Anyone currently buying?

[inoffapost]

The model 37 with sound is in incredible $600.

I had a look on the big H, and prior to adding international shipping plus AU GST on top, all Class 37s were sold out on pre-order. Closest price I could see was GBP£259 & not sure if that price is representative of the more popular BR Green liveries.

Just for info, I got a mail from my German supplier Modellbahn Union yesterday. Seems they have some Accurascale 37's in and on offer, but only the 2 DRS liveried versions.
Prices are Euros 189 (DCC ready) and 289 (fully loaded, sound etc). I know SRMan in WA got excellent delivery on some items from them, but whether with the additional costs and taxes these prices are interesting..........

[Bigglesof266]

I dont get why you're filling a thread with a 'woe is me! Im not paying x for a loco when I can get an instrument for less.' And you can buy a car for 3 grand.

I never said "You can buy a car for 3 grand". Someone else did. Pay attention.

Other than the recent post with photo, my subsequent posts were merely responses refuting the lack of substance or logic aka inanity in rationalising responses, just like this.

Have you seen the cost of Tamiya plastic kits? The what I call 'quality' moulded and highly detailed ones are hundreds of UK pounds.

Comprehension problem? Refer to my immediately previous couple of post which offers a direct comparative the CURRENT exceptionally expensive moulds required for high detail contemporary plastic model kits to OO gauge locos along with comparative retail pricing. e.g., the best Zouki Mura in a whopping 1/32 (think O gauge in MR) are circa AUD$250 vs $700 for that OO loco. A top tier 1/32 Tamiya e.g. 1/32 A6M5 Ko Type 0 Model 52 with every conceivable bell and whistle is circa $170 locally which I consider gouging, less if I self-import.

And yes, I'm thoroughly familiar with the cost of plastic from Dragon, Tamiya and all the market leaders et al. i.e. I just bought a stack (6) of high detail Hasegawa 1/32 kits from Amazon Japan during the Black Friday promo. e.g. Nakajima Ki84 Type 4 Hayate, Ki61-1 Hei Hien, and 4 others averaging ..wait for it $40 ea, less than half regular price and about a third SRP or what they cost in AU. Top tier kits albeit no PE or paint mask frills in Hasegawa kits, but everything else including a high detail sculptured IJM figurine (in 1/32nd) with multiple head options with without oxygen mask, flying cap, goggles etc which would rival any expensive aftermarket resin option.

As for the claim you dont 'build' RC aircraft nowaday, This is incorrect.

Again not sure if your problem is comprehension or inattention. I never said that. Contextually I was clearly referring to RC helis. In 2023, whether electric or 'nitro' you don't "build" model helis. They're plastic and/or carbon fibre and fibreglass. You part assemble them. And the small ones come ready to fly pretty much in the box. Add LiPo and go.

Secondly, not sure where you're sourcing your disinformation, but it's not from real life in 2023 at most flying fields. 99% of RC fixed wing flyers today fly ARFs. Often foamies where electric. Been in the aeromodelling game since CL days of the late 1960s when everyone including myself built either from kits or scratchbuilt because there was no other option. Not any more in R/C. Those days are long gone. Look at SIG who no longer produce kits. Chinese ARFs and the "I want it with minimal assembly. Fit engine and almost ready to go' dominant public preference put them out of the RC kit business.

Yes, you can buy pre fabricated but many still engage in kit bashing.

False. Some as in a few curmudgeons do.

The point being these prices have rocketed as well. Your analogy is incorrect because if you want to compare the price of a model loco from Hornby etc which is pre built and fitted with electronics, you have to compare that to an RC model that has been pre built and gear installed. These are mega expensive.

Er...no. Not long ago I just bought this for a tad over AUD$100 from Banggood. Typical electric RC today, comes with everything in the box inc brushless motor, spinned folding prop, ESC, all mini servos ready for minimal plug 'n play ASSEMBLY including decals. Just add LiPo and decals (supplied if you want to and FLY! They've gone up a little recently due to demand vs supply, but the price fluctuates and with seller. Just buy when the price is right.

You pays your money and all that.

Indeed you do. And a fool and his money are easily parted ...and all that.

As iterated in the previous post, when it comes down to to buying 00 gauge locos, coaches or wagons in 2023 or potentially 2024 prices, unequivocally and without embarrassment, I fold.

[Bigglesof266]

I get that. It was fun using photographic film and printing from everything including Kodachrome slides. Then digital completely eliminated the formerly vital technical skill aspects, and the price for high grade kit rocketed upward: I walked away.

Probably much like yourself, I'm in the fortunate position of having so much MR kit, the bulk of which is reasonably contemporary high detail having been purchased over the past decade, that I have sufficient to see me through to my time for the morgue, so I don't have to buy today. But my 'sensibilities' are offended by the absurdity of current OO gauge MR pricing.

It does surprise me that apparently brands can command these prices, but obviously they do and sell all they produce in a batch run gauging from the fully pre-sold out annotations on the likes of the Deltic listing linked to in a previous post. Collectors? Strange albeit cashed up bunch.

[captrees]

Interestingly my supplier who was selling the $600 type 37 had a lot of stock of all new tooling Bachmann diesels at ridiculous prices. He started an "overstocked" sale, reducing the price to $399, and sold the 3 he had in stock. Hobbytech, Perth WA.

[centenary]

Im not engaging with people directly who are moaning about why item x is one price while item z is cheaper any more. Ive got better things to do with my time.

