You ever wonder why manufacturers don’t do certain things? Like I wonder why a company like Walthers doesn’t put Kaydee couplers on their Gold line cars. There is probably a very good business reason (like increasing the price), still… I wonder why…
JaRRell
Don’t forget steel wheels. I just converted some Thrall Canadian Forest Products cars to steel wheels and Kadee’s. I bought 2 sets of these with different CanFor paint schemes. I set had steel wheels while the other set had plastic.
A simple matter of economics on their part, because Kadee couplers are more expensive than having their own made in China as the cars are assembled… If they used Kadee couplers, they’d have to ship them to China so the factory could install them. Chinese plastic couplers are much cheaper to make and install.
Still, I think Jarrell’s point is well taken. Surely a customer who wanted the top-of-the-line product would be willing to spend another, what, $1.20, for the best couplers?
I don’t think KD will sell by the bunk to the manufactures due to the amount of production that would be required…Let’s say Atlas has a run of 85,000 SD35s.
That means KD would need to produce 190,000 pairs of couplers just for that run of SD35s.Now add Athearn,Wallthers,P2K,Stewart,Bowser and all the other manufacturers and you are talking about millions of couplers for the manufacturers plus KDs own stock…Yes BLI uses KD couplers however the other manufacturers uses KD clones.Not sure but,that might be due to costs.
I don’t know brakie, seems to me the whole idea of making a product is to sell as many as possible, I would think KD would like to sell a few million more couplers.
just my [2c].
bill
They should build the locomotive/ car without couplers and let us install our own of choice. I changed EVERY coupler on my fleet of trains.
Bill,I suspect KD makes more money selling packs of couplers then they would selling couplers at bulk rate to manufacturers.After all the KD coupler is the standard coupler by choice.
I assume that the manufacturer is offering a “package” that includes their couplers and wheels. The buyer Walthers, Atlas, Bowser, Steward, BLI etc. can specify whatever other type of components which would probably increase the “cost” of the product resulting in the : Increased costs = Lower profit formula. Which should lead us to insist that the Manufacturers, “Buyers”, and distributors provide what we want by E-mail, letter etc., but more importantly by supporting those companies that provde “quality product” for quality prices . The “X2-F” coupler seems to have faded from the norm into oblivion at someones urging, despite the industrys insistance that it was a “Standard”. Ask someone in the NMRA about that “standard” .
Will
You may be correct, Brakie. On the other hand, however, once Kay-Dee couplers began to show up in numbers on the ‘best’ items, they couldn’t buy better exposure. They would make even more profits because they already have their following (those who currently buy wouldn’t stop), and they would sell in bulk to whomever wanted to please their customers.
85,000 SD35s= 85,000 PAIRS of couplers, not 190,000 pairs.[:D]
Intermountain has Kadee’s as standard equipment on their stuff. I wonder what the percentage is that swap couplers? 10%, maybe even as high as 25% swap for Kadee’s.
Brakie is right on the money about Kadee. This was in print about the time everybody started making knuckle couplers. Metal wheels are more costly, and more involved in manufacturing, but are much more common because of market demand. The overseas manufacturers do not offer a “package” . Each and every detail must be spelled out and even then there are goofs. Remember, these people have never seen a real american train and don’t have any idea what is involved.
Being new to the hobby as of this year I was at first skeptical about having to replace perfectly fine plastic couplers that came on new stuff. But after getting a little aggravated with said couplers coming uncoupled in the darndest places, KayDee made a believer out of me. They are worth the time and money it takes to replace them.
Oops brain backfire.[:I][B)][8]
I meant to say 85,000 SD35 equals 190,000 couplers.
Packaging is not a cheap cost. Yes the little envelope is probably a cent or two at most but I don’t know any company that can’t make more money in bulk orders than onesy twosy’s. Snce MR and nonusers think the clones are just as good they will continue to supply inferior couplers. By the way, as an example of packaging cost that latest computer you bought came in a package that cost between $45.00 and 60.00 for the box and the foam.
I think that it was said earlier, in a different thread, that KD doesn’t have the manufacturing capacity to supply couplers in bulk to other manufacturers plus supply the packs to the rest of the hobby. Given the different number of couplers they currently make and given their size, it seems logical that they couldn’t increase their capability without a major upgrade to their facility.
Maybe they figuer from a modeler’s standpoint, it would give us something to do.
Of course not everyone wants to upgrade to the same product. With wheels for example, do you want Kadee wheels, NWSL wheels, etc. Even among couplers, some might prefer Sergents - http://user.icx.net/~sergent/ - others might prefer more realistic looking dummies, etc. A lot of car kits don’t include trucks, you pick your own.
Enjoy
Paul
LOL. Double brain backfire. 85,000 SD35s equals 170,000 couplers, not 190,000. Is MY encroaching senility affecting YOU too?[:D]