I finally got my hands on this years Walther's catalog the other day and noticed a severe lack of modern American vehicles. What companies make modern vehicles that Walthers doesn't sell that I'm missing out on? It seems weird to me that all the major train manufactures are making these 1990s and even newer engines and yet the most recent domestic automobile I could find was a 1995 Ford Taurus by Atlas. Trying to model in the 2000s would mean you have yourself a town that looks like the Germans won the third "War", because there is nothing but Mercedes, Porsches and Volkwagens made after 2000. Or there is a perpetual classic and custom car cruise in town as there are about a thousand different variations of domestic vehicles from 1940-1960. Heck, there are over 2 dozen pre-painted 1950s GMC buses too. There has to be an untapped segment of the market here that someone could and should exploit.
If you notice, most of the American vehicles are no longer made, Hudson, Coe, etc. With the exception of Ford, the companies that are interested in the models would probably have to pay a royalty to copy their products. Look at the models offered by Tomytec at 1:150. Many are excellent, although imported (as many vehicles have been in the last four decades.
OHhhhhhhhhh...I agree ! There arent enough 'newer' vehicles. Not everyone is modeling the 50's and 60's. My layout is more modern...with older buildings that have been renovated to todays standards. I have few vehicles because...wellllll...they just aint out there ! Someone could make newer 'generic' pick ups or cars. Doesnt have to be or look like a Ford or Chevy. You dont need manufacturing licensing for something 'generic'. People arent going to look at a train layout and focus their attention on a few vehicles and complain they arent 'real'. People watch the trains...anything else is just filler !! A town full of Mercedes, Porsches and Volkwagens just plain suxs !! "Richville" is not a town I model !! We need more modern 'common' vehicle varieties ! I just dont need to run newer diesels with 1950 sedans !! :tb-mad: .
I would like to say for the record I have nothing against transition era modeling btw, I think every bit of any equipment made for this scale strengthens the hobby, and I admit that big steam is really cool. I just wasn't born then, ergo I do not have that sense of nostalgia and find modeling something I can actually go out and see today more interesting and therefore sustainable. Therein lies the problem that those models just don't exist. Tomytec cars are good looking, but then it looks like the Japanese won the third War, so its basically the same problem. Generic vehicles would be a good solution, B-grade video game companies have been using that idea for years. One of my favorite offroad games does that with incredibly convincing near-prototype vehicles with slight cosmetic changes to make them unique. Like my favorite 4x4, the Jeep Cherokee with the front grille of an 80's Toyota. Since I don't have the room for a layout at the moment (logistics on that 4x8 fell through), perhaps I will start experimenting with making some vehicles of clay or something. I have a bunch of old MicroMachines that will hopefully make good bases.
GHQ has SOME newer model cars and trucks, 70-early 80s Suburbans, Taurus, and a few others. www.ghqmodels.com Lineside has a selection of 90-ish cars and trucks but tends to be out of stock on a lot of items when I check, at least the ones I'm looking for. http://www.rphobbies.com/lineside-models.html
Awesome! Thank you for that link. I have had a hard time finding cars and trucks for the mid 1970's, just about everything I need is in there.
Those Lineside wheels n tires under "Other" will come in handy in making my own, and a few of those late 70s-90s trucks will help. I'll still keep looking for new passenger car ideas. Perhaps next time I go home to Pittsburgh I'll take a look at ToysRus' offerings.