If people dont want to pay the price for new locos, the answer is either dont buy or buy used but even there, fiscal drag is resulting in higher prices. Whinging on a forum about it isnt going to bring about a return to the good old days where locos cost 100 quid never mind 50.

There's a host of reasons why we're paying more for locos and rolling stock: inflation, economies of scale including manufacturing costs, divergent markets such as HO, OO, other scales and retailer's profitability (if they are lucky) including mark up \ ability to discount etc to name a few. I could go in to further depth on each of these thing but sadly, that would be lost on some.

[LesW]

I did buy a few Metcalfe kits whilst we were over in the UK a couple of weeks ago, but also got lucky when someone over here was selling a job lot.
I reckon this lot will fill a few sidings. I have now amassed 110 coaches and 262 wagons.

[Phred]

Wow - impressive! You can start your own eBay store.

[LesW]

That maybe a job for the kids when I eventually pop off. Actually, it's one of the reasons I catalogue all of my stuff and I will make the next layout in sections so it's easier for them to dismantle. Forward planning and all that! Not for a good few years though I hope.

[captrees]

Just had my first on-line auction experience. Went to the auction rooms first to inspect, after a tip off. They had several bridges and signals and bric brac that looked good. They also had a few locos and carriages etc under lock and key. All H-D 3 rail stuff.

The stuff I liked went for silly prices. The first lot of coaches fetched a good price too.

The second lot of 15 coaches paused at $90. Thinking it was a bargain, I pressed the button on it.




[/quote]

It was all in period and the correct 57' coaches for the EWR. But not so good when I got it home. 5/15 were brake carriages. 2 were GWR, and two were shorter 51' carriages, all tin. You will note that someone stacked them to make the lot look more valuable

As a relative newby of only 5 years to this sport of ours, I was blissfully unaware that 3 rail coaches don't run on 2 rail. Not a problem, thinks I. I have heaps of spare plastic wheels. Um.... Its not quite that simple, it seems.

I was intrigued at the two 51' carriages. Had I stumbled on something rare and exiting of much value, to justify wasting my $90?



It appears not. The previous owner or his Dad must have bought the Silver King train set in the early 50's



Ah well. Some lessons learnt here. I've got a drawer for them. But I did enjoy the auction and bought a nice set of jarrah nesting tables.

[Bigmet]

... two were shorter 51' carriages, all tin....I was intrigued at the two 51' carriages. Had I stumbled on something rare and exciting of much value, to justify wasting my $90?

The LNER initially built some 'shorty' gangwayed carriages for the Great Eastern area to cope with the route restrictions on this section. These were on a 52'6" underframe, so 51' in tinplate counts as 'finescale' for that time! (Only affordable RTR OO version of such items at that!)

... As a relative newby of only 5 years to this sport of ours, I was blissfully unaware that 3 rail coaches don't run on 2 rail. Not a problem, thinks I. I have heaps of spare plastic wheels. Um.... Its not quite that simple, it seems...

'No roll' may well be the yet bigger problem. I have a selected few types of H-D wagons on my layout, and it was possible to carve them about to install brass pinpoint bearings with MGW pinpoint wheelsets, which makes them nicely free rolling on these old steel tyred wheels.

But I have never tackled a H-D coach bogie so have no insight into what's possible. Straight replacement with RTR OO bogies would be my choice, Bachmann now offer some good LNER bogies with metal pinpoint bearings, and these roll so freely as to get moving on a 1 in 200. Put those under the Gresley coaches and see 'em go!

[captrees]

'No roll' may well be the yet bigger problem. I have a selected few types of H-D wagons on my layout, and it was possible to carve them about to install brass pinpoint bearings with MGW pinpoint wheelsets, which makes them nicely free rolling on these old steel tyred wheels.

But I have never tackled a H-D coach bogie so have no insight into what's possible. Straight replacement with RTR OO bogies would be my choice, Bachmann now offer some good LNER bogies with metal pinpoint bearings, and these roll so freely as to get moving on a 1 in 200. Put those under the Gresley coaches and see 'em go!

Thanks Bigmet. There are some YouTubes out there on replacing with brass bearings, drilling them out and using bluetac and superglue. It looks far too fiddly to attempt. I'll look into replacing the bogies, as have a few spare lying around in my too hard basket. I'll post if its successful.

[captrees]

All is not lost. 4 of the carriages came with plastic wheels. 2 of them are restaurant cars. The Gourmet Express passes the Scout Green signal box. Pulled by new (reliable!) #37 diesel loco.

Now I have to sort out the alien HD couplings so that we can run them with standard Hornby coaches.

[Bigmet]

The current centre motor twin bogie traction will cope well with the 'no roll' aspect. Is there any possibility of stripping the H-D metal wheels off the axles and putting plastic wheels on as replacements?

[Mountain]

Or use them on 3-rail track with a 3-rail loco? They are lovely condition and the ones with printed on windows are soms of the earlier examples Hormby made.

I have recently bought several secondhand narrow gauge items which I am thrilled about!

[captrees]

Is there any possibility of stripping the H-D metal wheels off the axles and putting plastic wheels on as replacements?

I simply don't know. It would be a good idea. When I took the steel wheels out and found the plastic ones didn't fit, I replaced the steel ones with great difficulty. I'm not currently at home to check if the actual axle can be separated. I'm in favour of replacing the bogeys first.

Or use them on 3-rail track with a 3-rail loco? They are lovely condition and the ones with printed on windows are soms of the earlier examples Hormby made.

Good idea. I don't have any 3 rail track, but my new extension will include a third circuit, which in theory could be 3 rail. They are in good condition, and I'm wondering if I shouldn't just leave them in their original state.