SEARAILS introduces "DIRT RIGS" a Construction Set (VF-2-A) including; Dump Truck with positionable Dump Bed & Piston Transfer Dump Truck & Trailer with connecting yoke Cement Mixer Road Grader Back Hoe (stowed for loading) Special Introductory Price of $79.00 through June 1, 2006 ($99 after) Two Week Delivery Available at WWW.SEARAILS.com As always, comments and suggestions are welcome!
I'd be intersted in the Road Grader and Back Hoe if you'll piece them. Already have enouhg of the first three items. How 'bout a Back Hoe extended and maybe even below grade?
Hi Jeff, Thanks for the request. The DIRT RIGS (VF-2) are available as a set. $79 for the Back Hoe, Road Grader, Dump Bed, Hydraulic Piston to allow for prototypical postioning, Dump Truck Day Cab, Transfer Dump Truck, Transfer Bed with Draw Bar, and Cement Mixer. After the NTS at the Philadelphia NMRA the price will increase to $99.00. The detail on these models is extraordinary. Pistons in the hydraulics, bleed hoses, bezels, tracks and roller bearing driver wheels, teeth on the Hoe bucket, and if you examine the underneath of the set you will find complete representation of axles, transmissions, brake hoses, and a variety of details like lug nuts, running lights and backup lamps, etc. Thanks for your support of Z scale. Jim Shiff
Just a thought. How about a set of cars? Maybe a modern set and a 1950's set (for guys like me). I can fill up my layout with trucks, semi's, and trailers, but I only see about 4 or 5 cars that will work for me. Thanks.
Yes I feel the same way. There are over 75 different trucks, big rigs, trailers, and other construction equipment in Z Scale, yet there is only 4 versions of a 1940's pickup truck, and 1 other pre 1960's automobile available. That would be fine if we only modeled construction scenes and container yards, but I modeled a 1950's drive in theater, which sits empty waiting for '57 chevy's and '55 ford pickups. I'm telling you, people want transition era automobiles. I'm done buying trucks and trailers as I have enough to last me the rest of my life. In the same size sprue as that 13 piece truck/trailer sprue you could fit 20 or more automobiles, and since they are lower profile, (about half the height means half the material and twice the throughput) than the trucks the RP machine could crank them out faster, and you could sell them cheaper at a profit. -Robert
Jim, I appreciate the detail that you put into your parts but like some of the following replies and my specific request, we all seem to have dump trucks, cement mixers and the like but we don't have Bulldozers, Backhoes (various positions), Graders, Earthmovers, Steam rollers, Cherry pickers (telephone, utilities, etc.) and VERY desireable lifting cranes (solid beam and open frame). Make them single items per sprue and sell them as such. I've had to go to MakeMyModel because they have them this way. Certainly not as detailed as yours but for MANY scenes, more than enough. I certainly know how much time, effort and cost it takes to make a new part but please consider it.
I second the answer from Robert and Chris. We need more cars. Imagine 59 Cadillacs, Chevy Impalas (my father owned one), Buicks and Ford Thunderbirds....
Jurg, back then a full size is a full size. Now. a full size looks more like a midsize. I remember how big my dad's 73 Impala was. The back seat is so big, that it feels like a bed. Maybe is because we were smaller back then. I love the good old times before I grew up. If you ask my wife, she will tell you I never grew up.
John, Full-size now means supersized SUV's. Those aren't available in Z scale either. Half of what you see on the roads today are SUV's, pick-up trucks (being used as cars, not trucks) and mini-vans. Randy
Jim, I haven't seen the Dirt Rigs in person yet, but I am looking forward to these. I agree with others that you could probably sell more if you sold them individually rather than in the frets. For example, I want multiples of the excavator, but not the concrete mixer. If the detail on these is similar to the big rigs, I'm sure they will be fantastic, but I would personally rather pay $2 to $5 less per item (comparable to MakeMyModels.com's prices) than have under chasis detail that we will never see unless we are modeling a jack-knifed tractor trailer. Just my preference. I can't wait to get these in my hands. ;-) Randy
Robert, Your comments on the 1950's era cars are on the mark, however, have you tried drawing any of these on CAD? How many do you see still driving around where you can easily take reference photos (6 view) of them. This may be the problem for thise type of vehicle over something more modern. If someone could provide full reference material, to a company like SeaRails, MakeMyModel or Mark4Design, I bet we would see some earlier era vehicles released. By the way, I do know that someone is working on a project to make 1950's era vehicles, but I can't give you much more detail than that at this point. I'll let them know about this thread and see if they want to say anything about the project yet. Randy
Randy, I was looking at these RP tool myself, and came to the conclusion that I would be better off investing in a short term lease of a 3d laser scanner. With it, I can purchase all kinds of model cars in whichever scale i want, scan it, modify just enough to make it a generic car instead of an exact scale replica to avoid licensing hassles, shrink to Z scale, and send out to a printer. If the height of the cars are 3/8" and the print table area is 8" x 10" I figure that a 2-3 hour print cycle should yield 160-200 cars, and each one could be different!. A quick flame polishing on the set to be used as masters for resin production, and make several molds to pour the with envirotex lite, (which flows better than many resins, CO2 causes bubbles to rise out an pop easily) but cures in 24 hours) and overnight you have lots of clear cars, or even ones with tinted windows if you like. Now what you have is cars that can be sold inexpensively, have resonable detail, and you can have hundreds of different body styles. Want foreground cars for a premium? Sell the RP masters!
Neat idea Robert. Let me know when you get your 3D scanner and I'll send you loads of stuff to scan. ;-) The Envirotex method should be at least as good if not better than Marklin Gummi cars. I do have a drive-in planned myself. Could come in handy. Randy
I am currently in the process of producing a line of 50's era automobiles in cast pewter. They are intended to be inexpensive, fairly detailed, scenery vehicles. Unfortunately, my manufacturer has had a backlog of work and a few other setbacks, so my release has been delayed. I am hoping that I might have a first run done by NTS, but, who knows. The cars in the line are a 55, 57, and 58 Chevy, a 58 corvette, a 54 3/4 ton Chevy Pick-up, a 57 Cadillac, a 55 T-bird, and a 34 Ford. Due to recent increases in metal prices, I'm not sure about prices, yet. I do plan on offering them as a complete set, as well as individually for a slightly higher unit cost. Dan S.
Our Hero Dan! Just what us Z Scalers need! -actually I already knew about these cars, but I did not tell until Dan let the cat out. His cars are just the right size, and look great! -Robert
Actually, Robert's concept of the laser scanner is even better than buying an RP machine. There are a lot of places that have RP available, but getting the 3-D modelling done is another story. Between finding accurate scaled drawings and making 3-D renderings of them, a lot of time can be spent. On another note, one of the companies that our MEs use at work has switched over to all ABS plastic RP media. They have found it to be more durable and easier to work with.
Dan, I need at least 40 cars for my Town. Some of them will have head-and rearlights as I'm working with Oliver Passmann on severeal projects. So please go one!
Jurg, Since they will be cast pewter, it will be fairly easy to drill out the head and tail lights and feed fiber optic cable through (everything but the pick-up). Connect the headlight fibers to a white LED and the tail lights to a red one. The cars are basically hollow. Dan S.
