Joe, I had no idea what you were talking about...... Tell the marketing department they need to be a bit more timely with the announcments to dealers, I haven't gotten our monthly release info yet. I had seen nothing of these until you mentioned it and had to go look at N Scale supply to see what you were talking about. That is one thing that still bugs me about MT, the Big Four dealers always have info on their website before we even know of the announcement.
I think it's a great idea Joe. Since the "weathering" is factory applied, it would follow that collectors will probably be most interested in them. Great way to move some excess stock and give the collectors something to sink their teeth into. I'll still consider the "red" CGW tank car to be the first MT factory weathered car. Tony: who are the "big four?"
Athearn and Micro-Trains both need to realize that IF modelers want "weathered" rolling stock and/or locomotives ... they should/will do it themselves. Personally I think BOTH are 'out-of-touch' on this one! BUT .. TIJMHO .. TIOLI ... :thumbs_down::tb-mad:
I'd like MTL to do some patch job weathering. Having some cars done in MOW or company service is a start. Having some restenciled report marks could add to the value. This could also extend the ATP for some fallen flag schemes. I'd restrict the weathering to rust, dirt & grime.
Joe .. I hope your cars sell well .. since you seem to have some input out there in Oregon, how about makin sure that when you paint a car, you paint the right bodystyle. There is nothing more anoying, than to see you guys put a proto paint job, on the wrong body style ..
That could be tough since any one body style is only good for dozen or so road names with all the different ends, roofs, doors (and door hardware), brake wheels and trucks. Every MT 40' standard box car with a built date prior to 1947 is a fantasy car (and even the early PS-1's are different from the MT car). And a good portion that are actually correct paint schemes for PS-1's need to have a 7' or 8' door. It's obvious that N scalers really don't cars about this very much as a whole but for some reason cry bloody murder if somethings off on a locomotive. Who cares if a sight glass is missing when you're buying cars that are 60% incorrect? I don't get it. "C'est la vie". Buy, run, enjoy. Jason
Of course I have to add my $.02 worth to this very interesting topic. First, MicroTrains over the years has learned they make trains for two groups - runners and collectors. For collectors, weathering or even running the train on the track for that matter will reduce the collector value of the piece. I have seen collectors inspect boxes of MT cars with highly technical magnifying equipment to ensure it is as pristine as possible. For us runners, I am a mixed up guy. I don't consider the value of my MicroTrains cars as they are usually purchased for a specific reason, roadname, color, use, function, looks, and I weather about half of them. The half I don't weather are for two reasons, first I see a lot of railroad cars down here in very good condition, and I admire the details and proportions on the MT cars immensely. Second, weathering to me in our scale adds realism, but takes away from the details, so I do both, weathering and not. Even if I sell my stuff at a swap meet or auction, I take great pains to advise buyers that the piece has been run, and is not intended for collectors value whatsoever. But a lot of my old MT cars were purchased as kits over ten years ago, for about 6 bucks, and that is what I am getting for some of them now. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
Hello to all, I'm very new to "N" scale and find the discussion very interesting, I don't have that many MT freight cars for the very reason that some others have noted, I model the late 1940's and most of the cars have incorrect details for the roads/time that I model. I think the question is what did you buy the model for, did you buy it for it's intrinsic value or as an investment for resale some time in the future or did you buy it for the layout and to operate it. If the former then leave it alone as weathering it will definately decrease the value to a collector, if the later then be careful. Weathering is not a generic thing cars weather differently in different parts of the county and according to what the car is used for. It would be no good buying a car, say a covered hopper, weathered to reflect cement haulage if you wanted to show the car hauling some other product on your layout. I have been a custom painter now for some time and will weather rolling stock and locomotives to the customers requirements. But, and this is a big but, I normally advise them to go easy on it if they are thinking that they will ever want to sell the car/locomotive. For my own stuff I go to town, being in the steam to diesel transition era mine cop heaps of soot from the steamers as well as the dust and grime off the road. But then I buy the cars to operate them not to have them for their collectable value. I have a friend who collects Brass Steam loco's in HO scale and he could never understand why I painted an ran mine, to him it was a sacriledge. I guess the people who buy the MT stuff would be in the same vein with their cars. I guess really it all boils down to the fact that it's your money and your car. Model Railroading is meant to be fun however you look at it or how you choose come to it, how you get that fun is entirely up to you. Rob Mclear Modelling Cajon in 1949.
Dave,Speaking from personal experience and observations made over the past few years. To be very blunt it will be a cold day in the lower inferno regions before I weather another MT car.Unbeknown to me at the time I weathered a LNA&C boxcar that was produce around the mid 70s..When I sold my N Scale back in 88 I learn a hard lesson..You see instead of the receiving the going price of $60.00 for that LNA&C boxcar I got $25.00 because the car was lightly weathered. Think twice before you weather..You may want to sell that car some day..
Frankly that's the next step in RTR.. Its the wave of the "NOW" generation of modelers. Get use to it. The hobby we knew is sliding into the sunset replace by "instant modeling".. Good,bad or ugly..Its to early to call.
