Hi everyone,
Broadway/PCM has posted new information on their website regarding their brass products. More specifically, they have publicized who their brass builder is (the one who built the BLI GN S-2, PCM UP Big Boy and is now building BLI’s New Haven I-5’s, UP TTT’s, NYC Mohawks, and G Scale SP AC-12 Cab-Forwards). The write up is here: http://www.broadway-limited.com/primote.htm and their forum thread is here: http://www.broadway-limited.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=182
Also, for New Haven I-5 fans, the Brass I-5 has shipped from the factory, and there are newly updated production photos of the Brass model. It looks spectacular:
http://precisioncraftmodels.com/store/index.cfm?event=content&content_name=BrassI-5pix
Also, for UP TTT-6/7 fans, there are newly updated pre-production sample photos of the Brass model. It also is a fabulous looking piece:
http://precisioncraftmodels.com/BLI---UP-TTT-6-7-2-10-2,-Brass,-HO-c3441.html
BLI/PCM or whatever they are calling the company today has been late on every product model that they have reservations on and now they are doing brass. The UP 2-20-2 is a model that I will probably buy if it is offered in the 5511 number, since that one is still in the roundhouse at Cheyenne.
My point is why are they doing brass and not the items that really sell??? Die cast and plastic have been selling like mad compared to any brass. Sure, the G scale Cab Forward is fairly cheap if you compare it to anything its size, but how many of us will actually buy a 1/29 scale Cab Forward at any price??? i had started my #1 scale in 1/32 and already have a Daylight for the Southern Pacific. 1/29 and 1/32 do not match up well on the same layout.
Cheers
Interesting. Six posts to your credit and every one a breathless hype of BLI/PCM.
I examined this information and did some thinking.
If Brass is dead in Korea and very little Craftsmen are producing quality brass, what are we left with?
Everyone has hammered (Including me) on BLI/PCM until we are blue in the face about how slow or not at all of thier products came to market after announcment.
There must be profit in that brass. Much more so than plastic. They have made no secret of the fact that the item with the most orders get put into production first.
I am not a UP fan but that Brass Mountain engine with the short vandy looks really, really good. Almost as if it only needs steaming up and a train to pull.
Now, if this is typical of model engine manufactors, how are we all getting the dozens and dozens of engines very fast? Sweatshops?!
I am noticing that there is a sea change in the hobby, items are coming into market with absolutely no announcments or any fanfare. The first sign is a photo or leaked post on a forum somewhere.
BLI/PCM did start the forums some time ago and I think they are trying thier best. They will never be Trains.com but it is very good that a manufactor builds a forum for thier products and bends an ear to thier customers.