Roco has a really nice video on their website that gives a rare glimpse of the manufacturing process. It shows some CAD rendering, mold cutting, motor winding and assembly, and loco assembly. It’s all in German though, so perhaps someone who sprekens zie Deutsch can translate a few key bits of info. Best watched in full screen.
That was pretty neat, thanks for the link to the video. I liked how some the models had moving parts like the pantographs, passenger car door, and that one that looked like a steel coil car. I wonder if those features are standard on all equipment.
Another thing I found interesting is that the majority of the manufacturing process was performed by women. Now I’m not trying to sound sexist, it’s just a thing I noticed in the video. The only male (besides the man with the children) was the guy doing the CAD stuff. Do they pay a woman less than they would pay a man to assemble these models? I hope that’s not the case since it would say a lot about the Roco company. Maybe women have better manual dexterity than men, so this job is perfect for them, who knows?
I’ve sometimes wondered if we can classify assembly workers as model railroaders. Sure it’s their job, but it seems like they possess some pretty good modeling skills that are better than some I’ve seen. Anyway, thanks for the video link.
There are several reasons for having women work at these jobs. Having been a plant manager for model manufacturing, I can assure you they are not sexist. Women in general have smaller fingers, so they can handle small parts more easily. They also do not get frustrated as easily when encountering problems. They work more neatly, so for instance when pulling parts from a molding machine, you don’t end up with a big tangled mess.Lastly, they are much better at doing the same task over and over. The major disadvantage is they love to chat, so if you work with them the endless chatter can get on your nerves (don’t ask me how I know this).
Now that’s what I call some “separately applied details!”
And proof positive that molds are now made by robots and lasers, NOT highly paid craftsman. I do wonder how much $$$ was sitting on those mold storage racks![:O]
Well, I’ll be the sexist one and state that some of those women were rather attractive. Then I thought further and wondered - ignoring the fact that they’re in Central Europe, and also the fact that I don’t speak German or Polish - that if you were dating one of those ladies, would they be so sick and tired of working on model trains all day to loath your hobby when they came home? [xx(]
Great video. The amount of automation in the mold making and painting is impressive. Lot of investment there. But details really do take hand assembly. Those two factors explain why finer models cost so much.
Did you catch the jig for assembling the steam locomotives. I have a Bowser kit on the shelf - one of those jigs would be handy!
It is something to think how molds were created back in the old days before CAD and computerized NC machines. And those old molds are still used today in some cases. That was craftsmanship.
George V.
I did not see any robots and lasers making molds in that video. I saw a quick sped up clip of a milling machine (CNC) cutting a part. It was probably sped up at least 10x and I saw a laser doing some engraving work. The part you saw being machined has to have a cavity that it fits into to form the part. That cavity will be burned out with an electrode made to the shape of the part. Once that is burned out it has to be polished without altering the shape of the part. This is where the skill come in. This is all done by hand with small motor tools and polishing sticks and a lot of tedious labor. Any small scratch that is not taken out will be reflectes in the finished part.
As to how much money was sititng on those shelves?..millions. A rough estimate is that each mold block you see there is in the $30,000 to $60,000 range. Some may be less if they are small uncomplicated parts and a couple might be more. (we have a mold at work that cost over $100,000 to have made) If I think about it, I will try to find some pictures I have at work of some of our molds in a disassembled state. It will amaze you when you see all of the parts that go just into the ejector pin assembly plate not to mention the oil cooling and heating passages in one of these.
I was thinking the same thing, George. Having a jig that you could rotate to any position would be a great help when lining up the rods and spacers as she is doing in the video. That could really cut down on the cursing. [:I]
Roco sets a very high manufacturing standard, so those molds must be worth a mint. I know what goes in to relatively simple toy molds; the cost of molds for such precision parts must be astronomical. As Pike-62 said, it’s like designing an engine block.
As far as the women assemblers are concerned, that is pretty standard in the industry. Women have smaller hands, and tend to have better manual dexterity than men. All of the assemblers in our China plant were women.
This Swiss steamer was given to me about ten years ago. I was amazed at the level of detail, especially back then. It’s driven by the tender, but this is no pancake motor. The tender is all Zamac and built like a brick, with a smooth, quiet drive. It’s only drawback is the large European flanges, which they appear to be still using, except now they are chemically blackened.
Your engine looks mighty fine, Nelson. I enjoyed the video…I can’t imagine the expense of designing, tooling, and then commencing the manufacture of a single model…it is scary.