This has been interesting to follow. I noted some "strong" feelings about weathering our cars. Please understand we aren't doing them all this way, just every now and then. As for notice, understood, but Marketing made the decision partially driven by my ability to get the production finished! ) As this program evolves it will be advertized in the Micro-news and other outlets. This was in no way some stint to get the "big 4" first dibbs. All our dealers were notified at the same time and as far as I know, everyone got what they ordered. If I ruffled any feathers, I'm very sorry...hopefully things will be business as usual from here on out. Cheers Joe MTL
I'm in favor of MTL doing weathered cars from the factory. My concern is 'cookie cutter' weathering. Other factory jobs I've seen, as good as they look, look the same on every car. This is fine if you only buy one of that car, but most of us run blocks of multiple cars and I think duplicate weathering would stand out more that a duplicate road number. Graffiti has changed through the years and if that is captured accurately in the weathering it could be very interesting. Variety is the important element here. As to the original question dealing with our after market weathering affecting thier resale for me I don't care. The value I place in anything is in my ability to enjoy it. I want to see them rolling around my layout getting dirty, that is what I bought them for. Others enjoy 'having them all' neatly organized and inventoried in thier collection. The true win-win is weathering my cars makes them more valuable to me while making the factory air version more valuable to the collector.
"Does weathering a Micro Trains car decrease or increase the value of the car?" IMHO...based on a piece weathered rolling stock...neither. I have bought and sold hundreds of rolling stock on "The Bay" and cant honestly say an unweathered car brought any more..or less..then the weathered ones. "Of course, that's assuming it's an above average job of weathering with paint or chalk." Now....if a buyer wants weathered cars...and just doesnt want to attempt the project himself...he may pay MORE for a weathered car. An "above average" weathering job may increase the value...to the right person wanting it. "The reason I ask is that MT cars are generally seen more for their collectibility." Then again... A "collector" more then likely wants that car in "MINT" condition. That means...ya never even looked at it in the original box let alone handled it in any way !!...LOL. Collectors can be finicky...its the nature of the beast. "Of course that's a very general statement." Yup...depends on you intent for the cars. If you plan on running them on your layout...its YOUR layout and YOUR cars...have fun. IF you plan on running them and possibly selling them later with hopes of recouping your original investment...well...that will all unfold and become clearer at that time...when ya actually go to sell em...weathered or not and after running them. Model railroading is a strange hobby. One mans Junk is another mans Treasure. And...one mans Treasure is another mans Junk. You are the only one who can actually decide what to do...good luck :tb-cool: Disclaimer: The above is strictly ones mans opinion and should not be taken as law...ty
... "instant modeling" .... Yep! That's a great "Now" term for it. :tb-tongue: And my original "sound off" may have come across more emphatic than I intended. It's just a bit disconcerting to see this hobby go from "do-it-yourself" to "having-it-manufactured-for-me." And this isn't to slight others who do such things as custom decals or custom painting. Not every modeler can do ALL things well. But to have it manufactured for us? There's just something not "right" about that ... :tb-err: Ah well ... back to my rocking chair modeling ... Hehehee ... :tb-cool:
Back in the day When MT train auctions were at their height I sold many a kit from a blister pk built ,used,and put in a jewel case no factory air in which I paid $6.00 per kit and got $20.00 -$40.00 a car so much for the theory of only prestine condition bring in high dollars. Enjoy the fact that things are still being produced and you and your families still have the means to purchase and pay the bills and enjoy the extras in these times.Why hate on a manufacturer that's products are still made in the USA and still have control over their product and quality ?
I stand at the cross roads..I like the newer RTR car but,the jury is still out on preweathered cars.. After 55 years in the hobby I still can't get exactly "use to it".. I agree something ain't right about such things.
I think what you have to keep in mind is that Most of us enjoy the details because that is what this hobby is all about. However, there are so many aspects of this hobby to enjoy not everyone enjoys them all. Some might hate to weather cars but likes realistic operations. This hobby offers SO much variety that what one person dreads is another persons favorite part. Having these options allows more people to enjoy the hobby and enjoy the part of the hobby the prefer. just my $.02. I don't see people getting upset at people that paint/detail/weather engines and cars and sell them, this is exactly what some manufacturers are trying to do.
Quite frankly, I'm insulted by this attitude. If the manufatures were talking about weathering every car they produce, I could understand but that's not what's going on. I've been in N scale for 25+ years so I don't consider myself a "now" modeler. That may not be as long as you have but it's still a long time. Time itself is one of the reasons I like the idea of being able to purchase some cars weathered. I like to weather cars but just don't have the time I used to. Between, work, travel for work, family, and trying to start on a small switching layout, time for weathering, kits, etc has pretty much gone away. I'm sure it will be back but in the mean time, I see pre weathered cars as a nice to have deal. I want to say thank you to Joe and Micro Trains for doing some weathered cars. I will be a customer of them. Athearn has done some really nice jobs on weathered cars that they are offering. A few years back, Deluxe offered some pre weathered cars that were neat. My point is that there is a market for such cars but not all cars should be offered that way. Variety is good thing. So, I don't expect to be forgiven for being insulted but I wish sometimes people would think about someone other than themselves when they say we should not have a purchase option such as weathered cars.
Richard,I used the term "NOW" modelers because of the way the hobby is going..A lot of us older modelers wanted more road specific details and many of us thought RTR cars and engines would be nice and they are. However,our desires and wants created "instant modeling" and to a degree the "NOW" modeler that wants everything done including prebuilt structures---and in some cases layouts... While I stand at the cross road of the hobby I have no doubts that the newer RTR locos and cars,preweathered cars,prebuilt structures and yes layouts can't do anything but help the hobby in many ways while slowly killing some of the older modeling skills. IMHO the "NOW" modeler has a better chance of building that highly detailed "dream" layout since he/she has the needed items at their finger tips including made to order bench work if one choses that route. Of course the "old" road to that dream layout is still open. I suppose down deep I like the idea of "instant" modeling because one can spend more time detailing the layout and operating rather then spending weeks building structures,locomotive or car kits.
