My bad…That’s DCC/sound…
To my ears the sound is terrible using straight DC.
The problem is, that added quality doesnt cost $200! Do you really think the small amount of plastic and metal it takes to make a loco (or car) really costs in the hundreds? One commenter said the money is used to 'pay the rent, electric, and supplies etc" for a company to make and sell models. I got news for you, Athearn (as an example) has been in business for over half a century. Surely their building is paid for by now. Supplies havent changed - still bulk metal and plastic, and in the same amounts.
Truth be known, you compare todays “high detailed - quality” Athearn to an 80’s version. Sure, their is more detail. But thats it! Theres a motor in both, both have a shell and paint scheme. Todays versions just have more detail and DCC equipped. And I am here to tell you, detail parts and DCC decoders DO NOT add 100’s of dollars to a models quality and price.
I can take an 80’s (new old stock) SD40 and add the detail and DCC for way less than what one sells for today. And you wont be able to tell the difference between the two. And thats buying the detail parts and DCC equipment at todays price! I have seen todays versions and I dont consider bent rails, missing pieces right out of the box to be superior in quality and price. The sound hasnt changed that much either in tonal quality since 80’s, you just get more sounds (through DCC) is all. No real advantage there.
If things were closer to reality, consider prices being as such: locos - from an 44tonner being the smallest to a Big Boy or Allegheny (options loaded) being the biggest… the price range should NEVER be other than $25 to $150 respectfully. There should NEVER be a loco that costs over $149.99!! The only exception is I quote plastic pricing (HO scale), not brass.
If $25.00 was a great price for an Atlas (YB) GP-40 then, $35 would be now. Obviously back then it was a good price as Atlas is still here today (bills paid, profit made!). Then, they had bills (buildin
Aside from that 1956 statistic which mentioned that $1500 was a median income for many- in what was to become the burgeoning middle class- the federal tax rates were fairly high across all income levels, notwithstanding that many vets were obtaining new housing and educating themselves under the GI Bill (which removed some financial obstacles to entry into the middle class). These tax rates didn’t fall until the early 1960s.
Overall, it just seems that the item price today for many railroad products is significantly higher than it might otherwise be. I will never be able to pay $400- $600 for a locomotive- I just saved up for over 1/2 year to by 4 new tires when they were on sale, recently for $600!!! I drive the same route to work daily and measure my gas use (combining trips or routing myself in the most effcient manner) weekly, because gas costs have become price inflexible.
Perhaps that is why I see so many new faces at the local swap meets- because continued participation in the hobby requires discrete economic choices, not prolifigate spending- unless you have the money!
Frugal by necessity,
Cedarwoodron