With Branchline being sold, are their passenger car kits going to be still available?
I’m a huge fan of their single window coach kits. An amazing start to make decent CP heavyweight coaches.
It’ll be a shame if they’re gone for good
Isn’t it Atlas which bought Branchline? Maybe you should go on Atlas forums and ask there. There is a sticked topic there on Branchline and you can go to the horses mouth.
Atlas did buy Branchline (see article) and they already have an announcement about some Blueprint Series boxcars on their New HO Product Releases page. I would think they will eventually be doing the same thing with the passenger cars.
I’m hoping that Atlas will continue to offer Branchline in kit form and not phase them out for RTR models.
Tom
It is probably worth going to the stickied topic and reading:
http://forum.atlasrr.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=64764&whichpage=1
Representatives from Atlas announced they are offering freight car kits and what happens in the future regarding “phasing out” depends on customer response, which is fair enough. If people buy the quantity, they will probably continue, if not, they will probably sell out. There is always a vocal contingency in forums but I have no idea if that represents the buying public. My guess is the general public seems to go for the RTR models based on what most of the makers are selling these days.
Anyway, you can go into that topic “linked above” and ask about the passenger cars.
Atlas seems to favour the RTR side of things some my guess is that the Branchline aquisitions will be of the RTR variety,much to the chagrin of us that like to build kits still. However it would be a crying shame for those beautifull passenger cars not to be available, and as such RTR is better than nothing.
It was my understanding when the deal was made that Atlas was going to sell through the remaining stock of Branchline kits, and then produce the blueprint and yardmaster lines as RTR’s going forward. Plans can, and will change though.This was info off the Branchline website when the deal was announced so as with everything take it with a grain of salt.
Rob
A few thoughts:
Atlas has been in the model train business a long time, BUT, they have only been in the locomotive and/or rolling stock business a relatively short time compared to the overall age of their business. They got into rolling stock in this new age of RTR - BUT they have a long history of selling KITS - structure kits, track kits (I know, this is way before most of your were in the hobby), bridge kits, etc.
To assume that they are going to AUTOMATICLY drop the Branchline kits is an unfounded assumption since they still offer their structures both in kit and built up versions. That shows me they have no “adversion” to kits - as long as they sell. In fact, they just went in the other direction recently, offering wood laser cut garage kits for their houses.
Actually, as long as they sell, they may have seen this as the perfect way to quickly enter that part of the market, rather than the slow process of developing and indroducing one or two products at a time - in an area of the hobby they have no market visablity in - rolling stock kits in general,
Sheldon pretty much has it right.
People assume manufacturers will drop kits because most have actually done that. Those are the facts.
However, those manufacturers are responding to market demand. If 98% of the purchasing has been devoted to RTR products, then that is what the manufacturers are going to offer. They are businesses and will not invest money into products which do not offer a return, or over a very slow return. It’s basic.
So people who rail (no pun intended) against companies like Atlas, Athearn, Walthers, etc for dropping kits, they have to get real and have expectations in tune with economic realities. If these makers could sell kits in large numbers, they will surely offer more. End of story. This is what Atlas stated regarding there offering of Branchline kits - ie if there is demand, they will continue to offer more then the initial offering as time goes forward. You can ask or expect anymore than that.
I will say regarding my own experience. I like kits well enough but over the past 20 or 30 years have collected more than I have built. Therefore I tend to prefer RTR cars anymore because it keeps my back log of kits from growing. Of course with the economy south and less money to spend, I may be looking at a few kits to fill in some roster needs eventually.
Will also say this. I go to anywhere from 1 to 2 train shows a year and almost ALWAYS there are lots of vendors there with Walthers, MDC, Accurail, Athearn, Intermountain, Proto 2000 kits, by the table. Why? Because people are already knee deep in kits and don’t have time to build more. I suggest to those who are critical of the model train makers and who cry for kits, just bring a wad of cash to a major train show in your area and you’ll soon be knee deep in kits.
Atlas hasn’t became the top dog by not understanding the market and there lays the trap…IF the kits sell then Atlas will more then likely offer them in kits as well as RTR however,if the RTR cars out sell the kits I have no doubt Atlas will drop the kits since that makes good solid business sense…
After all its all about the bottom line and investment turnover.
I still prefer kit form. Not because I can’t afford RTR, but it seems like false economy to spend 3-4 times the amount for a RTR model. I just dropped $110 at MBKlein on 11 Branchline Blue Print box cars. I see no way that buying only 3 or 4 cars from Athearn, or the like, for the same amount of money makes any sense. This is a hobby, so no I do not calculate my time spent as money invested into a project, otherwise it would quickly become a “job”. I do it for the enjoyment. And buying a lot of rolling stock for the same price as a few RTR pieces only compounds that enjoyment.
