There are plenty of great utility/lease schemes out there for coalporters that would make nice models. Personally, I would buy an entire train of the Coleto Creek CCTX silver/red cars in a heartbeat. And I would think the NRG TGNX cars would be fairly successful....they are very cool looking cars with a great logo. (yes, they even have a LOGO!!!!) There are other utilities too, and also lease type cars that show up in a lot of different trains....CEFX, CITX, FURX, NCUX, TILX, et al. I can't imagine that with all of the talk of utilizing existing tooling to wither the storm of the bad economy that we've seen virtually NOTHING from what everyone said way back when was model railroading's proverbial "cash cow".
Here in Indiana we have IPL. They pretty flatly refuse to grant a license to manufacturers, even for decals... though now people at least have the option of making their own decals. One guy was making them on his own to sell and apparently got his stock seized. Obviously you can make them up for your own use, but as soon as you start selling them there is legal recourse. Personally I feel licensing restrictions on modeling is a tad ridiculous, but that's neither here nor there. Not sure if that's what's stopping all the others, but at least for IPL that's the case.
I did consider it might be a licensing issue. That figures, since "delusions of grandeur" is becoming a more common disorder these days. At very least, they could do generic cars either with just dimensional data (sans reporting mark/road number...I think Deluxe Innovations did this at one time) OR even some with the rotary flag end painted an appropriate color and just apply the reporting marks (and logos if applicable) to that without the need to even paint. The Kato CHTT car for example could be at least three other utility cars just by changing the reporting marks and numbers. (I'm slowly attempting this but haven't found a good way to quickly remove the lettering without the paint) Anyway, I know Atlas has released some different schemes for the coalporters in their HO Trainman line so at least some new cars could be done. The Atlas UFIX cars are actualy coalveyors which are a little bit different animal than the aluminum coalporters. And, I think Atlas has done most--if not all--the relevant schemes for that car.
I'm only guessing but maybe it has something to do with having to provide 12 or more road numbers. People seem to want to buy these in unit train quantities. 12 Cars @ $25 = $300 Maybe with discounts $250? Would manufacturers risk it?
Hmmm, perhaps a little hyperbole with these numbers, although I think you might be on to something, nonetheless. Here are the last announced runs by manufacturer, MSRP, and Announce Date: -Deluxe Innovations $19.38 Apr11 -Athearn $17.00 Oct10 -Kato $16.88 Jun12 -Huberts $22 ??06? Let's adjust these a bit to be fair, (let's assume MSRP's have risen 10% in each of the two years since the Athearn's were announced) and eliminate Huberts since they are defunct... -Deluxe Innovations $19.38 + 1.94 = $21.32 -Athearn $17.00 + 1.70 + 1.87 = $20.57 -Kato $16.88 That comes out to $19.59 MSRP on average, or $195.96 at your discount for the 12 pack. I think maybe this tells the tale....keeping the street price below $200/dozen? Interestingly enough, I just placed an order for a newly announced 12-pack of Trinity RD-4's from Fox Valley Models and paid less than $170 street. Granted, at a different discount level from what you proposed but still...I think maybe the pricing on the older tooling IS a little out of line with reality. Both the RD-4's and the Atlas Coalveyors are newer/better tooling. Probably not that fair to presume that Athearn will jack up their price either, so really 2 of the 3 are in the $17 range. But you could be right...if they have to get $20-25 MSRP for them now, then maybe it's no longer the cow it used to be. I think at MSRP $17 for twelve at a time, they can still make it work though. For the record, I noticed and had forgotten that Deluxe Innovations had announced PPLX coalporters. It was four years ago and still no delivery in sight, but I just wanted to mention that since it is significant to my original post about utility cars.
I agree the NRG TGNX cars should do well since I have seen plenty in Denver and again in Dalhart. Athearn's factory is out of commission until they get a new one. Historically Kato did very poorly with CHTT & WEPX since they did not "know" how to market either of them: They did the wrong car for WEPX. Had they done the black/yellow car they could have marketed them easily since the train had recently been featured by Pentrex in their Raton video. CHTT should have been pointed out that those are related to UP as a subsidiary. Not a peep in the advertising. Another case of either poor research or not caring in the PR department. We begged DI to do the corret WEPX cars and even gave them actual road numbers off the cars twice. The quote we got back as dealer cost that would allow them to use the remaining blanks they already had was way too high. Interesting that IPL has allowed some companies to do their cars including the logo. Maybe it's a matter of how they are approached. I know that G.Johnson used to get agreements by offering 50 pair of containers in exchange. Contaner company was happy and modelers were getting another container that was accurate and well done.
At least you guys modelling midwest/western roads are getting/have any models at all. Try modelling the Southeastern utilities with what's out there and you get nothing, although NS is available, and CSX too to a lesser extent, the actual utilities' cars are non-existant. Fox Valley just announced a run for Virginia Power RD-4s but they seem to be from a small geographical area, maybe PA.,WV. & VA. I don't know where else these cars run, but it seems limited. I'd like to see FVM do some, I guess you'd call them "foobie" schemes, runs of the GALX(Georgia Power) & ELFX(Progress Energie's Electric Fuels) RD-2s. These cars can be seen all the way from Kentucky down to Georgia and in the case of the ELFX cars, down into Florida. Of course, anything with pre-1992 reporting marks would be awsome. Most of the utilities in the Southeast(and others I'm sure) numbered their cars according to the year they purchased them in, which is why you could sometimes see cars with a 0 as the first digit. These would've been bought between 2001 & 2009. I felt bad to cancel my order of VP RD-4s, but they are too new for me, as I changed modelling from pre-Conrail-split CSX to 1989-1992 due to the fact that the locos were a lot more intersting. With their 98XXX road numbers I can't have them. Hope Matt will decide to do other easten roads though! Trevor D.
Doug - Tactfully put. Thank you. Um, I'm guessing by now that most know that Kato has anounced a new run of coal porters in BNSF? http://www.katousa.com/news/June12-News.html#Item03
Maybe what is needed is a new way to market these items. Instead of individually boxed how about putting ten in a box and leave off the trucks and couplers. Save money on packaging and let the modeller decide what brand of trucks they want on the car. Look at the selection we have in trucks and couplers. Why force someone to pay for, as an example, Atlas trucks with Accumates when the modeller will only chuck these and go with MT's? That money could be spent buying more cars. And since when is 12 cars a unit train? Now if you said 50-60 cars then okay but 50-60 cars will cost at least $500-$1,000+ depending n the car and manufacturer. Now if you save $1 on packaging per car and $3 on trucks/couplers the cost comes down to $300-$800+ again, depending on car and manufacturer. Plus there is the savings in labor needed to add the trucks to the car.
I'd be happy with cheaper packaging and applying my own trucks. Um, ya, I realize many / most? folks would not consider 12 to be a "unit train'. I mostly intended that as a baseline starting point. Most of my staging only allows for 12 sixty foot cars.
