I found out about this on a Walthers Youtube video (no pics of it there) This is my second time around in the hobby and I did not know they had Name Train line. The latest is the C&O George Washington.
For those that are interested, brace yourself for a little sticker shock. The whole package of 7 passenger cars and an E8-A-A set will set you back $1,300
Walthers is using Loksound Decoders in the locomotives [Y]
Matching E8A diesels are the perfect power
Based on Class PE-225 units delivered in 1953 and in service to the late 1960s, models are available for the first time with ESU LokSound Select sound for DCC & DC layouts. Units are superbly detailed to match C&O.
I bought many of the Capitol Limited and second-run Broadway cars in the “De Luxe” version. MB Klein had them at a very reasonable, in my mind anyway, cost.
With Preiser figures going for $18 - $25 a set, plus the light kits already installed, AND I didn’t have to pry the roof off, it was worth it for me.
If I decide to, I can open them later to either add more little folks or add a little color to the walls and seats.
I would be interested in the RPO and the obs. I DO hope Walthers re-thinks the end diaphragm and uses one a little more detailed and closer to scale rather than the huge, black monolith as the photo shows.
If you buy through some of the dealers there is a considerable discount available. I have used Overland Hobbies or MB Klein and found the “Street Price” a little more bearable.
If you want to gamble, Walthers will place overstock in their “Sale Flyer” and you can save even more. I recently bought many of the Capitol Limited cars and locomotives at less than half of the original list price.
I didn’t mean to start a “this is too expensive thread”. You can find Penn Line passenger cars on Ebay that have passenger silhouttes in the windows for far less money. That level of realism didn’t float my boat 40 years ago, but I still have 2 of those cars.
Obviously they think they will sell at that price. I can’t think of much that has come down in price in the last 40 years except Detroit real estate.
My guess is that people have accumulated $1,300 on passenger trains they don’t really need, so $1,300 for a train they may really want might not be a bad deal relative to how much they have already spent on their collection.
So when a passenger train comes along that would fit their wants perfectly, buy it and sell what is now surplus on the secondary market to bring the cost down.
Its only expensive, on a net basis, if people just buy new things then hoard them, never churning their collection with the goal of upgrading.
That’s an interesting view and it seems lots of folks feel that way. Not something I have ever done or will ever do.
I have no problem with current prices, they reflect currect values/features and cost to produce (contrary to what some believe).
But I’m not buying for other reasons:
Already have a nice set of Proto E8’s in C&O
Don’t need/want or use DCC or sound
Already have a nice consist of Concor C&O streamlined cars, upgraded with working/touching Americal Limited Diaphragms and body mount couplers. And the heavyweight head end cars from Athearn…
OK, not as prototypically correct, but the visual flavor is there. And again, they look better on curves and look better to my eye close coupled.
So I simply don’t need or want another set - at any price - I already have something close enough that I have time and money invested in.
And I have been enjoying mine for two decades now…
I’m leaning toward a “sell out” of a lot of older cars including my IPD boxcar collection. I been considering selling my old freight cars to a train show dealer.
But…
I really hate to sell my IPD boxcar collection because those cars took several years to collect especially my Berlin Mills Railway boxcar at the price I was willing to pay…