I typically only buy RTR stock when it is clearanced or sale priced low enough to justify it.
It would be great though, if they would expand their options. I’d love to have some highly detailed hoppers, in kit form, for the price of their blue print series.
There are some highly detailed kits out from Proto 2000, Intermountain and even Tangent IIRC. The newer produced ones aren’t cheap. The old stock can be found for around $15 give or take.
But here is the problem with your approach. It is a free market economy and many people would rather pay to have somthing already made, they have more money than time. They don’t care if it costs 3 to 4 times the kit to have an RTR model. It’s more like 1 1/2 to 2 times the cost on the average, not 3 to 4 times. It’s only that extreme when you find older kits for 10 dollars and compare them to MSRP of newer RTR cars at $40 each. That is NOT and apples to apples comparison.
Also, your argument ONLY works if the kits on the market just happen to match the prototypes freight cars you model. You see I model primarily D&RGW and SP 1980’s and I need PC&F 50’ box cars and they don’t come in kit form. Nor do many other cars I need to match typical freight trains.
Bottom line is if you are modeling pr
I personally think there is room for all thoughts here. I peersonally like kits; and although I have a fair amount of Intermountain, Proto, Red Caboose, Tichy, Bowser, (gasp!!) old Ambroid etc, I find my mind looking more toward the craftsman quality end of this hobby. By that I mean the resin kits, the metal kits, and the wood kits; there is also the avenue called scratchbuilding, which I am certainly no stranger to. Understanding the economics as well as the mechanics of a business isn’t really hard; understanding the workings of the human brain is. I’d rather drink my beer, and leave that alone.
I have always been, will always remain a builder-it is just the way I am. I wouldn’t be satisfied buying R-T-R-it just isn’t in me to do so. By the same token, I would not see the reality of bemoaning what might be a good industry for a manufacturer; I am happy; and to me, that is all that matters here.
EF-3 yellowjacket
Certainly there is room for all opinions here. How they square up to reality is perhaps another matter. It is certainly understandable why many people like kits, for both satisfaction, and lower cost etc, and other things. And for those who like kits, they are indeed available, just not on every hobby shops shelves because kits aren’t something that hobby shops can order from manufacturers on an ongoing basis much anymore.
What ever we think, or like, we are being told that the major companies dropped kits because they aren’t selling in numbers enough to justify the production costs. I suspect they will continue to do that no matter how much we protest. There is an old saying that I have heard for many years:
Money talks, … walks.
Look on one possible bright side though. If 98% of the economy is going RTR, then there’s the possibility that 2% of that is in for the Kits. Yeah, you can argue that part of that 2% is scratch-bashers, but that gets into tricky numbers, and anyway the Branchline kits were good candiates for modding. At some point though, enough companies will drop out of the kit business, that the few that are left will be able to profit off that two percent. NBig numbers they will not be, but the Atlas/Branchline kits, as well as the Accurail and Bowser lines, may be the ticket into that portion.
Lots of good points being kicked around which is always healthy in these online fiorums. To pick up on Flashwave’s thoughts, also thrown into the 2% of kits would be the various resin and basement speacialty guys still out there. Though we have lost a few .In my backyard up here in Ontario Sylvain that has made still makes some wonderfull car and truck kits has stopped his production of his frieght car kits which were all specific Canadian prototype,( and sold well when he produced them ) Yes he has some back stock but talking with Claire the owner at the local train shows, all his money right now is in his cars and trucks. So I don’t blame or begrudge the guy to produce for where the money is.
Same I think will happen with the plastic kit guys,yes there si a market but lots of folks out there like that initial gratification of an RTR plopped onto their layout, and hey that’s not wrong that’s what floats their particular boat which is fine.
I’ve dabbled in scratch building ( have to really as I’m mostly a traction modeller ) but I do tie in CN and CP and being the masocist I am I prefer to have proper Canadian prototype so Sylvain was a big fav of mine,but the Branchline CN and CP stuff, while not perfect to the prototype, work. I do buy RTR where necessary ,True Line makes some excellant Canadian boxcars and hoppers but at 35-40 a car I wait and get them on sale.They only produce RTR and in limited release as well.
As with most hobbies its a give an take and we all have to make the best of it. As I said I do hope Atlas stays with the Branchline kits, but if they don’t at very least I do hope they continue to offer them espeacilly ( getting back to the OP ) thier passenger kits / cars.
Rob
Whose reality? Yours, mine, Joe’s??? What you model is miles apart from what everyone else models. Not everyone cares if the rolling stock they run matches what a certian railroad ran 50 years ago 100%.
The reality is that reality has a subjective place on a model railroad.
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