Don, I think that the Z_Scale list surpassed 1800 quite some time ago. One other thing worth mentioning is that there is probably only 50% overlap between the Z_Scale list and ZTrack subscribers and I meet Z scalers at train shows (seem to be coming out of the woodwork now) all the time that have never even heard of either. I think one of the major reasons that the number of postings on Z_Scale is down significantly is that a year or more ago, this Z forum here on TrainBoard and the forum on ZCentralStation either didn't exist yet or weren't very active having not been discovered by many yet. Many of the folks that used to post a lot on Z_Scale now find the forum format with photos, etc. here more convenient. All these forums are good sources for news, advice and getting the word out but where we used to have basically one forum, now there are three and the "wealth" has been spread out. ;-) Randy
Amen Dave! Hobbies are supposed to be FUN, not a competition. (Although, I think Z scale may be considered more of a religion or an addiction by some. ;-) Randy
No, We will buy MTL trucks for the dummies we make, although we are planning to make heavyweight frames for passenger cars, but no trucks for the engine shells. Jim
SO ... everyone who wants alco trucks on their RS-2s had better get a Hallmark turbine or two to use those sideframes to put over their GP trucks. i hope we see an RS-2 shell sometime soon. dave f.
Bill, We will be selling unpainted shells, and painted RTR unpowered as special orders including specified decals. We don't know hwat the price is going to be. Thanks for asking. Hope you're well. Jim
It wouldn't be a secret if everyone knew, right? I know about the Turbine, but I needed something to use to fight the evil Charlie. ;-)
If someone was really industrious, they could mold and resin cast a sideframe off the Hallmark ornament ~5 iterations and have a perfect Z scale sideframe from the shrinkage!
S Scale (which is somewhat of a horse designed by a committee because of the range of American Flyer - HiRail - Scale) has many similarities with Z. I get the feeling it is larger in population than Z right now. It only has two Major Manufacturers and a source of non-scale stuff (AF used/ AF-Lionel new) plus a whole range of cottage industries supporting it. The two current leading manufacturers are having Atlas HO-level RTR cars and Bachmann Spectrum/Life-Like HO quality locomotives made in China all with tooling created in the last decade, so S has been participating in the Golden Age of Model Railroading as have all the scales. S is an attractive size (big enough to detail well but not as bulky as O Scale) but in spite of the recent surge due is still very much a minoity scale and no serious threat to outnumbering N, HO or O modelers. Z could very well surpass S in a few years. The problem with estimating the number of people in any given scale is that we have NO reliable information. The MR and NMRA surveys are inherently biased to their target populations. Minority Scales sell as well as Walthers and other distributors and local hobby shops stock and promote them, and many small manufactuers are direct only so don't appear on the radar. We have no idea how many "Model Railroaders" there are in North America much less which scale they are in (today). And some people work in multiple scales and can be tilted more heavily towards one by new, better releases Too bad we can't get the US Census Bureau to add a few lines on the next form! Charlie Vlk Railroad Model Resources PS- The Pacific that was shown on the Ajiin website I think was a B&M prototype....and I thought that the Genesis units were made in Z Scale.. maybe they were just pictures of stuff from other scales.... Ajiin sometimes made projects and then tried to sell them to importers... maybe these were such items.
Hi Folks I've read all the postings here and I think you guys forget the european Z-Scalers. We have a lot of people here in Switzerland and Germany. Just see the big Z Meeting in Geseke this Year with all the top brands in the Z Market. List of Manufacter in Geseke: http://z-friends-europe.de/geseke_2006.htm Pictures http://www.zettzeit.ch/Geseke06.html more Pictures http://stummi.foren-city.de/topic,2938,-achtung-viele-bilder-intern-spur-z-weekend-in-geseke.html
As with many modelers Im not a rivet counter. But I would like to see someone do SD 7/9s. And quit with limited run. People like myself just getting into Z-scale it makes it hard to pick an era, locate the stuff someone needs to model and I'm sorry I dont model Europe I'm from the U.S. so thats what I model. So I won't buy Marklin.
Odd, so its you who Robert infected with z scale bug. Just remember, there is no cure. Look forward to see what you are working on.
