While I enjoy reading CTT’s latest plastic article, I would just as soon have my diesels in metal (diecast, brass, aluminum etc), rather than plastic. A fair amount of detail can, in fact, be cast in metal. My steam engines are both diecast and the heft and feel is like the prototype. Same with die-cast rolling stock.
I love my diesel collection but I’d love them even more if they were all metal bodied. I don’t know why steamers HAVE to be metal and diesels HAVE to be plastic. Must be tradition or something.
Ben is right. It’s associated with cost. MTH’s plastic Veranda was close to half of what Lionel’s cost. 3rd rail did a brass diesel a few years ago and it was around $800 MSRP.
I Second the vote for die-cast diesel, at a better price. If they made more diecast shells for diesels, I wouldn’t have to look for non warped plastic ones. It would be even better if they made die-cast shells to replace the plastic ones!!
In Europe Marklin has a name for making every locoshell in diecast metal. It’s all h0 size, but the detail is the same as with a plastic shell. I also have a JEP gauge 0 diecast e-locomotive and it also is nice in detail.
Probably it has got to do something with the lifespan of the molds, which is lower with metal as with plastics due to the higher temperatures. (I guess)
Steam engines are generally more expensive than deisels. As noted, die cast and brass diesels have been produced. They weren’t big sellers. Judging from what I’ve seen, a diecast GP-9 may have an MSRP of $500. Are people willing to pay that?
Are you talking MSRP or discount? Railking offers E-8 double A diesels for $300 MSRP or around $250 discount. At 30 inches, they are much longer than your northern.
Yes, you’re right and they are $370 MSRP. I wi***hey would do their Erie builts in die cast zinc. But they would probably be around $500 MSRP for one unit.
I’m not knocking the idea of diecast metal diesels, I just think they are more expensive to produce and people may not want to pay the extra cost.