About women…in general, and in addition to having better manual dexterity, the female of our species has measurably better visual acuity. Their eyes have all the spherical and zone errors that men have on their cornea, but the difference is in the extent to which their pupils dilate. Girls have a greater capacity to dilate their irises, which in turn means a greater cross-section to the light-passage aperture and thus to the light incident on the fovea at the back of the eye. It means a couple of things…they see more detail and more of it in less light. The wider diameter iris permits a higher resolution, meaning women can perceive as two distinct objects items very close together, so close that a man might think they are just a misshaped or larger whole. Think of two tiny black period dots on a white page. They might be physically located so that only 0.1 mm of white page is between them. If a man were to stand approximately 6’ away from those dots, he might see only a larger oblong short line segment. A woman standing beside him might see a bit of light between the dots, and an 8 year-old girl would see them distinctly as dots. Small wonder child labour is used in the third world for assembly of small items.
-Crandell
Informative video, even with mute turned on; thanks for the link.
I totally agree with all your assesments in regards to women workers, even the chatty part. There has been many a time when I ask my girlfriend to handle a small detail part, or run a magnet wire somewhere I can’t quite place, etc…
If this is true Crandell, then why do they inevitably coo over the most ridiculous looking toy train, yet completely ignore a scale masterpiece? [:-^]
It is too in-your-face…it overwhelms them…I guess. I haven’t asked. They act the same around loud racing motors. Steamers have high-pitched turbo-generators, hissing and leaking steam, and when they do the double toot and open the cylinder co.cks to move off, I think women will startle more than men. They are more reactive.
Steamers are a guy thing. Oohh ohh ooooh!!
-Crandell
I am modelrailroader from Europe and very familiar with ROCO, I have more than 20 locomotives of them, the rest is Fleischmann nad one is Trix. ROCO is very quality manufacturer, some of my models run from 1981 without any problems. Details are very accurate. Moving pantographs, doors etc. is not standard to all equipment. You can move all pantographs by hand, of course. These moving pantographs and doors are new feature, DCC controlled. This is a new set, and costs a fortune!
I just wanted to add that during my first visit in USA May last year I bought an F7 (NYC freight) loco from Athearn Genesis and 18 freight cars (Proto 2000) and I am very pleased by their quality, altough plastic parts on cars is very brittle and breaks like glass. ROCO on the other hand, uses different plastics that is much harder to brake. But, USA models are very exotic here and I like colorful train that I have. I am waiting for another loco, BLI 4-8-4 ATSF, she will be a great attraction here with steam and sound! The only problem is that american models run on relatively big radius, compared to that in Europe. But, I will also buy one Cab Forward, I can not miss that after standing in front of one in Sacramento Railroad Museum:[:)] Amazing dimensions!
Well, that is all…for my first post here.
Now that this topic is up here again, I took the time to try and translate what they say in that video. I hope, my English is not too bad to be comprehensible. If it isn’t, you will find some of the above questions are answered (though none about women…) and are also backing the previous post.
However, keep in mind, it is a promotional video and I have only tried to translate it to the best of my abilities.
Aaaaand – action!
For some, it is an ordinary means of transportation, for others a dream of iron and steel. More than 170 years after its first run, railroads are still as fascinating as they have always been. Many who as children wanted to become an engine driver, today live their dreams as model railroaders and pursue their hobby burning with perfectionism.
Reality is the prototype for model railroaders. Most members of the large fan community consider the impressive steam engines as the uncurable virus. The fascination of technology, the love for details, the many interwoven fields of knowledge – this is what constitutes this attractive hobby. The common passion of all model railroaders are true to detail rendering, exact true to scale compliance to proportions and technological innovations. Enthusiastic, yet discriminating to the smallest detail – this is how model railroaders can be characterized.
Despite their long tradition, model railroads are no less up to date than they were. The many aspects, like creativity and ingenuity, fine motor skills and technical knowledge, make building and playing with model railroads the ideal hobby to connect generations. Thus, it is no wonder that many model railroaders spend their spare time fiddling in attics and basements to bring perfection to small trains and scale miniature landscapes. Railway enthusiasts take their hobby as serious as the schedule of the small trains. Here, you will see how the detailed Roco miniature engines are developed as historical steam locos, strong electrical locomoti
Thanks for the excellent translation, Harry. [bow] Your English is excellent, and that was quite a project you undertook. I didn’t expect anyone to tranlsate the entire narration.
Thanks for your feedback. So far, I couldn’t contribute much to this excellent forum, so I thought I might try to at least give some input. And then, of course, it was a good opportunity to practice a bit of English.
Cheers,
Harry