I buy what I like, plain and simple. I didn't buy any of the state cars because I couldn't think of a reason to get any...except the State of Jefferson car, which I did get (need to live in No. Calif or So. Oregon to really understand). I have gotten most of the Heritage cars at one time or another, and I have several MT anniversary cars (and plan on getting one or two of the 50th cars coming out). I don't have a problem with anyone making comments on me running them, since they will be quickly escorted to the door and not invited back. My railroad, my rules.
     
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