Rapido Trains has just announced a new locomotive offering.
And now, for the second time, they are apparently not interested in my money.
A while back they announced ALCO PA’s, and I promptly put in my preorder for an undecorated A/B set in DC. Only to have Rapido later cancel the undecorated offering…
I later found another NOS Proto2000 set of PA/PB undecorated locos to round out my PA fleet on the ACR.
Now they have just announced EMD E8’s, a loco I like and maybe would spring for another set or two…
BUT,
the offerings do not include B&O, C&O or undecorated models?
The B&O and the C&O were major users of EMD E units, powering most of their passenger trains with them. Between them they owned over 10% of the E8’s built. Not to mention all the E7’s, E9’s, & E6’s the B&O had.
Well once again, if I decide I want more E units, I will be seaching for some more NOS Proto 2000.
Sheldon,
The number of prototypical units for a particular railroad doesn’t necessarily relate to sales. For example, take the one-of-a-kind Amtrak E8A 4316 model they’ve announced. Originally, it was capped at 500 units. It sold out in about 48 hours and Rapido had to re-open the order books so they could make more of them to satisfy the demand. Another is the NH EP-5 electric in yellow; it’s the best selling SKU out of all the EP-5’s they’re making and it literally never left Erie, Penn. It was painted yellow, rolled out of the paint shop, the NH president picked the orange one, rolled back into the paint shop and re-painted orange. Talk about rare, it was never energized and got no closer than 400 miles to NH rails while yellow, and yet NH fans are buying it in droves.
Rapido is making models that represent about 53% of all E8A’s made. Not to mention that Amtrak had 150 E8A’s they inherited, and Rapido is making four different numbers in Amtrak (plus the 4316).
As for the undec.'s, Rapido can’t make money selling undec. locos unless they make a dozen. Lately, undec. locos have been selling in the single digits. It’s just not worth it, especially with all the variations they make. But if you can get together a group of folks that all want a specific undec. version, talk to Rapido; Jason said it’s possible.
Will they make B&O or C&O? Probably; just not this run.
If you want undecorated, why not just buy any roadname available and paint over it? [^o)]
Seems no harder than starting with an undecorated, and could actually be easier if you happen to find a livery that partly matches what you’re aiming for.
Things like window glass need to be removed. Some details are better applied after major painting. Too many layers of paint hides detail, multi color paint schemes sometimes leave visible lines in paint overs, so that means disassembly and stripping, which often damages details.
Undecorated models traditionally come with the details unassembled, the body is basically a “kit”, making it much easier to paint and detail. AND, most manufacturers include all orm ost of the various proto specific details for you to choose from when practical.
Watch the Model Railroader Video Plus episode where Cody gets a GP ready for painting. You will see every problem that Sheldon mentioned, plus more. That should change your mind about this.
Undecorated models are the way to go, but painting and decalling is not something many people do anymore.
Ah, interesting. I have been intending to eventually repaint some engines with a custom job, but other projects and my general lack of artistic ability have put it on the back burner
That’s one of the reasons why the G.N.O. Railway will never really be completed. I have a few undecorated boxcars. But I need flatcars, gondola, covered hoppers, hoppers to represent that my railroad exists with any Class I railroad.
I noticed that freight cars are getting harder to find for our fantasy livery lines. The closest I can probably do would be patches.
Sheldon,
I feel the same way about ExactRail or MTH. They’ve yet to make anything that interests me. [*-)]
As for Rapido, what about the new F30D flat cars? As a fellow 1950s TOFC modeler like yourself, I’ve ordered two 6-packs; one in PRR and another in TTX. They should go well with my fleet of Walthers 75’ F39A TOFC’s. They are currently being offered undec., too. And I’m also getting a number of 35’ Fruehauf vans to go with them (well, you know I’m getting at least all three NH trailers).
Jason wrote a recent article in RMC explaining how he runs his business and detailing the reasons behind the dreaded preorder and how they decide what to make and in what quantities. Nothing we haven’t heard forum members speculate about in the past but it is nice to get it from the source.
I made a request for these on another forum [Y] I have a pair of the old Protos but they are just “stand-ins”. Rapido could go all out and make a commemorative set of three like, IIRC, Overland did some years ago.
I hope the next run has the ex-Erie E-L units, too.
Mr Shron has explained, ad infinitum, why undecorated products are simply not feasable these days. Scroll to the bottom here, and see his tattered issue of M-R, too:
Well, they are very nice, but I have already built over 100 piggyback flats from other sources… Maybe just a few from Rapido at some point.
So here is my question, will the undecorated flats be the traditional “kit”? If so why not just offer one undecorated version with all the parts? If it comes assembled, no thank you.
I sent them an Email…
MTH and ExactRail, same here, don’t own anything from them either.
I’ve been stripping, washing, and repainting decorated models for years. The details don’t really get damaged, one or two might fall off, but the paint usually just peals right off with a soft toothbrush after soaking in 90% alcohol. Might have a little bit of careful work to do on the end of a hopper car. I have never done this with a highly detailed tank car. Mainly boxcars and diesel locomotives. A PA, F unit, or E unit would be super easy.
Most window glass is press fit into place, so you can either remove it or just mask around it.
Any details that fall off can be thought of just like assembling an indectorated kit. Except you might have 3 details to reattach instead of 150 [:D]
Don’t repaint over existing paint. Either strip one or buy undecorated, IMO.
Mr. Shron’s explanation has some merit, but he chose an example that was easy for him to defend his position. An undecorated PA would not have multiple body shell parts; most anything that would be road specific would be an add on, unless I am greatly mistaken. Why not make the undec body available as a part?
I have not purchased anything Rapido, not because I won’t, but because his offerings do not match what I need for ATSF or MKT.
It’s easy to underestimate the costs of supplying parts.
The cost of the part itself is just the beginning.
You may note that kits are not common any longer. That’s because the labour to assemble each unit is only a fraction of the retail price.
Just packaging, shipping, storing and then distributing parts is uneconomic. This is true for many manufactured items. Model locomotives are a drop in the ocean of parts and repair issues.
Undecorated locomotives are just another separate run, the cost is related to volume of that run, not the cost of decorating. There is practically zero incremental cost to decorating.
Having been in thus hobby for 50 years, and having spent 10 years working in the model train/hobby business, I am well aware of the production and economic considerations. I will happily pay the same price, or even a small premium to get an unassembled, undecorated model that is otherwise sold RTR.
Seems to me adding all the details for that flat car into a single item would be better than having three different undecorated items. Unless they are assembled, in which case I will pass.
Athearn. LifeLike, Wathers, Bowser, Intermountain and others did it for years. No doubt the hobby is changing even more, moving me even further from having much in common with many “modelers”.
I don’t think the issue of not producing undecorated kits has to do with costs of “producing” an undecorated kit, per se, it has to do with not enough demand to offset the cost, a formula that applies to any flavor of locomotive.
If Rapido says they cannot offer undecorated versions unless they get 12 orders, that probably means they cannot offer decorated versions of ANY roadname unless they get 12 orders. They got at least 12 orders for every name they are making, or expect to, and they have not gotten 12 orders for the undecs; even though the cost to produce each flavor is basically the same.
