I have not seen any request or N scale special runs in quite some time. I missed the last N Scale Missouri-Illinois Boxcar run, as I wasn't a member here at the time. I have yet to see another special run. Are there plans to have another special run in the future? I am interested in all things running Midwest to west circa 1960's to late 70's, are there others interested in this region and timeline? I would be interested in a single car, not a multiple car lot.
There may still be a few Special-Run Collectors around, but they are few and far apart. I blame the N-SCALE ENTHUSIASTS for the fall of the Special-Runs. The NSE over produced the SP-Rum market, and OVER-PRICED it also. When Sp-Runs first came out, $25 was a "expensive" price, now look at some of the latest editions prices.
Our first/initial effort sold, decently. Speaking as a former collector, I saw the market weakening back in the mid-1990s. While some still accumulate, it is a mere shadow of what existed a couple of decades back. Is there anyone of true significance out there, other than NSE, still doing these? At present, I cannot think of anyone. Even M/T is doing the oddball stuff now, (Holidays, themselves, military and???), as so much of the prototype has been done and re-done. The most easily sold are cars done by M-T. Other brands, if even possible, will not attract sales as do M-T creations. There cannot be a "Special Run", without there being a subject which has public (sales) appeal. M-T will not run something which they have done for their own purposes, for anyone else. Ideas for us as a fresh run are not there. Cost required paid up front, licensing issues. Retail sale prices have climbed. The appeal has gone. The idea shelved. I'm not saying it can never happen again. But that at this point in time it is rather unlikely. Somewhat similar to a mothballed ship, it is more possible that it will be scrapped, than ever seeing service again.
Back when NSE was still NSC, there was an article "Killing The Golden Goose?" about this very topic in the NSC Magazine. Now I might have to look for it...
The 80s were a fun time in N Scale, with Kato's partnership with Atlas forever changing the quality standard for locomotives. Friends and I would eagerly anticipate Micro-Trains' monthly announcement with their new cars and special runs were fun and interesting. I subscribed to the Captain Blaster newsletter and enjoyed seeing what was new. Local hobby shops were common and lasting friendships were made around the counter on Saturday mornings. Times change, but a part of me prefers those times to the new.
MTL previously advertised that they would do special runs and custom cars on their website. The new site doesn't mention this at all, but they probably would still be willing. I forget what the minimum orders were but it was something like 200 cars so you would be coming up with $5000 before having to sell them yourself, shipping, and maybe a profit in there somewhere. It really is alot of work if you are just selling them 1 at a time.
I can't speak to MTL's current policies-- better to get the information Officially from them instead of "Unofficially" from me-- but for a long time the nominal minimum was 300 cars for N Scale and 100 for Z Scale. That 300 could be split into 150 two packs or 100 three packs with different road numbers as long as the design and body style were the same. When I looked after a Special Run for an N-Trak Club back in the Previous Century, we elected to do 400 cars instead of 300 because we could bring the selling price down far enough so that more people would be interested. That turned out to be a good guess and we "broke even" faster and had some cars left over for future club members. That would be a Really Bad Idea now. A cost of $25 per car ($5000 divided by 200 cars as postulated by @Curn above) is about a minimum price point for Special Runs I would think. Maybe a really basic car could be a little less. But then it wouldn't sell. IMO the only reason to do a Special Run, then and now, is because you want to-- like I wanted to with my UMTRR 25th Anniversary Special Run. (This was after I hand decaled my 10th Anniversary cars, which are much rarer ). Don't assume it will be a big money maker. I wasn't looking for that and what do you know, I didn't get it.
As I mentioned, I hand-decaled the UMTRR 10th Anniversary Cars. They were based on whatever body styles I could find for cheapo. I'll post a photo or two next time I'm here. I need to take the pictures first!
And here is an extremely rare shot of one of those special run UMTRR 25th Anniversary cars in the wild
I'm back... Here is a Family Portrait of all four of the UMTRR Tenth Anniversary Cars. Except for the two bay hoppers, these were all "delettered" and decaled. The decals were my own design and printing-- I don't recall what I used-- with the exception of the "Circle W" herald which comes from various Micro-Scale New York, Ontario and Western sets. (The "history" of my Wilmington and New York Railroad has us purchasing the monogram of the New York, Ontario and Western Railroad after the NYO&W shut down in 1957; "we" didn't start using it until a few years later. In the Real World, the "Circle W" is the property of the NYO&W Historical Society.)
WOW !!! Now I know what I'm looking out for. I guess NYO&W fans may have liked these and most went that direction. It's unusual what filters through to Australia so there may be some here. ................... 3 minutes later ............................. I've just spotted one of the 50' boxcars on eBay, the NYO&W logo is black on this one. I take it slight variances in colour are normal. Thanks again
https://www.ebay.com/itm/124281107579 That BIN price seems like "More eBay Humor" to me... I had originally written that I wished I'd kept better records on this... but then I found the actual records that I kept on this! Of course, I will need to keep that information proprietary... Yes, there were variations on the 10th Anniversary Cars. I must have printed that black "Circle W" myself since there are no O&W heralds of that color in the Micro-Scale decal sets.
