Who says PRR steam wont sell

[wcfn100]

I understand the inability to specify orientation during rendering is a key LIMFAC right now.  Are there other companies offering that option?

There are other places on line that will do what Shapeways does.

But a $25 shell becomes a $300 shell.

Jason

[mmagliaro]

PRR steam will sell.  But will it sell BETTER than something else a company could make?  That's all that matters.

In BLI's case, they make all that PRR steam in HO, and if they considered tooling for one of those engines in N,
they might end up saying, "Heck with it.   We can make more money by doing
nothing and just selling another few thousand of the HO models, for which we already have the tooling."

As for this brass S-1, it means nothing as to the demand for PRR steam in N Scale.  It is an extremely rare collectible.
There are a handful of people willing to spend big money on that collectible.  That has no bearing on whether there
are 10,000 people willing to plunk down money for a mass-produced K4 or M1.  And even if there are,
as in my example above, could Bachmann, or Kato, or BLI make MORE money by producing something else?
So far, I think that's the situation.  PRR is not the "most profitable" thing a company could make.  Why would you
make something that isn't the most profitable product you can make?

(I have one of those S-1's by the way, which was given to me by an incredibly generous fellow.  It is damaged, missing
some rods, and the finish is shot in a few places.  It would really need to be stripped and repainted, plus I would have to
make some new rod links for it.  In spite of that, it runs pretty well. One day, I will fix it up.)

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yeah, the real indicator would be how well a Key H10 sells. After all, the H8s, 9s and 10s outnumbered the S-1 by what, 2000:1?

[Bob Bufkin]

If you count all classes of H locos, the total number is more like 5079. 

[mike_lawyer]

And even if there are, as in my example above, could Bachmann, or Kato, or BLI make MORE money by producing something else?
So far, I think that's the situation.  PRR is not the "most profitable" thing a company could make.  Why would you
make something that isn't the most profitable product you can make?

Here is my problem with that argument - if the argument that other roads would make more money (or that PRR is not the best use of resources), then that argument should be the same in HO.  We know BLI is making virtually every class of PRR steam.  We also must assume that it is a profit-making endeavour for them, as BLI is now releasing new runs of their locomotives.  If making PRR steam results in a profit in HO scale, and there are enough PRR-specific modelers out there, you would think there should be a market to make PRR-specific steam in N scale.

There

[71jeep]

 

[mmagliaro]

Here is my problem with that argument - if the argument that other roads would make more money (or that PRR is not the best use of resources), then that argument should be the same in HO.  We know BLI is making virtually every class of PRR steam.  We also must assume that it is a profit-making endeavour for them, as BLI is now releasing new runs of their locomotives.  If making PRR steam results in a profit in HO scale, and there are enough PRR-specific modelers out there, you would think there should be a market to make PRR-specific steam in N scale.

There

The popularity of the PRR may be much higher in larger scales, and the popularity of steam, in general, may be much
higher in larger scales.  Speaking from the experience of my years being a member of the PRRT&HS, I can tell you from going to quite a few of the conventions, that the historical society is dominated by a very HO-and-larger bias.  I grant you that may not be representative of the whole population, but stay with me here for a minute.
So, if BLI makes all the PRR steam in HO or larger, they may very well be able to sell lots of them.  In fact, they can sell enough of them to make it a good economic choice vs other roads or models.  But that interest doesn't necessarily translate at all to the population of N Scale modelers.
I would wager that, in fact, it doesn't. 

[mmagliaro]

 

Heh!  LOVED THIS!

Yes, this goes on and on and never ends.  The only ones who can write an "ending" to this are the manufacturers, and I think
that, given all the years that I and other have ranted and wished for more PRR steam, and given that it hasn't appeared,
the manufacturers have written their ending, and we just don't like it.
(Whenever my mother watches "Gone With The Wind" , she still hopes it will end differently, even though she knows that's absurd.)

[spookshow]

PRR steam (and steam in general) may be more popular in HO than N because HO has more available. At some point this becomes a chicken/egg question 

Cheers,
-Mark

[71jeep]

I just had to do it every time I see one of these treads it reminds me of this song 

As all of you can see I AM A DIE HARD PRR guy  but these threads sure do get old after while.

I would give my left tooth to see some PRR steam produced it will come when it comes if it ever comes about and that's it.

Or make your own the Brits have been doing it for years through etch brass kits.  Or you could Kitbash like a couple of my hero's here  on the board Max, Dave, Lemosteam and I am sure I am missing one or two more.

Stay cool my PRR friends I am sure will come one day after all they have to run out of Western steam sooner or later 

[mike_lawyer]

Allen -

Did you ever finish your I1 and your L1?  The shots you have from a few years ago look awesome.  I want to see those two hauling a long coal drag!

Mike

[GaryHinshaw]

PRR is not the "most profitable" thing a company could make.  Why would you
make something that isn't the most profitable product you can make?

Because you love the product?  I would guess that most manufacturing decisions are based on a convolution of sales potential and personal appeal amongst the decision makers in the company.  PRR steam probably needs a champion like Matt at FVM is for Milwaukee Road.  It could happen, but probably not on the scale of BLI in HO.

[SkipGear]

I have some data that might be currious to some of you....

I conducted a poll over on Trainboard as a result of the PRR rant over there, "What local and era do you model?"  It was multiple choice and I tried to keep it simple so there were not 100 different possible answers. I was shooting for 200 responses and it just hit that a little while ago. As of tonight here is the data...

http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?142685-What-do-you-model

Eastern Steam and Early Transition   35 Votes 17.5%
Western Steam and Early Transition  40 Votes 20.0%
Eastern Diesel to Modern Era             45 Votes 22.5%
Western Diesel to Modern Era            52 Votes 26.0%
Trolley, Logging, Etc.                           8 Votes    4.0%
No Specifics, I run what I want           20 Votes  10%

I picked Trainboard because the latest PRR rant was started there and a comment was made that PRR would never sell as much as a Western road. Their membership seems to be a little more all over the place also so it would be a more ballanced responce.

It really came closer than I had imagined. There is no stand out for a more popular era or area. West is a little stronger than East but not enough that I would plan my marketing strategy on Western only products. Being that there are more products produced that fit into the Diesel to Modern Era and arguably more Western road modern stuff at that, I am really surprised that the steam stuff held its own as well as it did.

[mmagliaro]

Because you love the product?  I would guess that most manufacturing decisions are based on a convolution of sales potential and personal appeal amongst the decision makers in the company.  PRR steam probably needs a champion like Matt at FVM is for Milwaukee Road.  It could happen, but probably not on the scale of BLI in HO.

Yes, that's the reason.   But Kato and Bachmann (or Atlas or BLI for that matter) are probably not going to produce a product
on that basis.  The FVM example is a good one, but I don't know of anybody like that who would champion PRR N Scale steam and would have
such a big investment to put behind it.  Heck, I'm still wishing GHQ would put out more of the one-off  NP stuff that Gregg Scott does, and that isn't happening either.

[James Costello]

Yes, that's the reason.   But Kato and Bachmann (or Atlas or BLI for that matter) are probably not going to produce a product
on that basis.

That's exactly what Kato has done though Max. The Japanese love the West, helped along by Hollywood romanticising it over the years. Plus, if you're a US-railfan in Japan and you bring the family to Disneyland, you're going to go see Cajon and Tehachapi too right? They love the Warbonnet and it's obviously featured heavily in Kato production.

They produced the PA just so Mr Kato could have his own.

Atlas isn't without form here, with the Train Master being a favour for Paul for long-service right?

So some business decisions are (often) made for love.