Info on Green Saskatchewan Grain Car from FRTS

[tom mann]

I just saw this on FRTS: http://featherrivertrains.com

So... ... does it seem odd that the Saskatchewan government would care about model trains?

[bsoplinger]

I just saw this on FRTS: http://featherrivertrains.com

So... ... does it seem odd that the Saskatchewan government would care about model trains?

There's a rather long thread over on the A-board about these. Seems some new offshoot of PWRS has an exclusive contract with the Saskatchewan gov to make these.

The monthly (more or less) Intermountain newsletter has the same announcement that showed on FRTS. I got mine yesterday, about the same time I got the FRTS info that my order for the cars was dead

So, time for the ALPS and my own decals. I've got some great pics of these cars, nice and big, good for making decals. Any suggestions on who makes the best/closest match of car? And paint suggestions for that bright looks like plastic green they are painted?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Brian, I think you need to talk to Steve...

And BTW, I would rather have had this been MTL than PWRS, there's something about that operation that just rubs me the wrong way.

[TrainCat2]

Ed,

That was what the entire thread on the A-Board was all about.

[lock4244]

Even odder when you figure that the Saskatchewan Gov't is an NDP Gov't. THe NDP (New Democratic Party) is the reincarnation of the CCF (Canadian Communist Ferderation). What they are doing involved in a private sector deal is beyond me. Living in Canada, and having lived in a jurisdiction that was for a time ruled by the NDP, this all seems very out of character.

I'll keel over if these cars are made in China or do not use union labour in their manufacture.

[ljudice]

PWRS has made it clear the cars ARE being made in China...

Hey, I love Canada and have many friends there (my wife wants to move there),  but I don't understand this either.

Also, what if they licensed this to say New Ray Models or Thomas the Tank Engine Toys??  Then we would be forever without this interesting model... Imagine trying to explain the bureaucrats the difference between scale models and toys????

Not very free market oriented a decision - maybe we can appeal to the NAFTA court or something!   

[sirenwerks]

...PWRS, there's something about that operation that just rubs me the wrong way.

Never bought from them but I'm with you Ed. There "official" response was a bit shady and lacked concise info about what they are. And their prices... don't get me started. Decals please, anyone! They may not see the side of a car for a while in my case, but I'd rather do it myself than pay that much.

[engineshop]

I sent an e-mail to the contact person of that government agency. I just cannot imagine what will happen in the future if even governments start copyrighting items and making deals with individuals. What will be next; the flags.
 

[3rdrail]

I sent an e-mail to the contact person of that government agency. I just cannot imagine what will happen in the future if even governments start copyrighting items and making deals with individuals. What will be next; the flags.
 

Roland, perhaps you hand't heard about the brouhaha between the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority and Athearn over the use of the Trinity Railway Express color scheme. Or why you never see a SEPTA model? Not only to they grant exclusive licenses, but they charge outrageous prices for those licenses. Being a government agency, gouging one's constituents is unwise, but it is fine to gouge someone living elsewhere. 

[Mark5]

I'm beginning to wonder if transit authorities and other govt entities are beginning to see licensing for model trains as a profit center.

Walthers did agree to pay a royalty of 5% to VRE:

http://www.vre.org/about/minutes/minutes-december2001.htm#8c

Kato apparently entered into some sort of agreement, although not clear if was 5% or $3,900:

http://www.vre.org/about/minutes/minutes-october2004.htm

Not sure how MARC handles this but I recall Atlas doing some MARC in HO.

The idea of an exclusive arrangement is a bit odd I must confess, as this certainly restricts their opportunities in the licensing area. :

[sirenwerks]

Funny, but I thought tax-payer funded projects remained in the public domain. It kinda makes sense to charge a manufacturer to profit from a logo, etc., but ultimately it gets charged to the consumer, aka the tax-payer. Hrrrmph!

[Bob Bufkin]

I sent an e-mail to the contact person of that government agency. I just cannot imagine what will happen in the future if even governments start copyrighting items and making deals with individuals. What will be next; the flags.
 

Roland, perhaps you hand't heard about the brouhaha between the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority and Athearn over the use of the Trinity Railway Express color scheme. Or why you never see a SEPTA model? Not only to they grant exclusive licenses, but they charge outrageous prices for those licenses. Being a government agency, gouging one's constituents is unwise, but it is fine to gouge someone living elsewhere. 

Only place I' ve seen a SEPTA model was in their museum/giftshop in Philadelphia a couple years ago.  Always wondered why I never saw them anywhere else.  Fact is, the only model they had were all H.O2 i.e. H.O. scale and horrible overpriced.
Bob

[ljudice]

re: taxpayer funded...

It's my understanding that this is causing major havoc for the military modellers, ie. aircraft and other manufacturers demanding licensing fees  - despite the obvious fact that there is only one customer for most of this stuff.  maybe a military model fan can verify this?

[nscalesteve]

And their prices... don't get me started...

did you see prices for the cars somewhere... ?

Decals please, anyone!

buy the cars and support further releases... 

[sirenwerks]

did you see prices for the cars somewhere... ?

No, but their other stuff is, IMHO, over-priced. $40 for a single covered hopper? No thanks.