This just came across my e-mail so naturally I opened it up. I admit I am an N scaler and have been toying with the idea of getting a couple of HO GP38-2s for a custom project. I checked on these new 38s and about had a heart attack! $198 for ONE loco! woo woo woo! And it doesn't even have sound! Am I missing something here? http://www.athearn.com/Search/Default.aspx?SearchTerm=ATHG+GP38-2&PageSize=72
It is the new norm. Is it new tooling, old? New anything about it, new factory, new contract, new market, new realities?
It is all new tooling with railroad specific details, nothing at all like the old Blue Box GP38-2. Look at extensive research, new molds, more parts to install, higher wages in China, higher shipping costs, and more profit for Horizon. Irv was happy to supply reasonably priced cars and locomotives without making a large profit on each piece but sell a lot of them. Rick J
No you are not missing anything cwwrman; the new premium quality highly detailed toys ARE expensive. These new Genesis GP38-2's compare favorably to brass but at a much lower price. So I'm not sure why this is such a mystery. Fully detailed and painted brass is really expensive these days so these are probably 1/3rd to 1/4 those brass prices so these are a relative bargain adjust to the reality of it. As I state to Rick below, no one is forcing you to buy the MSRP $198 loco which is probably $13x discount. It's like that with cars or other things. I say woo woo woo at the price of a Lexus too, and drive a Toyota. If you want to get cheap GP38-2 and do all the detailing yourself, you can shop Ebay or go to a train show and my guess is you can find one or two for relative bargain prices and have at it. A quick look on Ebay and I see lots of blue box GP38-2's for around $15 to $40. So if you got sticker shock at the Genesis prices, then the blue box stuff should make you very happy. Problem solved. Rick J You make it sound like a bad thing! You know there is still plenty of blue box Athearn diesels around - I see them every time I go to train shows in my area so if love the bb diesels, they ARE still around! And I'd guess they are still pretty abundant at train shows because people who prefer them are likely in the minority. No worries because Athearn is filling the market demand with more detailed higher quality stuff, and the train show tables still have a goodly amount of the older blue box kit freight cars and loco's for those like you who are still nostagic for the old days.
I wouldn't put too much stock in the price displayed on Atheran's website. That's the MSRP. The street price will be cheaper. I found a website that is pre-selling the SP GP38-2 with DCC and sound for $199.99 and it's listed for $279.98 on Athearn's website. Yes, it's still expensive, but it's a good option for a accurately detailed model for people that don't have the skill (or time) to make the modifications themselves.
Yep - and yes Athearn is responding to OUR demands. And it raises prices! Still hankering for all those details? As for me, I will be patrolling the train show tables!
Athearn is responding, and like I said, this is a good thing because there is stuff for both. NOBODY likes higher prices but then again, there are still lots of lower priced alternatives. Train shows and Ebay supplies those who still want those things - thats good! And there IS a market for people who are scared to take a file or x-acto to their $90 KATO. For a little more or about the same you CAN get loco's with many prototypical deails applied. I've acquired some nice SD40T-2's or SD45's with prototypical SP or D&RGW details for discount of about $69-85 each. I have a few Genesis loco's too, I can't afford many but they are nice. Like I said, all of what we have is great. Something for everyone. I really don't understand why people are upset and complaining. Choice is a good thing!
I for one would wish that some manufacturer/importer would make a "second class model" for "second class modelers" like myself. The first class, detailed to the "nines" (especially in "my" road names) I've bought and will continue to do so. However for someone who likes to vary road names and numbers a lot (I do) will find that odd screen, footboard, etc along the ROW - kinda hard to join up with the original engine. For me the early P2K engines got it just right
There have been a lot of decent "second class" models come out. Yes, a lot of the Proto 2000 models were pretty nice - like the SD9 and GP30 etc. The worst thing about the SD9 was the horrible old Athearn style coupler mount - which the copied TOO well from the old Athearn blue box chassis. The newest Genesis are full out "bells and whistles" diesels - the newest Genesis I have is the California Zephyr FP7A in WP and it includes many of the details of the prototype, correct horns, stainless steel side panels, grab irons over the windshields etc. The Athearn RTR line is nicely done but varies from minimal details and no DCC plug to ... to ... RTR diesels which by all visual appearances should be Genesis (e.g. the SD45's and SD40T-2's have alot of prototypical details).
