So in this months MR, trix has advertised an all metal USRA mikado…but what knocked me over was the price!! The ad says MSRP is near $550!!! I couldn’t believe that! I thought they wanted a lot for the Big Boy!! I am just interested in your opinions on whether this model is worth its price tag? Is it better detailed than BLI’s Mikes? Does Trix locos (in general) run better?? Also how many of you are planning on making this a must have?
Just curious…
The prices on Steamers are getting over heated. I thought the Alley was expensive. Not being DCC I can’t even get tempted. I’m content with the new FEF-3 and the Spectrum Heavy Weight Mountain.
My wife gives me a hard time on the BLI locos. I didn’t bother to show her how bad it could be! I think I need to get a second and third job to pay for all this hobby stuff!!
And just maybe a fouth for a divorce settlement.
[:0]Thats no kidding! [;)]
I’ve been priced out of the steam market.My only steam engine is a PRR K4 I bought used for $35.00.
I really like the BLI heavy mike, but with an MSRP of $229 and a selling price of around $190-200, it’s at the upper range of my limit. They’ve announced an upcoming light mike with an MSRP of $299. I think I’ll pass and I can definitely live without the Trix at better than $500. That’s just my opinion but I don’t think it’s going to change.
Have Fun,
Tom Watkins
Is there any consensus on why the new steamer are so much more than thier diesel counterparts? Is it becuase they have to be road specific? Even at that Trix wants almost $600 for it’s PA’s! these prices are approaching brass ranges…
$500 for a super USRA 2-8-2A? Thats kinda really steep. I don’t think it is worth that much. One can make the argument that compared to brass, that is cheap. But anything compared to brass would look cheap.
I must admit, I am curious about that freaky gear system that replaces the action of a flywheel. Weird.
You get what you pay for when it comes to modern steam models. $175 for a BLI USRA heavy (what I paid for my ywo) is a very fair price, considering what it would cost to take the same engine and add your own high-quality sound system (generally in the $120 and up range for just a Soundtraxx decoder). Considering the only other way you’ll find a USRA heavy is by building a Bowser kit or by buying brass, the BLI engine is downright cheap!
As for the Trix engine, yes, I feel it’s a bit overpriced. But Trix is a German company primarily geared for selling tot he European collector’s market. Their engines are extremely well engineered, run like Swiss watches, and the photos show very good (but NOT NYC-specific) detailing. Euro modelers have tiny rosters compared to American modelers, who prefer quantity over quality, and Trix’s pricing reflects this. And Trix probably won’t discount much, considering the US market is a tiny slice of their overall profits (they’ll sell hundreds in Europe, and dozens here).
For the money, I’d wait for the BLI USRA light Mike. The price is better, and you’ll end up with an engine that looks and runs at the same high level as the Trix engine. And the QSI sound system works well in DC or DCC model, meaning there are a lot more modelers that can enjoy the model. There are currently three other USRA lights on the market (IHC, Athearn, Bowser), but none of them offer the same level of detail, price, and options.
The Mikado is expensive? And also the PA? I know why! They are produced in germany, we have high wage costs. Most american producers make there engines in asia, so they can have lower prices. Try to imagine what a Kato or Atlas Master diesel would cost if produced in USA! Another point that makes the Trix engines expensive for you are the shipping and the duty costs from germany to america. A middle size steam engine in germany starts at 200 Euro, approx. 240 dollars!
The quality of the Trix models is good, they have many metal parts. Try to buy a mikado at a german online store or at ebay.de, there you can get one for 350 dollars. Add 40 dollars for shippuing and you can save alot!
Micha
In economics, we learn about supply and demand.
When demand exists, and you produce the supply, you can charge whatever the market will bear. If we really want prices to fall, one of two things must happen:
Increase the supply. If the market has too many produceres or a manufacturer is overproducing, a surplus will occur and product value will decrease.
Decrease the demand. If we aren’t willing to pay the price for the existing supply, then a surplus will occur, and price will be lowered so the demand in the market will increase.
So, Trix can charge whatever they please, until the model railroad market as a whole, decides that price is too high. People pay 4 figures for brass. Why? Because demand exists.
Case in point: Trainworld in New York has some insanely low prices on Proto 2000 diesels, and they’re pretty cheap on Ebay as well. Why? Because they are so available, and because Trainworld bought so many, but demand didn’t match supply. So price of supply was lowered to increase demand.
OK, enough Econ 101. Keep your hobby fun!
Micheal Farley
Fargo, ND
Modeling the BN in ND circa 1975
Trix engines are expensive because they’re made from all die-cast metal, much like the Lionel Challenger.
I have a Trix BB and I have to admit that while the price is high, the BB runs smooth out of the box, and runs very well at low speeds. I also used all the rolling stock I had and I pulled a string of cars somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 feet long! This was a few years ago with the first Trix BB. Since then, I’ve pull down the old layout and am preparing for a new bigger and better layout to use the BB to better advantage. I am thinking about getting the Mikado, but with UP wanting to charge for the use of their logo I am reconsidering my options for a different road.
TRIX builds a good locomotive, but I agree that the price is just a bit too steep for this
model railroader… I just took delivery of a BLI Mikado (Great Northern #3205) and it is
really fantastic in appearance, operation and FX sounds. It was about half the price
of the Trix, and I thought twice about spending that much… but I now feel it was a
good purchase… so much so, that I am now awaiting a BLI E-7A.