Yes, guilty as charged! My sole goal in life is to turn as many N Scalers into Z Scalers as I can! Having been an N Scale for so long, I do know how N Scalers feel about small scales. Even Charlie Vlk has a roving eye towards Z Scale, or he would not have bothered visiting this forum long enough to comment. We love you Charlie, and there is always a home for you in Z Scale. Even my grandfather, in he mid 90's, switched to Z Scale and started building a layout last summer. It's never too late. The bottom line about N Scale is, you get into N because it is the smallest scale you thought you could model. The stuff you want to model is available and do-able, and the price is affordable, but you still look with a lustfull eye towards Z and ask yourself... what if? So, I am the Typhoid Harry of Z Scale, infecting as many modelers as I can, and since I know N Scale best, those are my primary targets. Regarding the original topic here, we are at 51% for an RS2 shell, so I hope Jim Shiff decides to give it a go. I personally would rather have an RS1 or RS3, but I will buy RS2 shells as a basis of an RS3. These shells will allow me to turn even more N Scalers to the cause! Z Scale is a Religion, and I am the Preacher!
I got into N Scale in 1964 because I was frustrated (at the time) trying to model the CB&Q (Burlington) accurately. I just finished correcting the details on a NE-1 Brass Waycar (caboose) and had a brass O1a Mikado detailed to match the 4978. To make F3s you had to kitbash Varney sides with Athearn shells. I looked at the space between the rear coupler on the tender and my waycar and decided that I was going to go crazy trying to scratchbuild enough accurate cars to properly model the Q.... So I decided to get into N Scale, because it was obvious that nobody in their right mind would try to model a prototype in such a small scale. Well.......... that lasted about 5 years. In that time period my freelanced Galesburg & Savanna (which conveniently "had" equipment that was commercially available and not at all like what the "Q" owned) was firmly established in my mind. I am finally, after 40 years, building it in my basement. But somewhere along the line somebody started to import brass models of stuff the Q had....CZ cars, E5s, E7s and E8s detailed for the CB&Q. Then in a mid-life career change I started working in the industry and compoiunded the problem by having Budd CB&Q passenger cars and other equipment suitable for the CB&Q made commercially. So now I am back to where I was 40 years ago, but with a freelance railroad that has CB&Q running on it via trackage rights!! The state of the art has changed though, and all things are now possible because of resin casting in RTV molds, laser cutting machines, and rapid prototyping processes. Friends Mark Gasson and Mark Runyan (and Mike Skibbe) have inspired me to take a class in SolidWorks to be able to create 3D drawings for equipment myself. Mark R. already did a CB&Q SM16 36' stockcar up for me and Mark G.made up a couple of samples on his magic machine. I can only imagine what the car would look like in Z....it is really fine and tiny in N... but with no correctly scaled Andrews trucks doing it in Z is not a high priority until I draw them up as well (the MT N Andrews are not quite the right pattern either). eNjoy your trainZ!!! Charlie Vlk
I think someone said the Andrews trucks had the proper wheelbase, or atleast closer than the Bettendorfs... http://www.micro-trains.com/z%20trucks.htm Better start drawing that O1a shell so we have something to pull these with.
Burlington E8 Charlie, have you seen AZL's Burlington E8? They're still in stock. ;-) http://www.ztrack.com/AZL/amerzlines_E8s.html http://www.ztrack.com/AZL/AZLLine.html Randy
ENGINE SHELL offer clarification SEARAILS would like to clarify our engine shell offer. As you can see in the Engine Shell Poll's current results, 50% of the voters want the ALCO RS- model The poll uses the name "RS-II", and the accompanying letter of intent uses the name "RS-2". RS-II is a misprint, and was not intended to be used (the RS-11 profile is very close to the EMD GP7/9 models to be released soon). We intend to produce a loco with a dramatically different profile, the RS-2S Phase 1-S (with the Steam Generator) has that. Our thinking was that most of these ALCO locomotives were sold with steam generators to take the place of small steam engines for small passenger trains. Over time the engines were assigned to freight only, and many had the equipment inside the hood removed, but the exterior details were left intact. We have completed 3D dimensional drawings for the RS-2 Phase 1-S (with the Steam Generator). We are ready to produce the first RS-2 Phase 1-S Rapid Prototype Model (RPM) for photos and approval (as we have done with the 60’ LPG Whale Belly Tank Car). Without a drastic change in the Poll we intend to move forward with this project using the ALCO body, and will offer the following RS-2 Phase 1-S models; First, as the announced Limited Edition Unpainted shell only. Then, as a special order, a Painted shell on an Unpowered RPM chassis with trucks. We will announce the price for the unpainted shell when we produce the first prototypes for approval. We will wait for the end of the Poll to make a final decision, and will re-draw if its results or responses to this posting require. Jim