Jim - not so much upset and complaining for me, I suppose a little nostalgic though. For the model railroaders that have the $$ and desire to be able to buy the correctly detailed locos off the shelf, I'm happy. Such choices SHOULD be part of the mix. And you're right, train shows fill the need of a lot of us that want less expensive options, as well as a source of some pretty unique items as well. Although...I have to say that I attended one yesterday and was met with HIGH prices for items that were nowhere near deserving of such. But - that's part of the game too, I scored big a couple months ago at one. I miss the BB line. I got back into the hobby on the very tail end of it. Yeah you can find some BB items at train shows. As with any set of items discontinued, the availability is hit or miss, and as a discontinued item, dealers (in my experience) tend to price them as collector's items. Seems the best route now is to look for older P2K diesels - they have a reliable, BB-like drivetrain, excellent detail, and yet don't suffer from the Genesis label, which tends to add an automatic $50 to the price of the unit.
Above is the exact point. Some have the money. And they seem to assume so does everyone else- Not even close to true. Far more do not than those who do have the capital. A lot of folks these days simply do not have the spare cash. And then in those instances when such items do not sell as envisioned, of course the purchasing public gets blamed by the manufacturer. As much as the public might be wanting to buy, real life expenses come first.
i got back in in 1995 when my son was first born , so i came back in the middle of the BLUE BOX/ DCC / SOUND change & yes the first 3 years i would say diesels were 40 to 60 new , so it wasnt an issue , then i noticed the details & prices climbed with' proto 2000 & bachmann getting serious , but the biggest jump was when everybody wanted sound , that launched them over the 100 dollar mark ,& here we are
Well said, and so true. The old BBs were decent models, detailed adequately for most folks and decent price, yet very receptive to adding better details if you were so inclined (modeling)...or repainting to something else without the hesitation of painting over a $200+ locomotive. What I'm running into now is even when I can score a good deal on a P2K or more recent Bachmann at a train show, the super-detailing added at the factory is nearly impossible to remove. handrails/windows/etc.(items that used to come with the model in a packet that we added ourselves) are GLUED in. Frustrating!
Funny, here I sit on the other side of the coin. Given the choice between stripping a detailed, painted model, and painting an undec and having to diddle with tiny little flibbityjibbit plastic or wire detail parts that are thinner than the sprue, I'llget the alcohol bath ready. I may lose a few parts in the soak due to the glue breaking doen, but a few is a lot easier than all of them. Most of my projects are currently clearenced Walthers coaches for a Circus train though, so not huge details like an engine.
Try buying a Walthers undec loco to do a custom job on. The windows, handrails, horns, EVERYTHING it glues together! TOTALLY FRUSTRATING!!!!!!
I remember when powered locos were listed at $7.95. I still pick them up and rebuild them for my nephew. Even did all the HiF units...which work really good as helpers in consist. I even scored a Dual-Geared Geep. Metal gearboxes screwed together with 2-56, oillite bearings. They didn't do THAT for very long! I did have my go at Athearn steam back in the day. Had a hankering to have one again...had about 2/3 of one in a junk box...but found an 0-4-2T Lil Monster cheap and complete. Added an 0-6-0 (which I never had as a kid), still looking for a Pacific (have a tender and one truck). I picked up three steameline passenger kar unopened kits for $5 each a couple of weeks ago. Got an EL PA for $30, and a powered B unit later for $25. Too bad they weren't SF or SP......but I have them on a shelf, next to my Lionel EL FM Trainmaster. Dave
