It's seems to me that these trucks are a nice addition to any layout. Especially my KW W-900. But as Pat pumps out more & more of these exceptional models, collecting them is becoming a hobby on its own. I'm going to be building a new layout soon. I'll be including a few highway bridges to show off all the trucks.
Here is an attempt to try to keep everything in perspective. Most U.S. based model railroad companies, with the notable exception of Showcase Miniatures and Micro-Trains (except for locomotive mechanisms), rely on an overseas factory to produce their products. This means the company must contract in advance with the overseas factory for the number of units that will be made for each production run. Unfortunately, model railroad items are not made in sufficient quantities to allow any significant additional cost savings per unit between a run of a few hundred units and a run of a few thousand units. So, it is really the overseas factory that sets the MSRP (aka list price) of the model assuming the company uses the typical markup percentages to set the MSRP. This also means that the company must pay for all of the models produced, even if only a portion of the models are sold shortly after they are imported. Therefore, in order to have the money to produce a new run of models, the company cannot have many leftover unsold models for any length of time. Sometimes these unsold models will wind up on "liquidation type" sales with deep discounts that may not even let the company recover their cost of importing the models. While the concept that the more you make will result in more sales is technically true, if the company over produces a model, and some of that production is sold at or below cost, there may not be enough overall "net profit" made on the model for the company to finance the production of another product. In other words, selling more units does not always mean a higher profit for a company. The company needs to accurately estimate the demand for the model, and adjust their production accordingly. Also, most companies have a product in development for a couple of years or more, so everything they make has to be profitable in order to keep new products coming out the end of that "pipeline" in the future. While over production has some benefit to modelers being able to get big discounts now, it probably will also mean fewer products from that company down the road a bit. I am now getting off my soapbox. Carter
Can we see the Timpte hoppers released just by themselves? Maybe a 50' version with a tag axle like I used to pull? or hycube with commodity traps? (High side hopppers like for DDG, Sunflowers, cotton seed etc.)
Here are what the pre-production models look like: I did not like the "crooked" landing gear look, so I came back and took better pictures that can be found here: http://nscalevehicles.org/news.php You will need to scroll about halfway down the page. Carter
I guess I don't understand why there are not more Hopper type trailers produced from anyone. Surely there has to be a combined interest in N scale layouts. With grain type hauling and light and dense products in our industries.
You are right, these are long overdue. I've been using some resin cast ones as fill ins. I can't wait to replace them with the TrainWorx ones.
Karl, The landing gear was just press fit (rather loosely) into the holes, and I was able to straighten them for the photos on the NSVA web page. I am sure the production models will not have any issues with the landing gear. Carter
Those Holland's get bent if you drop a loaded trailer and it leans, or hit one too hard picking it up, especially if loaded.
Have had the "Legends of the Road" on pre-order since the notice came out, I was recently told after the 1st Quarter 2018 came and went "delayed" but has anyone heard delayed until when? thanks Jeff
Mike, I think Jeff's question is for the release date for the Legends of the Road tractors and trailers. While the "modelers" trucks that included your KW W900 were released last year, the last truck model that has shipped from Trainworx was the Budweiser tractor and trailer that was released in January, 2018. I have not heard anything for when the Legends of the Road rigs will "hit the streets" so to speak. Carter
Correct the post was about "Legends of the Road", I have many other flavors of Trainworx customs. Thank you
I received confirmation from Pat Sanders that the Tri-State Commodities tractors and trailers are shipping! Pat had pre-production samples of the trailers at the 2018 National N Scale Convention in Salt Lake City, which was just before the factory in China shut down. Here are A couple of photos I took of the grain trailer at the 2018 convention. More information on these trucks can be found here, but you need to scroll down about 3/4 of the page. https://nscalevehicles.org/news.php Carter
My grandpappy used to say, "wish in one hand and crap in the other. See which you get first." People will complain about anything and everything. It is a right guaranteed by the free speech provisions of the Constitution. The real question is whether the complaints are justified. I think they are. Basic Eco101 here. Raise the price and you lessen demand which shrinks the market. Let's face it, our hobbies are funded by what the economists call discretionary income. That is income left over from paying our necessary living expenses. Inflation has affected everyone's wallet since the covid pandemic and that just means more money goes to pay necessary expenses resulting in less discretionary income. I'm not buying any Trainworx trucks nor am I buying any of the recent railroad related offerings from other manufacturers. I supported manufacturers and hobby shops for over forty years and now I am done. With my income, I cannot justify the prices. It is just the way it is.
Not so much into super detailed 'scenery stuff'. My layout is more about the trains. That being said I missed not getting SecretWeapon's rig...because...well... its SecretWeapon
