Started by popular request... So along with the 'missed opportunities' thread, what's the item that you hesitated on that later on it occurred to you.... "well, THAT was close - what was I thinking"? Here's an easy one for me. The brass Hallmark SD24 body with the Kato drive. I watched and watched.... and then Atlas announced theirs. No regrets there for sure! The second easy one, by far, is the legendary (??) Jamco 4-6-2 ATSF 3400-class Pacific - the first brass locomotive in N scale. They looked so good in 1969.... and I promised myself I'd get one someday (when I grew up!) Everytime I'm tempted I go back and read Spookshow's review. Yeah, no regrets there either.
I almost bought a brass El Capitan train from a friend. (Hallmark maybe?) I was in the process of making RTV molds of the cars to cast my own but was getting tired of that and offered to buy it from him. We were still haggling over the price when I found out Kato was going to release that train set. I withdrew any offers. Here is one of the resin cast coaches I had already been working on.
ConCor Aerotrain... Interesting item but... I've read the model is finicky and the price was waaaayyyy too high for that.
I saw a bunch of Superliner coaches in IV for a good price on Ebay today. I then realize that I have no Amtrak engines and no where to run them in any case. So, I decided the money could be better spent else model train or not.
Hey Randy, I actually had one of the Jamco Pacifics and Spookshow is right. I got a real bargain on it along with a full box of other "junk". It was simply neat owning a piece of N scale history. I let it go on the auction site a couple of years ago. Bob
I know what you mean on the El Cap cars. Here's mine: Many, many years ago I got a pair of NGI etched-brass side El Capitan cars, looked nice, actually, under Con-Cor Budd roofs and acrylic frames. Ran them for many years. Spookshow (Mark's) shot is of my car: http://www.spookshow.net/passenger/njichair.html which shows you how rare the darn things were. But when I started illuminating cars and doing night operations, the huge empty cars stood out like crazy. Hmmm . Lights and interiors. I know, I'll get a couple Kato superliners and put the etched ATSF shells over those! I did one. What a truly miserable and difficult project. But the end result worked, with Kato pickups it lit up, and had an interior, so I looked reluctantly at the second. I decided it would be easier to start over, I'd come into four sets of sides, I think I could probably make one more and sell three to finance the project.... hmmm...., or I could just look at one of the Hallmark sets instead, yeah, darn pricey but doable. OK, that's on the project list. I then heard the Kato announcement. Whew, that was close. I even managed to sell my sides, and the two assembled NGI cars, before Kato El-caps hit the shelves. And nothing against Hallmark, but those Kato cars are pretty darn impressive. Not that long ago I almost pulled the pin chasing after 'original' Model Power steam, warts and all....before MRC made their announcement.
The Intermountain Cab Forward. Issues with the model coupled with the Price kept me away, and I don't regret that decision
Atlas C55 track.... When I started my layout 3 years ago I almost went with Atlas C55 track. With the shortage of track at the time and the subsequent delays in getting Atlas C55 track back into the USA...I would just now be starting to lay track. Instead... I have been running trains for 3 years now. Unitrack worked out great for me !!!!!
I have Kato's TGV Sud Est (Orange) bullet train set complete and I don't regret getting it one bit a couple of years ago despite the hefty final bid price. It runs like a dream and I cherish it despite it being WAY out of my era. However, over the years I've had opportunities to dive into the bidding on Kato's other TGV offerings (Thalys, SNCF, Eurostar, etc), but I have resisted with some satisfaction. The prices always go so high, and I just don't need another modern set I would rarely have an opportunity to run. Definitely hundreds of dollars saved from a little self control.
Anything brass that I saw something Southern Pacific thinking that it wouldn't be made in plastic. Most of those have been made since then...GS-4 #4449, Cab Forward 4294, SD40T-2 tunnel motors, GP60s, and many more. I'm glad I was patient!
Like I did with the OMI MILW bay windows, only to see them come out in plastic a couple of years ago. Now here they sit. Oh well.
Came close to going to Nn3 and actually had some track, turnouts, and a few cars and locos acquired at a sale from a LHS going out of business. Not quite sure where my mind took a trip to but it wasn't with me. Already having issues just with N scale decals and seeing some things plus fingers dealing with items even smaller. Finally came to my senses and liquidated my small stock.
Randgust, I got eh Hallmark SD24, and I love it. Cost a bit more than the Atlas, but not that much, but it's the best brass I've got! Bill
Kato FEF, I suppose, I wanted it so badly... Then I realized well if I model the Santa Fe in the mid 90's it may never see the tracks where I want to model (So Cal) so I will just have to wait for another steamer to come out... ATSF 3751...
Generic answers: 1) Avoiding bidding wars... stepping awaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay from the keyboard when it was apparent that a price for something was going to go beyond what I was willing to pay. 2) Thinking more carefully and deciding to not purchase something that fit in with neither my railroad's time period nor my personal top 'likes'. I don't think it's fair to single out any one product here, since many of them are top-notch and will make (or have made) others really happy.
